Published: May 19, 2007 11:07 pm            

KELLY: Collapsing goalposts can prove to be tragic

Winchester United were on the attack during a U11 soccer scrimmage in Virginia last week when everyone’s attention was diverted to a loud crashing noise at the opposite end of the field.

What they saw horrified them.

Ten-year-old goalkeeper Hayden Barnes Ellias was lying motionless on the ground after the portable goal had collapsed on him at the Millbrook High School field.

Hayden’s father, a nurse, rushed to his son’s aid, attempting CPR. However, the blunt trauma caused to his head and neck were too much for him to survive.

How it happened, nobody seems to know.

It was the 31st reported death in the United States from injuries sustained by soccer goals since a database was established in 1979. There have also been hundreds of injuries — some serious — in that time.

The 27th of those was the death of 6-year-old Zachary Tran in Vernon Hills, Ill., on Oct. 1, 2003.

Described by his family as a “vibrant, funny and active” child who loved hockey and snowboarding, Zack had played soccer since age 4, but only because his friends did too. He was a member of the Maroon Raccoons, part of the Greater Libertyville Soccer Association.

His mother Michelle says she remembers the day as vividly as it were yesterday.

“It was my turn for the soccer run and I drove Zack and two friends to soccer practice,” she recalls. “They ran out to their coach on the field, and one little boy needed to use the restroom so I took him. When I came back out, I saw the goal post over Zack and another boy had his leg stuck under it. Nobody really knows how it happened.”

The 18-by-6-foot, 186 pound-goal struck Zachery on the back of the head and paramedics were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital less than an hour later. The official cause of death was cardiac arrest due to massive head injuries.

The soccer goal in use that day was designed to be anchored with up to four metal stakes, but they were not in place, she claims.

“Witnesses cannot say for certain what caused the goal to topple,” says Michelle. “Perhaps it was a gust of wind or an uneven playing field — we don’t know. But one thing is certain. Had the soccer goal that fell on him during practice been properly secured or designed to be tip-resistant, Zachary would be alive today.”

Michelle says she and her husband Jayson are pretty clued in when it comes to child safety, but it had never crossed their minds that soccer goals could be such lethal objects.

“I had no idea a goal could be so dangerous, “ she says. “Some people commented, ‘What a freak accident,’ but these goals are accidents waiting to happen. There is nothing freak about them. Kids also climb on these things — they can’t help it.

“I was totally shocked how little knowledge some people had. The general lack of knowledge about how dangerous they can be is staggering. I compare it to a car seat. When you put a car seat in your car, you make sure it is secure. You should make sure goals are just as secure.”

As a result, Michelle and Jayson — with the help of family and friends — founded the Anchored for Safety initiative in 2005. They hope it will prevent more deaths like Zachary’s through education and awareness of the havoc that goals can wreak.

They run media campaigns locally and nationally in the fall and summer, and their Web site (www.anchoredforsafety.org) is crammed full of information, including short- and long-term solutions for goal safety, as well as tragic and cautionary tales. It also helps keep Zack’s spirit alive, says Michelle, and they recently celebrated what would have been his 10th birthday with a party for 100 underprivileged children, run in conjunction with Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Her advice is simple but could save lives.

“There is an easy way to make soccer goals safer,” she says. “Keep goals securely anchored with pegs or stakes at every use — whether it’s during practice or a game. And re-anchor goals after moving them for mowing or storage. This short-term solution is easy and inexpensive and can help stop completely preventable injuries and deaths.”

In the long term, the family is working on patenting a tip-proof goal with the help of an engineer. They are not sure exactly when this will be available, but Michelle says it will not be expensive.

“In their current design, soccer goals can weigh up to 400 pounds and are top-heavy because the bars are made of metal,” she says. “While anchoring unsafe goals goes a long way to prevent incidents, the ultimate answer is to revamp soccer goals using lighter materials and tip-resistant design.”

Locally, Southern Indiana United features goal safety in its risk management plan, outlining how portable goals should be securely anchored, while also stressing that they should only be used on flat fields and should be inspected for structural integrity.

Net-Surfers, a local girls’ club, say they take great care at all times when anchoring goals. They do not have a comprehensive risk management policy in place, but are taking a closer look at it following the recent tragedy in Virginia.

Indiana Youth Soccer’s executive director, Don Rawson, says the organization is committed to creating a better environment for youth soccer in the state and is pleading with those involved in the game to take great care when anchoring goals.

"Goal safety protocol and awareness is an integral part of risk management in soccer,” he says. “It only takes a few minutes to anchor a goal — and to save lives and prevent serious injury. The state organization, leagues, clubs, coaches, referees and parents all have a responsibility and role to play to ensure the safety of our players each and every day.”

IYS is hoping to introduce a program that will reward clubs for being 100 percent compliant in all areas of quality club management, including risk management. The clubs would be rewarded through an accreditation system based on performance.

Anything that raises the awareness and educates those involved in the game is to be welcomed, and despite the Trans’ best efforts, there have been four more deaths in the United States since their son’s, while last week’s tragedy in Virginia was the first in two years.

So how does it make them feel when they hear of another death like Hayden’s?

“It is like reliving it all over again,” says Michelle. “It is very frustrating and extremely sad. These deaths did not have to happen.

“The most important thing we need to do is to help create awareness among parents, coaches, administrators and kids. It is preventable. The more you know, the less chance there is of it happening.”

For more in-depth information on the correct procedure for anchoring movable soccer goals, including diagrams, visit www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/soccer.pdf. Along with the Anchored For Safety Initiative, there is also the Zachary Tran Memorial Fund and you can find more information on it by visiting www.zacktranfund.org.

        

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