girl soccer and concussions/ACL

[Anonymous]

my wife would like enroll our 8 years old daughter into competitive soccer. I've been researching into girls soccer particularly with concussions and ACL injury and it seems like girl soccer suffers concussions and ACL at a higher rate than other sports. As a dad, that really worries me. As she gets older soccer, she will be heading the ball and numerous studies have shown that it will increase the risk of concussions. Multiple concussions are linked to CTE. I also found this study https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170314081533.htm

I would like her to participate in "safer" sports like swimming so that the risk of concussion is none.

What should I do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my wife would like enroll our 8 years old daughter into competitive soccer. I've been researching into girls soccer particularly with concussions and ACL injury and it seems like girl soccer suffers concussions and ACL at a higher rate than other sports. As a dad, that really worries me. As she gets older soccer, she will be heading the ball and numerous studies have shown that it will increase the risk of concussions. Multiple concussions are linked to CTE. I also found this study https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170314081533.htm

I would like her to participate in "safer" sports like swimming so that the risk of concussion is none.

What should I do?

Well you have answered your own question. Let her swim. Now in reality, most girl will be out of competitive soccer by u12. The first year they are allowed to head the ball. Also you are assuming your DD will like soccer, swimming, whatever it sport YOU pick for her and she will make the cut. All big assumption.

[Anonymous]

Let her try everything SHE likes and see what sticks. She's 8, she shouldn't be doing just one sport. While soccer has risks, most girls don't get serious injuries or concussions until they are quite a bit older.

[Anonymous]

even at u12, they really have not been taught to use the header, so its minimal. most girls can barely cross the ball in a way that requires a head ball manuever. the concussion issues i have seen have resulted from person to person contact or the resultant fall.

[Anonymous]

The risk of concussion in swim is not none.

My daughter swims and plays soccer. The most serious injury we've seen was in swim. A child almost died by drowning because he skipped a breath, blacked out, sank to the bottom. Fortunately, the lifeguards were on it. We've also seen concussions at swim. If your backstroke count is off, you can slam head first into the pool wall. Younger kids are particularly susceptible to this, which is why you'll see timers put their hands down between head-and-pool-wall at races. We've seen a couple kids get concussions from hitting the wall. A few kids have needed surgery from shoulder problems as well, but that seems to be mostly the kids who get really into fly.

Anecdotally, my daughter has gotten a concussion from soccer and she's never gotten injured from swim, but swim is not risk free.

[Anonymous]

Tell your wife she’s an idiot.

[Anonymous]

My niece got a concussion swimming when she was kicked in the head by another swimmer at a turn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:even at u12, they really have not been taught to use the header, so its minimal. most girls can barely cross the ball in a way that requires a head ball manuever. the concussion issues i have seen have resulted from person to person contact or the resultant fall.

OK so what do you say to your daughter when she enters HS years and want to play varsity or competitive travel soccer? Will you let your daughter play? Bigger risk of concussions from contact and heading the ball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my wife would like enroll our 8 years old daughter into competitive soccer. I've been researching into girls soccer particularly with concussions and ACL injury and it seems like girl soccer suffers concussions and ACL at a higher rate than other sports. As a dad, that really worries me. As she gets older soccer, she will be heading the ball and numerous studies have shown that it will increase the risk of concussions. Multiple concussions are linked to CTE. I also found this study https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170314081533.htm

I would like her to participate in "safer" sports like swimming so that the risk of concussion is none.

What should I do?

Dude, life is dangerous but you cannot put her in bubble wrap. The benefits of playing even in our honked up soccer system are far greater than the risks. Educate yourself on concussion protocols and acl prevention techniques and let her live. If it makes you feel better, invest in a concussion headband. If she turns out to be concussion prone, then think about quitting, but generally it takes multiple head injuried for CTE to develop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:even at u12, they really have not been taught to use the header, so its minimal. most girls can barely cross the ball in a way that requires a head ball manuever. the concussion issues i have seen have resulted from person to person contact or the resultant fall.

OK so what do you say to your daughter when she enters HS years and want to play varsity or competitive travel soccer? Will you let your daughter play? Bigger risk of concussions from contact and heading the ball.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:even at u12, they really have not been taught to use the header, so its minimal. most girls can barely cross the ball in a way that requires a head ball manuever. the concussion issues i have seen have resulted from person to person contact or the resultant fall.

OK so what do you say to your daughter when she enters HS years and want to play varsity or competitive travel soccer? Will you let your daughter play? Bigger risk of concussions from contact and heading the ball.

She loves the sport and its a known risk, educate about symptoms, behaviors and be careful. we couldnt do anything if we were always avoiding potential issues.

[Anonymous]

DD plays soccer. DS plays a different sport. DS tore his ACL when he was running and jumping, not at the sport at all. Life throws crazy stuff at you and you deal with it. I worry every day about injuries but to myself. DS needed surgery but recovered and is back playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my wife would like enroll our 8 years old daughter into competitive soccer. I've been researching into girls soccer particularly with concussions and ACL injury and it seems like girl soccer suffers concussions and ACL at a higher rate than other sports. As a dad, that really worries me. As she gets older soccer, she will be heading the ball and numerous studies have shown that it will increase the risk of concussions. Multiple concussions are linked to CTE. I also found this study https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170314081533.htm

I would like her to participate in "safer" sports like swimming so that the risk of concussion is none.

What should I do?

You can’t play sports much less live life scared.

I’ve known about 5 kids who got concussed. One had nothing to do with soccer and was a playground injury. A couple were Falls to the ground and one was hit with a ball.

ACLs are mostly “big kid” injuries. I’ve yet to see one happen younger than HS years much less at 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can’t play sports much less live life scared.

I’ve known about 5 kids who got concussed. One had nothing to do with soccer and was a playground injury. A couple were Falls to the ground and one was hit with a ball.

ACLs are mostly “big kid” injuries. I’ve yet to see one happen younger than HS years much less at 8.

so you would let your kids play football even though the evidence is conclusive that football is linked to CTE? it is one thing to fall and hit your head, no one can avoid that. It is another thing to play soccer and head the ball repeatedly and cause seriously damage to the brain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can’t play sports much less live life scared.

I’ve known about 5 kids who got concussed. One had nothing to do with soccer and was a playground injury. A couple were Falls to the ground and one was hit with a ball.

ACLs are mostly “big kid” injuries. I’ve yet to see one happen younger than HS years much less at 8.

so you would let your kids play football even though the evidence is conclusive that football is linked to CTE? it is one thing to fall and hit your head, no one can avoid that. It is another thing to play soccer and head the ball repeatedly and cause seriously damage to the brain.

Soccer is not American football. False equivalency.