Emphasis on protecting players from head injuries

The treatment of head injuries have become a major focus of emphasis for coaches and referees at the collegiate and high school levels for soccer.

Here is a link to a great article outlining how concussions suffered in the National Football League (NFL) has affected the emphasis and focus on identification and treatment in soccer.

The human body operates as the brain functions. When the latter goes awry, the former suffers the consequences.

That makes concussions a scary proposition for even the toughest athletes.

"It's in the back of your head, but it's the least of your worries," Zanesville High School senior football player Eric Watts said.

Concussions claimed the National Football League careers of Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young prematurely. It did the same to ESPN analyst Merril Hoge, a former fullback for the Steelers and Bears who has spent much of his time away from the game promoting awareness and prevention.

The consciousness finally has caught on in the NFL, which has administered harsher penalties for players who violate its rules on helmet-to-helmet contact.

This season, the league also mandated that players not return to games once team medical personnel deems them concussed. Their helmets are taken, eliminating any chance of a player returning to the field.

The emphasis on protecting players since has trickled down to colleges and high schools nationwide.