Elbowed in the forehead
Concussions in youth soccer happen. It’s best to get trained. The same can be said with most other fast paced team sports. Some can be minor like the one I had and then there are very serious ones that can threaten the rest of a playing career.
Around 15 or 16 I was elbowed in the middle of the forehead chasing down a loose ball. Immediately I fell to the ground. Stunned and somewhat dizzy. I didn’t feel quite right the rest of the game and I never received any medical treatment.
College incident
While playing in college, a member of the other team and I jumped up to challenge for a header. We were right next to the goal line and as our shoulders connected, he fell sideline into the goal and hit his head on the bottom side of the goal which was made of metal.
He was unconscious. It terrified me because I thought it was all my fault. I couldn’t concentrate for the rest of the game. He left the game and did not return.
A couple years later, he was still wearing a concussion headband that helps limit the impact of the ball hitting the head.
Those two incidents have always stayed with me.
Coaches and parents should always be prepared when a player is suspected of having a concussion.
Here’s a list of concussion related at-home online courses you can sign up for
The NFHS has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to educate coaches, officials, parents and students on the importance of proper concussion recognition and management in high school sports. This course highlights the impact of sports-related concussion on athletes, teaches how to recognize a suspected concussion, and provides protocols to manage a suspected concussion with steps to help players return to play safely after a concussion. Each state’s requirements for concussion management are included as part of the course.
NFHS Learning Center
As a coach, you are responsible for the health and safety of your athletes, and it’s likely that you are aware of the recent focus on concussions in sports. It is important for coaches to understand concussion basics, as well as steps to prevent and properly care for concussions when they occur. ConcussionWise™ is a free online course developed specifically for coaches by Sport Safety International. At the completion of the course, learners will receive a completion certificate.
SSI Concussion Wise
You can improve the culture of concussion by taking this free online training and using what you learn to inform how you talk about, prevent, and respond to concussions. Your actions can help create a safe environment for young athletes so that they can stay healthy, active, and thrive – both on and off the playing field. You can print out a certificate once you complete the training and quiz, making it easy to show your league or school that you are ready for the season.
Center for Disease Control Prevention
The National Alliance for Youth Sports is aware that concussions in sports are an extremely important topic for coaches and parents of young athletes no matter the sport. The Sports Concussion Institute estimates that between 5-10% of all athletes will experience a concussion during a given season and those numbers increase for contact sports such as football and soccer.
NAYS.org
We have been working hard to create a new course that reflects the advancements being made in the prevention and management of sports-related concussions.
TexasHealth.org
