Travel A team and medical personnel

[Anonymous]

We just recently moved to the DMV from the midwest and our kids play on travel soccer A team. We're looking for a travel soccer to join in the DMV, preferably Arlington area. Kids are 16 and 12.

When they were playing from the age of 8 to 15, my wife who is a pediatric neurologist, served as a volunteer doctor for the team at both practices and matches. Her job is to make sure that the kids are safe and identify potential injury issues such as concussions and head trauma. That's what she does for a living.

Now that we're here and her new job will not allow her to attend games and matches. She wants to be sure that there are physicians on the side line to make sure that kids will be ok during practices and matches. She is having a hard time of letting it go because of her profession, the likelihood of concussions will go up as kids get older. My wife is having a hard time of letting them join a travel team without having at least a parent on the team who is a neurologist at practices and matches if she can not be there.

Does soccer travel team in this area that have parents who are also doctors that volunteer their time at practices and matches? Can you please share if you do?

[Anonymous]

As another physician, if you or your wife sincerely believe that your child cannot play a sport without a licensed physician physically present at the sidelines to ensure their safety during every practice and match, I think you should reconsider having your child play that sport.

[Anonymous]

Our team does (U13 boys, 2006) have a few doctor/medical field parents actually..But we also have a coach who has been trained (as most have!) to spot injuries and advise parents if there's any issues.

[Anonymous]

I beg your pardon. I just realized you are concerned that there is not just a licensed physician present, but "at least a parent on the team who is a neurologist at practices and matches if she can not be there."

If you require licensed subspecialist oversight, you definitely might want to give this some additional thought.

[Anonymous]

This post is fantastic!

[Anonymous]

Welcome to DC. You'll fit in perfectly.

[Anonymous]

In all seriousness DA games are required to have a certified trainer. Granted not a neurologist, like say, would be required by professional leagues like.......NONE!!! But it s at least something.

[Anonymous]

After reading the post the thread title is even more rich, "Travel A team and medical personnel". As if to say, "eff those B team kids and their head injuries."

[Anonymous]

I believe most parents in our league are lawyers. Should anything injury happens, they would immediately file a law suite.

Joking aside. I’ve never seen any medical professionals, parents or others, are present at league games. They are definitely not there during practices. Most parents just drop off their kids and come back to pick them up after practice.

[Anonymous]

this is so rich. I will brb i have to go grab some popcorn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In all seriousness DA games are required to have a certified trainer. Granted not a neurologist, like say, would be required by professional leagues like.......NONE!!! But it s at least something.

ECNL games have the same requirement for a trainer at the field

[Anonymous]

DC United Development Academy has a contract with Medstar sports medicine, but that said I think this is the exception rather than the norm.

Basically no travel team will be able to afford a full time person so you're looking for a neighborhood that might have doctors as parents, more than likely. Somewhere in NW DC or Bethesda area (NIH, Walter Reed, etc) might have a higher percentage of doctor soccer parents than others, but there really is no way to find this without aksing parent by parent what they do for a living, basically.

[Anonymous]

I don't know about your team but his is our sideline:

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC United Development Academy has a contract with Medstar sports medicine, but that said I think this is the exception rather than the norm.

Basically no travel team will be able to afford a full time person so you're looking for a neighborhood that might have doctors as parents, more than likely. Somewhere in NW DC or Bethesda area (NIH, Walter Reed, etc) might have a higher percentage of doctor soccer parents than others, but there really is no way to find this without aksing parent by parent what they do for a living, basically.

OP here. Thank you. I just want to say that when we were living in the midwest, the coach actually informed parents on the team that one of the parents who is also a ped neurologist volunteered to be at practices and matches to make sure that all kids on the team will get immediate medical attention should something happen. That went over very well with other parents. I am hoping that travel teams in the DMV area can do the same thing instead parents going around asking other parents.

[Anonymous]

No i have never seen a team medical professional on the sideline. Some years we have had a team parent who is a physician on the sideline but only in the role of parent. I’ve never seen one assess the players.

My son had a bad concussion at 11. We have a rule in our house that following a head injury, you come out of the game. His middle school coach for soccer knew my rule and pulled him out a few times but that was school not travel. If you’re so concerned, just tell the coach this is your rule. My other son’s u11 travel coach always pulls the kids off if they take a big hit, bump heads, etc.