Do your kids use their heads in soccer? Uh-oh...

What’s a soccer game without a few good headers?

Unfortunately, there is some disturbing new evidence that soccer players who use their heads could be at risk of future memory loss. The study of long-term adult soccer players, published in the journal Radiology, found changes in the brain similar to traumatic brain injury as a result of repeated headers of the ball. For the study, the players subjected their brains to some advanced imaging and then took some memory tests. The results found that those who used their heads in play the most took a significant hit in the test scores. 

While more research needs to be done, some experts are suggesting that soccer-playing kids limit direct head-to-ball contact and opt out of heading drills often done during practice.