The risk of concussions for football players is well known. But soccer has one of the highest head injury rates in sports. Several companies make light weight head gear for players. The Virginia Tech Helmet lab just finished testing them and it's out today, with ratings.
Most soccer players don't wear protective head gear, but there's growing evidence, that perhaps they should. Soccer players sometimes use their heads to hit the ball, and while that doesn't pose much of a concussion risk, a move players use, known as a 'header,' does.
Steve Rowson, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics is the lab’s director. He explains how these concussions happen. "So, two players are going up to 'head' the same ball and rather than heading the ball they knock into each other's heads. With those types of impacts, there's a pretty high risk of concussion. Soccer head gear can do a great deal to reduce those injury risks."
The lab slammed crash test dummies into each other simulating real world hits to the head. Results showed, the head band style of protective gear rated highest, offering a 70-percent reduction in concussion. It's light weight, made with a 3/4 inch band of stiff foam.
The $10,000 independent study was crowd funded to help players, coaches and parents choose the best head gear.
Rowson says, the goal of Virginia Tech's Helmet Lab soccer head gear study is to "Get independent, evidence-based information out there to players, coaches, and parents, so that they can choose the equipment that’s most effective."
But he cautions, no headgear, yet known, can completely prevent concussions, every time.
Click hereto see ratings for lightweight soccer protective headgear.
