If your youth coach wants to practice headers...

oh canada said:
...change teams/clubs.

www.espn.com

CTE discovered in ex-MLS player for first time

Researchers have diagnosed CTE in a MLS player for the first time, saying former Sporting KC defender Scott Vermillion suffered from the disease.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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It’s part of the game and a critical part of scoring and defense for the back line, particularly on the boys side. Just don’t practice it and change teams is not a realistic possibility. The options are:

1. campaign to ban headers from the game (or at least the youth game). It would have to primarily come out of Europe or us soccer development would be substantially harmed.To be clear though, this would substantially limit the ability of the back line to control balls over the top so you’ll see a lot more long balling and punting, and it will reduce corners (which have already declined in effectiveness) to near useless. It’s a radical and complete rethink of the game.
2. Don’t play your kid in this game if it’s not safe
3. Play your kid in rec or a lower level flight 3 team where headers aren’t as important.
4. Push us soccer to develop guidelines limiting how headers are practiced and limiting the amount of time practiced among older youth athletes. But it’s still a skill that needs to be practiced as long as it’s part of the game.

we already don’t allow them until what….age 12? Not much further you can delay it without impacting development in the long run.
 
oh canada said:
...change teams/clubs.

www.espn.com

CTE discovered in ex-MLS player for first time

Researchers have diagnosed CTE in a MLS player for the first time, saying former Sporting KC defender Scott Vermillion suffered from the disease.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
Click to expand...
With proper instruction and training equipment (they make lightweight balls for this purpose) learning good technique will reduce the possibility of injury.
 
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Changing teams is totally an option. More likely, a conversation with the coach is enough.

This is pay to play youth soccer. If a coach isn’t willing to respect your safety concerns, there are plenty of other clubs who would be happy to offer your kid a spot.

You just have to remember that brain development is actually more important than soccer skills development. Hitting a fast moving object with your head is not actually the best way to get into college.
 
dad4 said:
Changing teams is totally an option. More likely, a conversation with the coach is enough.

This is pay to play youth soccer. If a coach isn’t willing to respect your safety concerns, there are plenty of other clubs who would be happy to offer your kid a spot.

You just have to remember that brain development is actually more important than soccer skills development. Hitting a fast moving object with your head is not actually the best way to get into college.
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If the team is practicing headers for 30 minutes every practice this is a reasonable position (why is the coach so obsessively focused on this one aspect of the game…are there any that actually do this?)

if your position is that headers should never or rarely be practiced or executed in the game, don’t play the sport (at least at a high level). And it comes up in quite a few tactical exercises including crossing into the box, corners, defensively to the back line (where it is probably among the top 3 defensive skills and the difference between an effective defense and a team which is letting a ton of 1v1 on the gk), and dfks.

soccer is an inherently dangerous sport, much more do than generally recognized (don’t even get me started on the gks skidding at peoples feet). Headers make it even more dangerous. Until they change the rules then, maybe it’s too dangerous for your kid to play (at least at a high level)? Asking a soccer team under the current rules (11v11) to not practice heading is like asking a basketball team to not practice layups or a baseball team to practice fly balls.
 
Based on my experience at the highest level of youth soccer heading is not practiced with much significance, mostly just to teach proper technique. When it is practiced it is typically done with lightly tossed balls at short distance. Of course, there will be some opportunity for heading in crossing drills and team scrimmages. I personally wouldn't recommend heading goals kicks or long free kicks.

Head-to-head (often not from heading) contact or head to ground contact are way more likely to cause a serious concussion. If you're not comfortable with these inherent risks for your child then maybe you should avoid soccer. Soccer is a contact sport, those that think otherwise don't understand the sport.
 
Grace T. said:
If the team is practicing headers for 30 minutes every practice this is a reasonable position (why is the coach so obsessively focused on this one aspect of the game…are there any that actually do this?)

if your position is that headers should never or rarely be practiced or executed in the game, don’t play the sport (at least at a high level). And it comes up in quite a few tactical exercises including crossing into the box, corners, defensively to the back line (where it is probably among the top 3 defensive skills and the difference between an effective defense and a team which is letting a ton of 1v1 on the gk), and dfks.

soccer is an inherently dangerous sport, much more do than generally recognized (don’t even get me started on the gks skidding at peoples feet). Headers make it even more dangerous. Until they change the rules then, maybe it’s too dangerous for your kid to play (at least at a high level)? Asking a soccer team under the current rules (11v11) to not practice heading is like asking a basketball team to not practice layups or a baseball team to practice fly balls.
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Top 3 defensive skills?

So, more important than lesser skills like positioning, reading an attacker, and distribution?

Watch a game, and count the headers. It’s a small part of the game. Your kid will still get to play, even if they don’t smash their skull into a one pound object traveling 40 mph.
 
i dyd hederz awl da timey wen i plaid az youse plaier da iz nuding rong with meye brian

Jokes aside, form and control should be important, I think limits for youth players is a good idea and some of the new training equipment is helpful. Every parent should be informed and ask their youth coach his thoughts feelings and make the best decision for their children.
 
dad4 said:
Top 3 defensive skills?

So, more important than lesser skills like positioning, reading an attacker, and distribution?

