As a defender in her youth soccer聽days, Scout Watson (Comm鈥�18) knew聽concussions all too well 鈥撯�� she had four.聽Now a goalkeeper for CU women鈥檚聽soccer, she鈥檚 embraced an experiment聽to reduce the odds other players will聽suffer the same fate.聽
Buffs head coach Danny Sanchez recently聽came up with a plan to eliminate聽most of the long balls launched by goalkeepers聽that tempt field players to leap聽up and direct them with their heads.聽
For example, if Watson fields the ball,聽she鈥檚 no longer supposed to kick it high and聽deep to clear her end. Instead, she throws it聽out to a teammate from below waist-level.聽
鈥淚t was a lot different,鈥� Watson said of聽the change, which was implemented in聽April spring games against Air Force and聽Northern Colorado. 鈥淚 feel like it really聽works. 鈥� A lot of balls on the ground made聽the game go faster. The flow was smoother versus long balls being more choppy.鈥澛�
The new protocol, which eliminates聽as many as 40 to 50 long balls per聽game, according to Sanchez, was also聽in effect for a round-robin with聽Denver and Colorado College.聽
鈥淭hey jumped on board,鈥� Sanchez said聽of his fellow Front Range coaches.聽
As a national movement to minimize聽concussions in football gains steam,聽leaders in other sports also have been聽reviewing ways to prevent head injuries.聽
鈥淭he Colorado coaches, like all聽coaches, have a huge concern with player聽health, and for us to band together to take a look at a potential positive step in聽this regard is exciting,鈥� Sanchez told CUBuffs.聽com in late March. 鈥淪pring practice聽games are a time for coaches and players聽alike to learn, and this is an important聽initiative for the group聽to do that.鈥澛�
Sanchez鈥檚 suggested聽rules were in effect聽for a few games this聽spring only. He said聽he鈥檒l await results of聽surveys of players and聽coaches administered聽by Kathryn Hardin, a聽clinical associate professor聽and brain injury聽specialist at CU-Boulder,聽before deciding聽on next steps.聽
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e a long聽ways from [changes at聽the NCAA level],鈥� he聽said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking聽at it, if they look back聽and say 聽[CU is] where聽it started, we wouldn鈥檛聽be against that.鈥澛�
Photo by CU Athletics聽
