No More Headers in Youth Soccer? (1 Viewer)

[Dickies]

Maybe they should switch to playing soccer with a nerf ball.

So you didn't read the quoted article huh?

Too long.

Typical larch

 

[flapgreen]

Soccer sucks

 

[TheIronSheik]

I think they did a poor job announcing this. When I first read about this, I thought, "Geez. Are we so soft we can't even have balls bouncing off or our heads anymore?" But once I realized that most concussions were from two people's heads banging into each other, it makes much more sense.

 

[parasaurolophus]

One of my concussions was the result of going in for a header in high school. That's all I remember. Going in for the header and then waking up 4 hours later in a wheelchair. I was apparently awake and walking around for much of the time in between, but I had zero recollection. They put me in a wheelchair because I was repeatedly falling over.

 

[acarey50]

Another big change us soccer is mandating - going to calendar year for birthdate groupings. It's going to split most current temps in half (those using the sept 1 date). It kind of sucks for my son, who was born in December so will be separated from several of his best friends and classmates, and will essentially miss u12 - going from u11 directly to u13, with the size 5 ball, 11 v 11 on a full field.

Pretty sure this is in - the club my kids play for are putting this in now - and limiting playups to two players per team.

We already did 11v11 at U11, but that is changing based on the new guidelines so that U11 would be smaller sided games. My oldest is an October birthday, so he stays with the age group he was with, but now will be on the younger half of kids rather than the younger half. My middle kid is an April birthday so he will repeat U9 again, but now instead of being on the younger end will be on the older end. My youngest is the one this sucks for as he is a late December birthday, but he's only 4 and has never known anything but playing against older kids, so I don't think it will hurt him.

I'm not opposed to the smaller sided games staying as the kids get older and not going to full on 11v11 until they are 12 or 13, I know it's better for their long term development (the same goes for basketball, but it's almost impossible to get a viable league doing 3 on 3 for young kids going, everyone wants to push them into 5 on 5 on 10 foot hoops when it is well documented that it stunts the players development - but that is another topic).

Depending on which kids stay/go from our team and who the coaches are for our age group, strong possibility this was my oldest son's last season of soccer (at least at the club level). He played this year for the coach and for the friends on the team, but his passion is basketball, so he may take a step back to Signature or even Rec and just play for fun.

 

[Spin]

I've played through college, playing goalie the majority of time. I was knocked out 3 separate times, and all of them from crosses into the box. two hitting heads with another guy and one another guys elbow.

The mid air collisions can be rough.

 

[Short Corner]

Another big change us soccer is mandating - going to calendar year for birthdate groupings. It's going to split most current temps in half (those using the sept 1 date). It kind of sucks for my son, who was born in December so will be separated from several of his best friends and classmates, and will essentially miss u12 - going from u11 directly to u13, with the size 5 ball, 11 v 11 on a full field.

Pretty sure this is in - the club my kids play for are putting this in now - and limiting playups to two players per team.

We already did 11v11 at U11, but that is changing based on the new guidelines so that U11 would be smaller sided games. My oldest is an October birthday, so he stays with the age group he was with, but now will be on the younger half of kids rather than the younger half. My middle kid is an April birthday so he will repeat U9 again, but now instead of being on the younger end will be on the older end. My youngest is the one this sucks for as he is a late December birthday, but he's only 4 and has never known anything but playing against older kids, so I don't think it will hurt him.

I'm not opposed to the smaller sided games staying as the kids get older and not going to full on 11v11 until they are 12 or 13, I know it's better for their long term development (the same goes for basketball, but it's almost impossible to get a viable league doing 3 on 3 for young kids going, everyone wants to push them into 5 on 5 on 10 foot hoops when it is well documented that it stunts the players development - but that is another topic).

Depending on which kids stay/go from our team and who the coaches are for our age group, strong possibility this was my oldest son's last season of soccer (at least at the club level). He played this year for the coach and for the friends on the team, but his passion is basketball, so he may take a step back to Signature or even Rec and just play for fun.

U11 here (2005s) is still 7v7. Next year they go to 9v9 with offsides.

Basketball plays 4v4 for u10 and the really bad u12 leagues.

As far as headers, my sons team has been running sets on corners since u9 with a couple kids that could really finish. They have been pilfered by the larger clubs in the last year even thought they beat the top team from the biggest club in Bavaria last season at the u10 level.