Watch a game, and count the headers. It’s a small part of the game. Your kid will still get to play, even if they don’t smash their skull into a one pound object traveling 40 mph.
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In the boys game, even on the games I watch online, from mls to silver, on average each team will have at least 4 from the defensive line per game, particularly cbs, and excluding corner/cross defense. More if the opposite team is trying to get a lot of through balls over the line in the air or the gk is punting. The boys also just knock it up into the air for aerial contests a lot at all levels.

if my gk son we’re on a higher level team where the defenders refused To go for the aerial balls, and as a result he were having to 1v1 often (against such a team playing over the top maybe as many as 20 times a game), putting himself at more risk not to mention getting blamed for more goals, the coach and I would certainly have a discussion. And I guarantee that I wouldn’t be the only parent he’d be hearing from as they yell what’s the matter with our defense
 
Grace T. said:
In the boys game, even on the games I watch online, from mls to silver, on average each team will have at least 4 from the defensive line per game, particularly cbs, and excluding corner/cross defense. More if the opposite team is trying to get a lot of through balls over the line in the air or the gk is punting. The boys also just knock it up into the air for aerial contests a lot at all levels.

if my gk son we’re on a higher level team where the defenders refused To go for the aerial balls, and as a result he were having to 1v1 often (against such a team playing over the top maybe as many as 20 times a game), putting himself at more risk not to mention getting blamed for more goals, the coach and I would certainly have a discussion. And I guarantee that I wouldn’t be the only parent he’d be hearing from as they yell what’s the matter with our defense
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You would go yell at the coach because you have an issue with some other child’s field performance?

Wow. Think about that for a second.

Risk to goalkeepers is a separate problem, more serious than headers. And it gets worse when clubs promote a younger keeper because they ran out of older kids willing to take the risk. But you’re not going to solve it by asking the cb to head the other team’s boot balls.
 
Both of my sons were removed from games for suspected concussions by an athletic trainer at the game site. One was for a head-to-head collision, the other from being hit in the head by a hard-kicked ball while standing in the wall in front of a free kick. Practicing headers wasn't the problem in either case.
 
dad4 said:
You would go yell at the coach because you have an issue with some other child’s field performance?

Wow. Think about that for a second.

Risk to goalkeepers is a separate problem, more serious than headers. And it gets worse when clubs promote a younger keeper because they ran out of older kids willing to take the risk. But you’re not going to solve it by asking the cb to head the other team’s boot balls.
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No I would have a discussion with the coach (and again I wouldn’t be the only one) if my kid was having 10-20 1v1s a game, putting himself at risk and getting blamed for giving up the goal. I guess I wouldn’t have to if the coach told my kid “eh…don’t worry about it Billy…if those balls happen they happen but we don’t expect you to cover for the mistakes of the defender…just sit on your line and do your best”…but then the coach probably has bigger problems than just me and that team isn’t likely to survive (most likely the cb gets dropped not for refusing to head but for being utterly ineffective). Btw my kid played in fact on such a team (not because the cb refuses to head but it lost its two best cbs and one of the others was too unfit to challenge those balls during covid restart). It wasn’t pretty

ive found that even more than gk errors coaches are the least tolerant of poor cbs on the boys end.Besides strikers they are usually the most talented and usually the tallest on the team. A cb that refuses to head isn’t going to last long anywhere flight 2 or higher let alone mls/encl.
 
Grace T. said:
No I would have a discussion with the coach (and again I wouldn’t be the only one) if my kid was having 10-20 1v1s a game, putting himself at risk and getting blamed for giving up the goal. I guess I wouldn’t have to if the coach told my kid “eh…don’t worry about it Billy…if those balls happen they happen but we don’t expect you to cover for the mistakes of the defender…just sit on your line and do your best”…but then the coach probably has bigger problems than just me and that team isn’t likely to survive (most likely the cb gets dropped not for refusing to head but for being utterly ineffective). Btw my kid played in fact on such a team (not because the cb refuses to head but it lost its two best cbs and one of the others was too unfit to challenge those balls during covid restart). It wasn’t pretty

ive found that even more than gk errors coaches are the least tolerant of poor cbs on the boys end.Besides strikers they are usually the most talented and usually the tallest on the team. A cb that refuses to head isn’t going to last long anywhere flight 2 or higher let alone mls/encl.
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There are very effective defensive backs who rarely head the ball. Kiki Pickett comes to mind. Consistent YNT player, Pac-12 defender of the year and #4 overall draft pick. Currently plays for NC Courage.

She’s also 5’0”. You won’t find many videos of her going up for a contested header.

You were saying something about how no defensive back ever gets above flight 2 without lots of headers?
 
paytoplayisgood said:
Man up kiddo
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Awwww. Does our sociopathic DOC feel more manly when he watches little kids get concussed?

Tough. It’s pay to play kiddie soccer. When a parent is willing to walk, you have no power. You can respect their wishes, or you can watch a more agreeable coch cash the check.
 
dad4 said:
There are very effective defensive backs who rarely head the ball. Kiki Pickett comes to mind. Consistent YNT player, Pac-12 defender of the year and #4 overall draft pick. Currently plays for NC Courage.

She’s also 5’0”. You won’t find many videos of her going up for a contested header.

You were saying something about how no defensive back ever gets above flight 2 without lots of headers?
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I’m talking about the boys game and you throw up a 5’0” woman in response?
 
Grace T. said:
I’m talking about the boys game and you throw up a 5’0” woman in response?
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The point still stands. There are good soccer players who don't head the ball much. Messi would be the obvious example on the men's side.

Or is there some reason he doesn't count?
 
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