I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while, but this weekend it hit close to home. Big Soccer Girl was playing in a futsal tournament and got elbowed hard in the forehead. I watched her weave woozily on the court as I yelled for the coach to take her out. She was able to walk to the side, but said she had seen stars and felt dizzy and a bit nauseous. Knowing all the concussion danger signs, I kicked into action with some ice for her head and made her sit quietly with me. I asked her questions like, “What day is it?” and “Who is the President?” and she although she was able to easily answer, she kept saying her head hurt and that she felt dizzy. I had a pit in the bottom of my stomach knowing that she most likely did have a concussion. I didn’t rush her to the ER because she didn’t throw up and was able to talk clearly. I did take her to the doctor who prescribed “brain rest” and some Advil for her headache. I kept her out of school for a day, let her sleep a lot and then let all her teachers know that she might not be on her A game. Now, five days later she is feeling much better but still has a bit of a headache sometimes. Scary stuff.
This is all a bit ironic, because a few months ago I ordered her a Full 90 Protective Headguard as a precautionary measure. Several girls on her team have started wearing them and I wanted her to join them. Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time she’s been hit in the head. In the Summer of 2011, she was hit in the head with a strongly kicked ball, flew through the air and landed on her back. I told her that if she got hit one more time, I was going to make her wear the headgear whether she wanted to or not. She started wearing it occasionally, but wasn’t wearing it playing futsal. Big mistake, but more on the headgear later.
There are numerous informative articles on the MomsTeam Youth Sports Concussion Safety site about concussions and I highly suggest being informed if your child is playing a contact sport. The most important thing you can do for your child is not let them return to play. We all remember the days of “getting your bell rung” and “going back out there,” but that is the worst thing that you can do. A secondary injury is much more serious and nothing is worth risking your brain. I am not by any means an expert or a doctor, but here’s a graphic of the common symptoms and treatment suggestions. Of course, see your doctor for more information.
There’s some disagreement about the effectiveness of the headgear, but I do know that it would have helped her on Saturday. I don’t want to miss out on many more goofy pictures like these…
The Full 90 is extremely light- I thought there was nothing in the box! It takes a bit of getting used to and wearing it until it shapes to the head. You can read about it in full at their website www.full90.com, but the prices at Amazon are better. Big soccer girl is wearing the Full 90 Premier Headgear in Navy- size large. The picture below is an Amazon affiliate link.
All this stuff is scary, but information is crucial. Have your kids ever had a concussion?
My daughter wears the full 90 headgear as well. During a game she heads the ball an average of 5 or 6 times, & with all the studies out we had to act in someway. She rather not wear it, but is getting use to it. I have pointed out several college players to her that wear it now. I notice more & more club players as well.
Thanks for the comment and I agree-it’s becoming more and more common! Six girls on my older daughter’s team wear them now. One thing that I’ve read is that it encourages risky behavior because the players feel totally protected. Hmmm…I think I’d rather do something to protect than nothing. Glad your daughter is getting used to it. Now I just have to decide if I’m going to have my little one wear one too.