Published: May 27, 2008 08:35 pm            

KICK IT: Goal tragedies continue

Exactly one year ago to the week, we interviewed the mother of Zachary Tran, a 6-year-old who was killed when a goal struck him on the back of the head in Vernon Hills, Ill., in 2003.

Not long after the tragedy, Michelle Tran and her family founded the Anchored for Safety initiative, which has spread education and awareness on the danger soccer goalposts can cause if not properly erected (www.anchoredforsafety.org).

Unfortunately, this month saw the 34th reported death in the United States from injuries sustained by soccer goals since a database was established in 1979.

Eight-year-old Gabriel Mendoza was playing goalie at the South Mountain YMCA in Phoenix on May 1 when he grabbed the overhead bar to swing from it.

Suddenly, the bar came crashing down on Mendoza and he later died at the hospital as a result of injuries caused by the impact.

Most of those who have died from goalpost incidents — 27 in fact — were between the ages of 5 and 18, the average age range of children who interact with soccer goals. There have also been hundreds of injuries — some serious — all over the country in that time.

They include a frightening head injury to a U8 player in Lafayette in 2004, and another head injury to an 11-year-old boy in Bardstown, Ky., at a public elementary school field.

Michelle Tran’s 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,” Tran said. “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.”



TRYOUT TIME

Southern Indiana United will be holding its annual tryouts for travel soccer next week on June 4-5.

For those wanting to play on the U10-U14 teams — that’s those born between Aug. 1, 1994 and July 31, 1999 — tryouts will go ahead at Prosser Fields off Charlestown Road in New Albany. Registration will start at 5:30 p.m., with tryouts following at 6:30 p.m. for two hours. A parent meeting will also be held at 6:30 p.m.

Players are expected to attend both sessions as coaches cannot make a decision from one session. Players must bring a soccer ball, water, shinguards, and a parent must sign the medical release on the registration form (available on SIU’s Web site, www.siusoccer.com).

There is a $5 tryout/registration fee, which covers the cost of the T-shirt.

Sign-ups for the U9/U10 Academy will also be held on June 4-5. There will be no cuts and all of those who sign up will be placed on one of the academy teams. Training sessions will run from approximately 6:30-8:30 p.m., so if you are looking to put more emphasis on player development and less on winning, this is the program for you.

High school age tryouts will be held in October or November (U15 and older, those born on or after Aug. 1, 1993).

For further information, contact Debbie Webb at vpselect@siusoccer.com or 812-945-5627, or director of coaching Dutch Vigar at 812-945-6743. You can also visit www.siusoccer.com.



MAVERICKS FOR STATE GLORY

Southern Indiana United’s Mavericks will bid to bring the U14 Indiana Challenge Cup trophy home this weekend.

They travel to Fort Wayne, where they will take on Lafayette’s Tippco Blue Heat at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

A win there would see them progress to the semifinal against either Columbus Orange Crush, last year’s U13 winners, or Center Grove Fury at 9 a.m. on Sunday. The final will be held the same afternoon at 3.30 p.m.

Coach Mike Vejar said Mavericks have “as good a chance as any of the teams” in the finals if they play the way they did last week.

Meanwhile, we reported last week that Net-Surfers’ U13s also qualified for the final stages after wins against Fishers 3-0 and St. Francis Lady Dragons 2-0, and a tie against Tippco.

Although they finished with the same points, goal difference, and goals scored as Tippco, it was the latter that progressed.

Contact Aidan Kelly at aidokaydo@gmail.com.

        

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