Last weekend, Abby Wombach, the best-known female professional soccer player in the US, was hit in the head by a kicked ball and crumpled to the field. Instead of making her leave the game to be checked for a concussion, Wombach was permitted to stay in the game and play on. Dr. Robert Cantu says that sends the wrong message to the many young girls who play soccer and look up to Wombach as a role model.
On my America Weekend show, he explained the dangers of concussions in youth sports, the effect of a soccer ball hitting a young athlete’s head, whether kids should play football before they hit their teens, how little a helmet helps, and much more. Cantu is the author of “Concussions and our Kids.”
Listen to our conversation here.