The soccer world is finally warming up to wearing headguards to reduce brain injury risks. Of course, many still aren’t entirely convinced, and there’s still a debate over research that says they’re effective. This post will take a deeper look at some scientific studies highlighting brain injuries' dangers and how headgear can help.
1. 22% of all soccer injuries are concussions.
Lower leg injuries are the most common in soccer, but concussions account for 22% of all injuries in the sport. That’s nearly a quarter of all reported incidents. That’s not a small number. Soccer concussions can have life-threatening (and lifelong) consequences, making this rate of occurrence concerning.
Most soccer concussions happen when players collide head-to-head. However, some concussions include minor brain injuries that can also occur when players head the ball. Ultimately, wearing a soccer concussion headgaurd can reduce impact forces regardless of how players sustain them.
2. 44.5% of parents considered keeping their kids from playing.
Soccer concussions are making more rounds in the news now; understandably, parents are spooked. According to one study, nearly half of parents have thought about keeping their kids off the pitch altogether. The issue is that this is a fear-based response, which doesn’t solve the problem of concussions. It’s better if parents invest in soccer concussion headgear for their kids since it can reduce their risk while allowing them to play the sport they love.
3. Only 35% of parents trusted coaches’ ability to identify concussions.
The study mentioned in the previous section also revealed that most parents lack confidence in coaches’ judgement. A meagre 35% of parents said they were “very confident” in their coaches’ ability to detect concussions. That’s frightening. One of the critical components of the soccer concussion protocol is for coaches to make a sound judgment call when players have been hit. That also means sitting them out, even if there’s doubt.
With that said, making that call is often subjective. That’s why we advise players to wear concussion headgear as it offers protection against hard impacts. It also serves as confirmation that a player is okay if they seem unhurt after a head impact while having headgear on.
4. 69% of youth played through concussion symptoms.
The CDC launched a campaign dubbed Heads Up, designed to raise awareness about concussions in youth sports. A survey of nearly 800 high school players found that 69% played through concussion symptoms. Again, this is frightening.
It’s up to players to speak up if they’re hurt, but we understand that athletes will be athletes. They’ll push through pain and injuries. At the very least, wearing soccer concussion headgear can make head impacts far less severe. If a player walks off from a hit with headgear on, chances are they’ll be alright.
5. 40% of players report coaches were unaware of their concussions.
The same Heads Up campaign mentioned in the study above revealed that only 40% of coaches could identify concussions in their players. That connects to the parents’ low confidence in coaches’ diagnostic abilities. In all fairness, coaches aren’t doctors - they can’t say with full assurance that a player has had a concussion.
Still, many coaches don’t have enough training to spot concussion symptoms. Also, many players don’t report their symptoms to coaches. Soccer headguards can give players and coaches some added confidence that no brain injury occurred.
6. Girls are twice as likely to suffer concussions in soccer.
A study published in JAMA Network Open revealed that female soccer players have double the risk of suffering a concussion. Researchers studied more than 80,000 teenage high schoolers over three years. The study supports a longstanding theory that girls and young women have harsher effects. That is mainly due to differences in anatomy, such as having less neck muscle mass than men. As a result, parents of girls and young women should especially encourage their daughters to wear soccer headgear. The results could be life-saving.
7. Headgear can reduce concussion risk by 84%.
You read that right, except that not all headgear can reduce concussions with that efficacy rate. Ours did. In a research study conducted by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, our ExoShield headguard lowered concussion risk by 84%. The lab demonstrated its efficacy by placing the headguard on “dummies” subjected to concussion simulations. It ranked the highest among 22 headguard models, making it the most effective one on the market.
Choosing a soccer concussion headguard
To piggyback off the previous section, you want to be on your Ps and Qs when looking for a headguard.
They’re not all made equal. The reason why we can recommend our headguard as your first choice is because it’s proven.
Not only did it earn a five-star rating, but it’s also the only headguard certified by the ASTM for meeting safety standards. Of course, no headguard can prevent concussions 100%, including our own. But some protection is better than none, especially when that protection is backed by research.
Get the best head protection possible with our ExoShield concussion headguard.
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