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SOCCER SCORES A GOAL FOR YOUR HEALTH

 

Soccer is one of the oldest games. References to “kick ball” can be found as far back as 200 BC in China and around 4 BC in Greece. Although various versions of games that used a ball propelled by the feet emerged throughout the centuries, the first set of formal rules was set down by Cambridge University in 1848. The Football Association of England was founded in 1863 and further defined the rules of the game. The international governing body, Federation Internationale du Football, was founded in 1904 and today has more member nations than the United Nations.

A good reason to join in the celebration and

choose the team of your preference is that

soccer is a healthy and recommended sport

for both sexes and all ages.

Soccer is known as a “high impact” sport that involves the players’ constant attention, coordination, agility, education and entertainment. In addition, during each match, a soccer player is in continuous movement, including the goal keeper, who has the most responsibility and pressure during the match: the defense of the goal line. Even though the goal keeper might not run or move as much as the other players, he is required to keep his attention on all the moves and show agility in stopping all the goal attempts. On the other hand, the audience, which has emotion and constant attention on the match, also has heightened adrenaline levels, the natural euphoria chemical. It is in that way that everyone in the stadium shares a moment of good circulation and oxygenation throughout the organism, specially as they join in yelling “gooaaal”. Each soccer player scores a goal in favor of their bones’ health and their physical development. Soccer is a sport that, when played during the younger years, helps in muscle development and strengthens the bone system in general by increasing bone mineral density (BMD).

A recent study made a comparison of BMD in three groups of adolescent female athletes, of whom 29 were swimmers, 19 weight lifters and 16 soccer players, all with a standard BMD level. The BMD levels in the soccer players were the highest, followed by those in the weight lifters and then by those in the swimmers. So for those who prefer swimming, adding some activities that involve running or jumping to their training is recommended.

Soccer may start at 18 months of age in an educational program for parents where children learn the moves as they play at a non-competitive level until they turn 9. They then move on to a stage in which, with constant training, they acquire greater agility, skill and the techniques necessary to be chosen at their level.

By following this training, parents teach their children to socialize, participate in a team and get them started on including physical activity in their lives.

Soccer is a sport that can begin as healthy recreation, but has the potential of becoming something professional, and along the way, winning each match is a goal to reach. In fact, great champions have turned out from non professional tournaments, such as England’s team captain David Beckham, who currently playing in Real Madrid earns an annual salary of $37 million, in addition to the earnings from the right to use his image and from making commercials.

The death of Algeria’s top scorer, Hocine Gacemi, from complications of a skull fracture after he “crashed head first into the ground after a clash of heads, along with parental questions on the safety of heading have brought this skill to the attention of the media. Also, the use of helmets in soccer has been debated.The US Consumer Product Safety Commission met in May 2000 to discuss head injuries and protective equipment.

Since most ball-related injuries are due to the ball hitting an unprepared,the first Safety rule to be followed during any match is: “Hit the ball,don’t let the ball hit you”.

Here are some safety measures from the American Academy of Orthopedists to avoid the most common injuries soccer players face:
• First, be prepared for accidents by having present someone who knows first aid for minor injuries, such as face cuts, bumps or minor sprains. However, it is also important to have someone at hand for major emergencies, such as concussions, dislocations or elbow, leg, knee, finger or toe fractures.
• Clinical studies have proven that muscles are more easily hurt when cold, which is why, before engaging in any sport, 3 to 5 minutes should be devoted to warm up and stretch muscles. You may walk, jump rope, bike or finish with 30 seconds of stretching.
• The field should be in good conditions, be flat, not wet, not have any holes or trash, and the ball should not absorb water, since this makes them heavier and an injury risk. Spanish