Concussion researcher stands behind the no heading movement

Lethbridge -Youth soccer in the United States is about to change. This week, the country’s soccer federation said it would move to ban heading in both practice and games for children ages 10 and younger. For children aged 11 to 13, heading the ball will only be allowed in games.

The announcement comes in the wake of a 2014 class-action lawsuit by parents and players against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and others for negligence in treating and monitoring head injuries.

“We are still staying the course laid out by the Canadian Soccer Association for right now, but that might change,” said Frank Spadavecchia, the program director for the Lethbridge Football Club.

Al Fernandes runs a youth soccer academy in Lethbridge and says the announcement scares him as a coach.

“How are we going to learn how to head the ball properly?” adds Fernandes. “We start with our U4’s with heading, so they lose the fear of the ball. The discipline becomes these are the different body parts you can use in the game.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "How are we going to learn how to head the ball properly?" adds Fernandes. "We start with our U4's with heading, so they lose the fear of the ball. The discipline becomes these are the different body parts you can use in the game."

Dr. Ian Whishaw, a leading researcher in concussions at the University of Lethbridge, is applauding the move by the United Sates Soccer Federation.

He says soccer can be played without heading and the hope is that by restricting the use of heading in young players there will be fewer concussions, but also fewer sub-concussive events.

“You can play soccer without heading the ball. Even among professional soccer players some really don’t hit the ball with their heads,” explained Whishaw. “Given that we really don’t know for sure about any long-term consequences of concussions that it’s probably very safe to say the earlier you stop children from banging their heads the better. I bet this won’t stop at 12-year-olds. I believe It’s going to go all the way to amateur soccer.”

Ultimately Whishaw says it’s all part of a movement to make sports safer for our youth.