U.S. Soccer gold medalist talks about header ban for kids

If your child plays soccer, he or she may not get the opportunity to practice headers until at least the age of 11.

Because of an increasing number of concussions in the sport, that’s the recommendation from the U.S. Soccer Federation.

But the woman who’s scored more goals than anyone else in the worldhas a surprising take on what’s best for young athletes, and for the sport of soccer.

From any angle, it was a powerful play.Abby Wambach’s diving header to advance Team USA to the World Cup semi-finals became known as the “header heard round the world.”It’s a technique she practiced often and early in her career.

“I taught myself,” Wambach saidduring a panel discussion with Clinton Foundation presidentand former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala in Indian Wells in late January. “And there’s trial and error, and you don’t really want to mess with trial and error and your brain.”

That is the driving force behind what many considera controversial move last fall by the U.S. Soccer Federation: A header ban for players 10 years old and younger, with heading limited to practices only between the ages of 11 and 13.

The ban evolved from a lawsuit claiming negligence in treating and monitoring head injuries.

Although U.S. Soccer’s chief medical officersaidthe science on youth soccer and concussions is still evolving, the recommendation has parents and grandparents, like Veronica Vandenburg,thinking.

“The pressure of it coming down and connecting with just your head, Iwould imagine it creates quite a bit of damage long term or it could,” says Vandenburg.

“I’m not going to lie. It kind of scares me,” says Wambach.

“And I’ve been doing it for 30 years. I’ve been smashing my head against a ball for 30 years.
I hope the research comes back that that’s going to be OKfor me.”

The gold medalist pitches for Triax Tec, a headband that measures G-force impact.
But Wambach toldShalala she’s not ready to give headers the red card.

“It’s not necessarily heading the ball that creates the concussion,” says Wambach.
“It’s what’s happening in or around the heading on the ball. It’s elbows flying, it’s head to head contact.”

She says it’s important to teach kids how to head in a safe, controlled environment.

“Because what happens at 14? Becausenone of them know what they’re doing.
None of them have been taught properly,” she said.

Wambach explains heading should happen where the hairline meets the forehead, and players get it wrong if they’re letting the ball just hit their head.

“Where if you are actually impacting it, and trying to force the ball to go in a different direction, that is in my opinionhow to properly head, because everything, all your muscles are solid, are strong, are ready. You’re not flinching.

One of her missions in retirement, she said, will be to makesure kids get the proper training to do these things.

“There are so many things that people can do to keep improvingand keep challenging themselves, whether it be physically or even mentally,” she said.

And whether it’ssoccer or snowboarding, Wambach said “playingsports at a young agewill empower your children to think bigger, think brighter, and honestly, live longer.”

US Soccer’s Safety Campaign

See the rule changes US Soccer made regarding headers, and the statement made after the resolution to the lawsuit involving concussions in youth soccer.

Resources for Safe Soccer

The American Youth Soccer League weighs in on heading safetyand advises parents, coaches and athletes use these tips for safe heading:

keep your eye on the ball.
place your body so that your forehead will meet the ball.
take a comfortable stance with knees bent.
keep your eyes open.
keep your mouth closed.
keep your chin tucked.
keep a rigid neck.
use your arms for balance.

See Abby Wambach’s Superbowl commercial for MINI USAhere.

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