The game was a routine in-game situation.
A goal kick flew through the air toward the head of junior forward Kodi Lavrusky, who was ready to put the ball in play during a game against UC Irvine.
Instead of ricocheting off his forehead, the bullet deflected off the top of Lavrusky’s head. The impact temporarily blinded her and caused stars to burst before her eyes.
“It shook me a little — I’ve never felt something like that on a head,” Lavrusky said. “I couldn’t see for a few seconds and had to keep my balance. The next few days… I had a pretty serious headache. I had to take a few days off to be safe.
Lavrusky wasn’t concussed, he was just badly shaken. It was considered a freak accident, a freak event, a–thing of time.
Former UCLA coach and U.S. women’s soccer player Joy Fawcett disagrees. The world champion believes such incidents indicate a wider trend.
“There are concussions on the field all the time. I think (the NCAA and FIFA) don’t see it, and there are no studies,” Fawcett said. “They want facts. They want studies done and it takes a long time…I think they are behind on this, but I understand they want it proven.
In an effort to reduce the risk of concussions and other head injuries caused by headers, Fawcett is spearheading the Parents and Pros for Safer Soccer initiative. The move aims to raise the age limit for teaching heading from 10 to 14, so that children reach adolescence before they start making contact between the ball and their head.
The movement partners with the Santa Clara Institute of Sports Law and Ethics and the Sports Legacy Institute, which conduct research specific to head injuries sustained in football. According to their press release in conjunction with Parents and Pros for Safer Soccer, research has already proven that 30 percent of concussions that occur on the soccer field are related to heading the ball.
The danger of concussions has been seen increased publicity, but rarely in the field of women’s football. In other arenas, these sometimes silent killers are more visible: football players smashing into each other with their helmets, hockey players sprawling on rock-hard ice, martial arts fighters mixed and boxers receiving numerous blows to the head.
“Self-directing, especially in a practice setting or structured setting, may not be as detrimental as we think,” said Dr. Christopher Giza, the program’s pediatric neurologist. Steve Tisch BrainSPORT from UCLA, which focuses on concussion research. and prevention. “As part of the game, However, it’s difficult to separate it from other risks, and you can certainly suffer concussions or collisions on your way to a soccer game.
However, the need for a rule change is not unanimous. UCLA coach Amanda Cromwell believes that such measures would have a negative impact on sport.
“I think (leading) is a vital skill. There aren’t enough coaches teaching properly, that’s the problem,” Cromwell said. “I think certain aspects of the game will be missed. I don’t think it’s good for the game to just… say “you can’t head the ball until 2 p.m.”.
The risk of serious brain injury following a concussion increases with recurrence of head trauma. Players who stay in the game increase their chances of being more seriously injured.
“There is some speculation that hitting your head repeatedly, even if you don’t feel any symptoms, could lead to long-term problems,” Gizeh said.
For football players in the competitive environment of college football, voluntarily leaving a game is rare because playing time is highly coveted, Fawcett said. Even after seeing stars, Lavrusky chose to stay in the game instead of requesting a replacement..
“I stayed (and) I didn’t actually report it. After coming out, I went to the athletic trainer and told him what happened,” Lavrusky said. “I took a concussion test after the game… If I had continued to play and something else had happened, it would have been bad.”
Because of this competitive culture, Fawcett said the institutions in charge of the playing field have a responsibility to change it.
“Kids are competitive and they want to succeed, so until it’s a nationwide thing and FIFA adopts it or American football – until it’s a rule – kids don’t “They won’t stop playing for the title and coaches won’t stop teaching it,” Fawcett said. “I would love to see this happen, make it a rule and have everyone on the same page.”
When it comes to the issue of concussions in women’s soccer, players, coaches and the programs are not united in achieving or solving the problem. Studies are currently being conducted as players continue to get injured. Fawcett believes his proposal represents a realistic solution to the current situation.
“It’s until 2 p.m.,” Fawcett said. “It’s not forever.”
