The Use of Materials for
Head Protection in Soccer
http://www.full90.com/store/index.asp
Monica Down
Meghan Drost
Kelcy Gillen
Connections/Question
Concussions
– Moving of brain inside the skull
– Lead to bruising of the brain, tearing of blood vessels, and injury
to the nerves.
– Sports in today’s society more popular than ever.
– Cerebral concussion = a mild diffuse injury
– Soccer athletes are prone to concussions through the purposeful
use of an unprotected header for to gain control of the soccer
ball.
– Extended exposure to headers can lead to chronic concussion
impairments
What makes the best material for preventing head
injuries in soccer?
Materials
Control (Nothing)
Polyethylene foam
Styrofoam
Bubble wrap
Inflatable packaging
Methods
Methods
Data Collection
Average Force allowed by Materials
50
40
Force (in N)
Average
30
20
10
0
Control Polyethyl Styrofoam Bubble Inflatable
Average 45.465875 42.706222 37.633675 40.954563 29.000102
Material
Results/Conclusion
Standard Deviation
– Control: 19.68
– Polyethylene foam: 18.38
– Styrofoam: 17.01
– Bubble wrap: 20.38
– Inflatable packaging: 5.69
T-test
– Inflatable packaging (control = .000017,
polyethylene foam = .00019, Styrofoam =
.0050, bubble wrap = .0010)
Next Step
More consistent data
– More accurate force sensor
– More consistent launcher
type of polyethylene foam
Different
More practical materials
– Pros and cons
Thank You
Mr. Kirsch
Mr. and Mrs. Gillen
Mr. Down