[FOX26]Not an ONION article: U.S. soccer bans heading in youth soccer

USA soccer parents must be very different folks compared to USA football parents because those parents let their kids kill each other.

 

I've been paying more attention to this lately as a player, parent of a player, and as a coach. I'm currently coaching a U8 team and last season had U7 and U10 teams. I can probably count on one hand the amount of headers that happened in any of those seasons. It's not common at all. We spent no practice time on it because I was much more concerned with core skills and technique...and I don't consider heading one of them. Yes, you need to know the basics so that you don't give yourself a headache. We did maybe one drill and discussed the basics (use your forehead and keep your eyes open).

As a player who has been through high level tryouts, I don't ever remember a time when someone did or didn't make a team simply because of their abilities to head the ball. It's a great extra skill to have but not something that would be enough to push a player over someone who has better skill with their feet, IMO. I do not think that preventing headers before the age of 10 is going to delay any development at all. I'm not sure why that would be a thought. How much time do people think is spent on headers.

I do agree that putting the restriction in is silly. Mostly because it happens so infrequently. Collisions with other players and the ground are much more likely to cause a concussion than heading. But I definitely disagree that there will be some delay in development because of it.

 

They should ban crossovers because it promotes deception. Not something you want your children to learn.

 

It works on hockey. :grin:

 

As a parent I have no problem with the ban. I haven't looked at the methodology but at least one study shows heading is bad for mental function. Little kids soccer is mostlyjust for fun (with the parents surfing the web in the stands) and not worth the risk, however small, anyway.

http://www.wired.com/2013/03/soccer-headers-cognition/

 

The Truth is the brain is susceptible all the way through adolescence. The brain can be permanently altered in function. So this is only part of the solution. But far from complete. So if they think head collisions are a concern, more needs to be done. This would not be enough.

All that said. I never headed the ball in youth soccer for a goal and I scored a lot, almost all the way up to 9th grade. Crossing only seemed to become evident around the 6th grade. It was either a lost art in American Soccer, or skill level doesn't necessitate it.

I think you can learn the art quickly in highschool, however, I think in order to have a true natural talent for something you would likely be training on it from almost day one. I believe that. Even as a true goal scorer, I was never any good at headers. So it will set American Youth back against other countries in my opinion.

 

Please don't use the "I was awesome in 6th grade so I'm an expert" argument. It's beneath you.

I'm not sure how having kids spend even more time with the ball at their feet will be a detriment. I spoken to some other coach friends of mine and they say the same thing as me. It's a silly rule and it's not going to affect very much. But it's not going to set anyone back because the amount of time spent on it is minimal anyway. The concussion concerns are in collisions with other players and with the ground (and occasionally with the post).

I've been playing for over 35 years. If I worry about anything long term, it's the knee replacement I already need. I not drain bramage.

 

Nice!

 

Your post is clearly the result of 35 years of concussions. Read the science and the reports. understand the adolescent brain. Then post.

 

This rule only applies to the tall kids. Shorter kids like me never won headers so we just run around in circles chasing the ball.

 

Again, I never said it wasn't something to be concerned about. I said it's not as prevalent as its made out to be. There simply aren't a lot of headers in the age group they're trying to protect. I'd guess just as many kids playing little league get hit in the head with errant pitches, throws and line drives.

 

This explains why Brits and Germans are so stupid.

 

It's more àbout practicing lots of headers that is the issue. Some parents and coaches overdo it. It's better to just take it out of the game at younger ages.

BTW, where are you coaching at? My kids play at One World.

 

But the Germans invented Hydra.

 

I agree with the people saying this is not a really usefull rule (on the other hand, I also agree that Heading is not that an important part of soccer that you relaly need to learn it on a young age).

I do find it funny that this is coming from the country that has american football......

 

More lip service than anything actual as heading is not taught until after U10 anyway.

DD

 

If that doctor married Johnny Ohm, she'd be Summer Ott Ohm.