Unanchored Portable Soccer Goal Causes Fatality

Third-grader, Juan Escalera, 9 dies after soccer goal falls on him causing brain trauma.  It is unclear as to what caused the goal to fall while Juan and his cousins were playing soccer after church in Sampson County, NC. 

There have been 36 deaths in the U.S. since 1979 from portable soccer goals falling.  Goals should be held down with stakes or sand bags as they can weigh up to 500lbs. 

Click here to see our prior blog and video on this topic “Video Explains Soccer Goal Tip Over Hazards”

Source: WRAL Local News

League President Accused of Stealing $800,000

One of the most successful youth soccer programs in the nation is located in North Texas, and has now been dealt with perhaps its biggest loss in 15 years. The Solar Soccer Club has been defeated not by one of its opponents, but allegedly by a trusted former club president who parents say stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, leaving them scrambling to make a save. Parents say David Ringer siphoned off more than $800,000 from them over the last five years. He was the last man many of them would suspect.

As we have stated in previous blogs, a sports organization must implement procedures to protect against volunteer theft such as counter signatures on checks, bank statement reconciliation by someone not authorized to deposit or withdraw, and an annual financial audit by the board.

Source: Brett Shipp, WFAA, April 9, 2011.

Video Explains Soccer Goal Tip Over Hazards

I came across a fantastic CBS News video that explains exactly how soccer goals tip over and kill at least 1 child per year and injure around 200. Soccer goals can weigh up to several hundred pounds and cause catastrophic damage (ex: crush skulls and legs) when they tip over and come in contact with players. Coaches, players, and parents need to be educated on this topic and should check soccer goals prior to every practice to make sure they are properly anchored.

Sports General Liability insurance carriers that insure soccer organizations must often absorb full policy limit lawsuits resulting from these death claims.

Video

Head Injuries and Concussions in Youth Sports

All types of sports carry some type of inherit risk. But what are these risks? For contact sports, a very common occurrence is the concussion (defined by Websters as “a stunning, damaging, or shattering effect from a hard impact; a jarring injury of the brain resulting in disturbance of cerebral function.”) According to the CNN report below, there is increasing evidence that brain damage actually occurs during a concussion.

Participation Question: What are some ways that your local organization has been pro-active in preventing head injuries or putting measures into place to nurture the injury, or prevent further injury, once it has occurred?