In April 2008, Cindy Richards’ daughter suffered what appeared to be a concussion after colliding with another player during a high school soccer game.
Seven hours after impact, her daughter suffered a massive bleed requiring emergency brain surgery.
As chair of the Pennsylvania Medical Society Alliance health projects committee, Richards is spearheading a campaign to educate the public, coaches, and players about the value of protective head gear in sports, particularly soccer, where the risk of concussion and head trauma is significant.
“I’m not a paranoid mother—I have five children. But we learned that the concussion rate among soccer players is similar to football players,” she said.
“Through the Alliance, we want to spread the word that protective head gear is available and that wearing it can protect the head from concussion and serious injury,” she added.
Below are just a few facts on head injuries in sports:
- Players not wearing protective head gear are 2.65 times more likely to suffer concussions. (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2007)
- Younger players require more time to recover from concussions than older players. (Journal of Pediatrics, 2003)
- The number of sports concussions is believed to be under reported by 90 percent. (Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999)
- Second impact syndrome—rapid and potentially catastrophic swelling of the brain—may occur if the head is impacted before the brain has recovered from concussion. (Clinics in Sports Medicine, 2003)
The decision to wear protective head gear is an individual one, but the Pennsylvania Medical Society encourages parents, coaches, and players to weigh the options. If you protect the rest of your body with pads and shin guards, why not protect your head?