Soccer is the leader in concussions among women's sports

Medill Newsmakers, Winter 2016

Soccer is the leader in concussions among women’s sports

March 15, 2016

By Benji Cohen

On this edition of Medill Newsmakers we discuss concussions in a sport that has not received as much attention for its concussion problems as football has.

Women’s soccer had the fourth highest sports-related concussion rate per player among NCAA sports and the second most concussions overall, according to a 2015 study done by The American Physical Therapy Association.

Dale Grooms, Head Athletic Trainer at New Trier Township High School, joined us in studio for two segments and talked about the return-to-play protocols. We were also joined by Maurizio Grillo, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Evanston Township High School, and he shared his experiences with players who had suffered concussions during his coaching career.

Also included are interview segments with Abby Burridge, a Junior Center-Back at Loyola University of Chicago, and Dr. Cynthia LaBella, Sports Medicine Specialist at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

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Photo at top: Abby Burridge, a Junior Center-Back for Loyola University’s women’s soccer team, has suffered two concussions while playing for the Ramblers. (Benji Cohen/Medill)