 

[acarey50]

Another big change us soccer is mandating - going to calendar year for birthdate groupings. It's going to split most current temps in half (those using the sept 1 date). It kind of sucks for my son, who was born in December so will be separated from several of his best friends and classmates, and will essentially miss u12 - going from u11 directly to u13, with the size 5 ball, 11 v 11 on a full field.

Pretty sure this is in - the club my kids play for are putting this in now - and limiting playups to two players per team.

We already did 11v11 at U11, but that is changing based on the new guidelines so that U11 would be smaller sided games. My oldest is an October birthday, so he stays with the age group he was with, but now will be on the younger half of kids rather than the younger half. My middle kid is an April birthday so he will repeat U9 again, but now instead of being on the younger end will be on the older end. My youngest is the one this sucks for as he is a late December birthday, but he's only 4 and has never known anything but playing against older kids, so I don't think it will hurt him.

I'm not opposed to the smaller sided games staying as the kids get older and not going to full on 11v11 until they are 12 or 13, I know it's better for their long term development (the same goes for basketball, but it's almost impossible to get a viable league doing 3 on 3 for young kids going, everyone wants to push them into 5 on 5 on 10 foot hoops when it is well documented that it stunts the players development - but that is another topic).

Depending on which kids stay/go from our team and who the coaches are for our age group, strong possibility this was my oldest son's last season of soccer (at least at the club level). He played this year for the coach and for the friends on the team, but his passion is basketball, so he may take a step back to Signature or even Rec and just play for fun.

U11 here (2005s) is still 7v7. Next year they go to 9v9 with offsides.

Basketball plays 4v4 for u10 and the really bad u12 leagues.

As far as headers, my sons team has been running sets on corners since u9 with a couple kids that could really finish. They have been pilfered by the larger clubs in the last year even thought they beat the top team from the biggest club in Bavaria last season at the u10 level.

I'm a firm believer that the smaller sided games are better for the kids development, so I am a fan of the move here in America. Less players on the field should equate to more touches for each kid which should accelerate development and also increase enjoyment. The larger sided games, especially at a younger age, means some kids will never touch the ball, they just stand around watching. Not saying that the smaller sided games will eliminate this completely as no matter what there are some kids that are there because their parents force them to play a sport or they have no interest at all, but it should help the overall game.

For basketball, it is almost impossible to get leagues here to go to the smaller sided games for younger kids, even though it is a lot better for their development. In my opinion, the problem is mostly the parents, they think their kid is not playing "real" basketball, thus we end up with a bunch of 1st and 2nd graders (6-8 year olds) playing 5 on 5 on a 10 foot hoop that most of them can barely shoot at, because that is 'real" basketball according to the parents. I'll get off the soapbox before I work myself up.

 

[Glass Joe]

My daughters team plays in Bethesda this weekend (U14). We will be missing two girls due to concussions, and an additional two more are just getting back into the swing of things after recovering from them. Concussions are very much a part of the backdrop to every tournament. It's crazy.

 

[The Gator]

Kids should play nothing but Futsal until 14

 

[El Floppo]

amazing how much has changed in terms of awareness.

the concussions I mentioned upthread- the only one that was diagnosed was the bike crash, which was 10 years ago. the others were clearly (looking back) concussions, but not even considered somethign to look at or be worried about. I got knocked out temporarily in a college game- had the trainer give me a look-over quickly on the sideline, and put me back in with a "rub some dirt on it".

 

[TheIronSheik]

amazing how much has changed in terms of awareness.

the concussions I mentioned upthread- the only one that was diagnosed was the bike crash, which was 10 years ago. the others were clearly (looking back) concussions, but not even considered somethign to look at or be worried about. I got knocked out temporarily in a college game- had the trainer give me a look-over quickly on the sideline, and put me back in with a "rub some dirt on it".

I'm no doctor, but I don't think you should be rubbing dirt on your brain.

 

[El Floppo]

amazing how much has changed in terms of awareness.

the concussions I mentioned upthread- the only one that was diagnosed was the bike crash, which was 10 years ago. the others were clearly (looking back) concussions, but not even considered somethign to look at or be worried about. I got knocked out temporarily in a college game- had the trainer give me a look-over quickly on the sideline, and put me back in with a "rub some dirt on it".

I'm no doctor, but I don't think you should be rubbing dirt on your brain.

as I was writing "rub some..." it was all I could do not to think of AZRon's thread and not get creeped out.

 

[PIK95]

Kids should play nothing but Futsal until 14

I could get on board with that.