The beautiful game. Soccer is beloved for its creativity, fluidity and spectacular moments. A perfect header – whether it be a diving goal or a timely clear – can be that moment of splendor. But the aerial battles for headers, especially at the sport’s highest levels of competition, are notoriously rough, occasionally bloody and, although rarely, can result in concussive levels of head impact. At the youth level, American parents are naturally concerned that a collision will result in the scary scenario for their children. Additionally, many youth coaches aren’t grizzled soccer veterans but instead parent volunteers who want their children to stay active and learn the lessons of teamwork.
Our Tom Kaminski was in Washington to present at a Congressional briefing on head impacts in soccer. Read the full article on UDaily.
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- Congressional briefing speakers included our Tom Kaminski (second from right).
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- Tom Kaminski (Kinesiology and Applied Physiology) poses outside the Capitol before the briefing.
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- Kaminski worked with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to bring the online heading course to life.
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- Kaminski asserts that the foundation of preventing injury is through neck and core strengthening exercises.
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- Ian Barker, NSCAA director of coaching education, instructs youth players on heading technique.
