Movement Analysis of Heading in Soccer

Soccer is one of the oldest and most popular games, going back as far as 200 BC in China and about 4 BC in Greece, and still the most popular sport in the world as well as the fastest growing team sport in the United States (Christensen, 1999, p.348). It is a game that is good exercise and relatively safe, an all-around attractive sport that is taught in school physical education programs, as well as specialized camps, such as the one at California State Northridge, during their Summer Youth Fitness and Sports Camp, a program that includes soccer for its potential for helping the students to learn cooperation, social skills, self-esteem and a positive self-image (Gray, 1989, p.9A). In particular, gifted children and those with learning disabilities develop enhanced self-esteem through improved physical skill.

Soccer is unique among sports in the use of heading, the purposeful use of the head to move the ball. According to Christensen, heading is essential to the game. In amateur leagues, a player could hit the ball six or eight times in a game, and more often during practice 199, p.348). Usually young children are not encouraged, but by middle school, they can learn this movement, which is a part of soccer.

What happens during a heading movement? The player's eyes should be open, as he or she is watching ball as it moves towards the forehead. The player bends slightly at the waist, and meets the ball with the forehead with the eyes open, still watching the ball,

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to close the mouth during heading, so there will be no accidental biting of the tongue. Also hitting the ball too high on the forehead can cause headaches. This movement may not be an easy one for players to learn, as normally one does not hit things with the head on purpose. Some people wonder whether heading causes injuries to the brain. Webb of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne says, "aif I asked you to bang your head on the wall each time you walked into your office, by and by you'd probably start to show the effects of it" (Christensen, 1999, p.349). Apparently only a few researchers have looked into this likelihood, and several preliminary studies do suggest that soccer players are more likely to have problems with memory and planning that those participating in other sports. According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, concussions are about as frequent as they are in football and somewhat more frequent than in other less contact-oriented sports (Christensen, 1999, p. 348). Erick Matser of St. Anna Hospital in Geldrop of the Netherlands somewhat inelegantly describes the heading internal motion like this: "As the head contacts the ball, the brain sloshes forward against the front of the s

Category: Medical - M