CHICAGO SPORTS INJURY ATTORNEYS: SOCCER AND BRAIN INJURIES
Medical News Today recently published an interesting article regarding soccer and head injuries entitled Soccer headers can cause brain injury. The article explains that scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center submitted soccer players (or football players to those of you outside of the U.S.) to MRI imaging scanners to determine if "heading" a soccer play can lead to brain injury. "Heading" is commonly known as hitting a soccer ball with the head. As Chicago sports injury and brain injury attorneys -- and parents of young athletes -- we found the study interesting.
The study examined "38 amateur soccer players with an average age of just over 30, who all played the sport regularly since childhood. They were asked to estimate the number of times they headed the ball during the last year." That information was compared to the results of the players MRI brain scans and cognitive functioning. After analyzing all of the information, researchers concluded that "those players that headed the ball frequently showed brain injury not dissimilar to a concussion, known medically as mild traumatic brain injury (TBI)."
Many in the U.S. might be surprised to learn that soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world. Nonetheless, the Medical News Today article reports that 18 million Americans play soccer. In the U.S., we are now becoming more aware of the potential for traumatic brain injury among players of our favorite pastimes, most notably American football.
The main concerns with soccer involve the young age of the players and the vast speeds of soccer balls in play. (Medical News Today states that soccer balls can travel at speeds "upwards of thirty miles per hour during amateur play and more than double that in professional games.") Players may "head" a ball nearly 1500 times a year, which, when broken down, may amount to "a few times a day for a regular player." According to one scientist, "repetitive heading may set off a cascade of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells."
As a sport, soccer safety is on Illinois's radar. Recently, Illinois Governor Quinn signed into law "Zach's Law" which "requires all moveable soccer goals made or sold in Illinois to be tip-resistant. A friend of the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll, Shawn Kasserman of Corboy & Demetrio, helped the Tran family's efforts to get Zach's Law passed in August of 2011. While more information is needed regarding soccer and traumatic brain injuries, it is a good idea for parents to warn young soccer players to avoid unnecessary heading during practices and games. The practice of heading should be discouraged when possible.
As Chicago sports injury and brain injury attorneys, we recognize the importance of keeping our children safe and minimizing the risk of catastrophic injury while playing sports. Sports-related accidents resulting in personal injury occur on a daily basis at schools, gyms and training facilities. Many serious sports-related injuries include head and neck injuries, back injuries, paralysis and fractures.
Has your child been injured at school or while participating in a sport or activity? The Chicago sports injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll have over twenty years experience litigating sports injury claims, including a multi-million dollar settlement for a 17-year-old football player who was rendered a quadriplegic when he hit a pole adjacent to a football practice field as well as a five- million dollar settlement for a high school student who was rendered a quadriplegic following an incident at a school pool. Contact us at (312) 676-7222, or fill out the contact form to set up a personal consultation. An experienced sport injury attorney will discuss your accident with you and evaluate your legal options.
