High School CTE Injuries

Hey everyone. I play soccer for my school team and concussions and other traumatic brain injuries can occur. I'm just curious, how common are CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) injuries in high school, particularly in soccer? I am trying to educate myself and others on the field.

Hey! While chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has garnered attention especially in the context of professional American football, it's less commonly diagnosed in sports like soccer and among younger players, such as high school athletes. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible for these injuries to occur.

CTE is a brain condition that's thought to arise after repeated blows to the head, often over many years. CTE currently can only be definitively diagnosed postmortem, which makes collecting precise data on its incidence challenging.

In terms of soccer, concussions are definitely a concern and they can occur from collisions with other players or from heading the ball. Some research suggests that repeated headings can lead to concussive symptoms. However, the direct link between these types of head injuries suffered in youth and high school sports, and later development of CTE, is not yet fully understood.

In any contact sport, it's vital to prioritize safety and follow appropriate guidelines to minimize the risk of injury. This includes wearing accurate protective gear, utilizing proper technique (like learning how to correctly head a ball in soccer), and closely adhering to the game rules. Educate yourself and your teammates about concussion symptoms so you can quickly recognize potential injuries and seek medical attention when needed. Also, be sure to fully recover before getting back on the field if an injury does occur.

Being aware of the risks and proactive about injury prevention is a great first step, so your interest in this topic is definitely commendable!