SOCCER CONCUSSION RISK AS HIGH AS IN FOOTBALL?
A new report from Muir Orthopaedic Specialists in Walnut Creek, Calif. paints a grim picture for soccer enthusiasts. The specialists claim the risk of soccer-related concussions is as high as that of a football player. The report cites instances of player-to-player collisions, head-to-knee impacts, heading the soccer ball and even sudden acceleration or deceleration as possible causes of brain trauma.
“What I’m seeing here on the West Coast is that kids are having much more exposure to potential concussion situations,” says Matthew Pecci, MD, a former director of sports medicine at Boston University. “The season is year round here and soccer participation is much more prevalent.
“People don’t realize it, but we see just as many concussions in soccer as in football.”
PLU SAYS GOODBYE TO BASKETBALL GREAT
Tom Whalen, one of the greatest scorers in Pacific Lutheran University history, has passed away following a serious illness and surgery. A mainstay for nearly 50 years around the basketball program, the Lute Hall of Famer averaged 21.6 points a game and racked up 1,193 career points in just two years from 1962-65. Whalen remains the only Lute ever to clear 1,000 points in 2 years. The 6-5 center garnered several accolades while playing in Parkland including NAIA District I Player of the Year, NAIA second-team All-America and honorable mention AP All-America.
A memorial service for Whalen will be held Sunday, March 23, at South Life Church in Tacoma.