Should parents consider soccer headgear?
The McGill study is the first “to say that soft protective headgear for soccer significantly decreased the number of concussions for those athletes,” said lead researcher, Dr. Scott Delaney in an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Delaney hopes the study will prompt parents to consider headgear for their children. The new study may also prompt a reevaluation of the effectiveness of protective headgear in soccer by soccer governing bodies, at least one of which, the U.S. Soccer Federation, is currently on record as stating that there is “no evidence that wearing this sort of headgear is beneficial to players,” (a statement later at least partially retracted: it now admits helmets may be beneficial in head-to-head collisions) and as expressing the concern that “it might actually lead to more injuries” because of the so-called “gladiator effect” where players take more chances because they feel better protected.
