Soccer Heading Research Paper

English 1B
2 July 2012
Get Your “Head” in the Game “Heading is when a player propels the ball using their head”(Sports Definitions). “There are four main types of heading that occur in the game – the defensive header, used to clear the ball from the defensive area; the glancing header, used as a “pass” to advance the ball; the flick-on header which uses the back of the head to direct the ball; and the dramatic diving header, used to attack or to score a goal” (Pimlott). With each of these types of headers in soccer each one must be properly learned otherwise there will be a greater chance of risk and harm to players.. If players are taught the proper and basic fundamentals of soccer then they will be able to safely head a ball. When players
There are many female soccer players in high school who wear protective headgear and have a sense of confidence that the headgear will protect them from getting any concussions. “Natasha Helmick spent six years playing soccer wearing a headband, believing the headgear would prolong her soccer career by preventing concussions. Helmick, 20, said that the headgear inflated her belief that she was safer on the field and she began to play more aggressively” (Snow). Wearing headgear in soccer will easily boost any girls’ confidence and make them play harder, it will also make the parents feel more comfortable about their daughter going head to head on the soccer field. The only problem with this is players are still at risk come into injuries like concussions. “For Helmick, the head guard gave her family confidence that she was being better protected from head injuries, but she suffered at least five concussions while wearing the headband” (Snow). Helmick is now sidelined from soccer for good. There are many young women who are in high school that suffer such severe cases of concussions and they can no longer play the game they love. Some of these young women have had up to five concussions and are only between the ages fifteen through seventeen. The concussions these young women in high school suffer are so severe they are only allowed to attend school for four hours a day and have to eat in candlelight to ease their headaches. “The number of girls suffering concussions in soccer accounts for the second largest amount of all concussions reported by young athletes” (Snow). From my experience with playing soccer for fifteen years, heading is a very important part of the game. Heading is an important part of the game because it can be a matter of scoring a winning goal or even to tie the game. When I played soccer growing up I was unaware of the risks of concussions because the girls I