It’s hard to get away from the concussion debate in sport in these days of heady scientific inquiry. 

It’s reached its loudest pitch in NFL circles, which have been beset on all sides by new research revealing how dangerous the sport really is. The full extent of the game’s toll on the human brain is only just now being understood, but the obvious point of fact is that football isn’t safe. That won’t come as a shock to the system for most, but the din around it is getting louder.

Soccer hasn’t been immune. The debate came to the fore again on a professional level over the weekend when Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois was allowed to play 13 minutes after suffering a debilitating head injury. It was even more shocking considering Petr Cech, his netminder teammate, wears a now iconic soft helmet after suffering a blow to the head earlier in his career.

The debate has reached high school. Just last year, a study revealed that high school athletes are at heavier risk for head injuries than their college counterparts, and soccer isn’t immune. In fact, girls players had a higher incidence of in-game head trauma than boys, though both were at higher risk than after they graduated.

Why high school? Lack of college-level oversight could be a major factor, as could the general lack of infrastructure on the high school level. Doctors may not attend every game, and teams may not have concussion protocols in place for removing players at the first sign of head trauma.

The notion of sweeping change came to the fore just this August when a massive lawsuit was levied in search of a change in concussion protocols. It claimed more than 50,000 high school players were waylaid by head injuries in 2010 alone, and its claims that a high school player can head the ball up to 1,800 times in a year gives the suit ammo. Rachel Mehr, who’s listed in the title of the lawsuit, ran into a goalpost in 2011 but was allowed to play two games concussed when she told her coach she was fine.

Whether it takes root or not will be of high interest in the coming months, but it’s clear the debate isn’t dissipating any time soon.

Berkshire continues hot run of form

They may not be the most visible high school side in the country considering their prep school status, but Massachusetts side Berkshire is unquestionably one of the most talented.

At 7-1-1, the Bears are an easy pick for the TopDrawerSoccer.com Prep No. 1, and they haven’t lost a game to a league opponent since 2011. That encapsulates a 47-game unbeaten streak during which the Bears continue to rack up league title trophies. Will this year be any different? At least so far it doesn’t appear so. 

Their only loss this year came to national power St. Benedict’s, which only recently gave up its spot atop the Fall FAB 50 rankings for high schools. And their only draw came versus regional power Hotchkiss, which Berkshire out-shot 23-3. The talent on this team is beyond the norm. Englishman Jack Harrison, who came of age in Manchester United’s academy system, won last year’s Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year for both high schools and prep schools. 

Fellow co-captain Justin Donawa, meanwhile, is one of the most hotly recruited prep players in the nation. In fact, he missed Berkshire’s last game to pay SMU a recruiting visit. Funnily enough, it was a year ago today that Donawa was named the TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Week for nabbing seven goals and three assists in three victories. Go figure. It’s been a long time since Berkshire’s been stopped in league play. Despite some new faces, don’t bet on it happening this year.

Girls soccer player tries on the gridiron

By the end of the summer, Mo’Ne Davis was a cult figure. The long-haired fire-throwing pitcher became the first girl in Little League history to pitch a shutout, and shortly thereafter she became the first Little Leaguer to ever grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, male or female. Davis, who also plays soccer, fostered those “Why not me?” thoughts that can be so powerful in a young player’s mental development.

Just weeks after Davis’ final act, Sabrina Tucci opened up one of her own in New Jersey. In the 135-year history of Pennington School, there had never been a girl on the football team. Tucci busted down that barrier earlier this year by earning a spot on the football team as a kicker. Tucci spent most of her life as a soccer player but “tired of the sport,” according to the story, and the football team accepted her as a backup kicker. As of Oct. 1, Tucci hadn’t yet played in Pennington’s 2-2 start, but the possibility still lingers for more walls to come crashing down.

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