Keep your head in the game!
The Under-16 goalkeepers at KRC Genk have been spotted all wearing protective helmets during their games and here’s what’s up.
In September of last year, it was first reported by EuroFootballNews that KRC Genk would be requiring its youth goalkeepers to wear helmets during both matches and training. This was a new safety measure breaking ground in response to modern football’s growing concern regarding the risk of concussions and brain injuries.
The catalyst for this resolution looks to have been Genk’s first-choice goalkeeper. Maarten Vandevoordt had worn a similar protective helmet during a match after colliding with an Anderlecht player.
“Prevention is better than cure,” says Koen Witters, Manager of Goalkeepers at the KRC Genk Talent Academy.
Racing Genk acknowledges that concussions, brain damage, and other head injuries are not uncommon in football. In fact, statistics suggest that Dutch football alone reports up to 15,000 annually reported cases. There’s no denying that goalkeeping is a profession with a risk factor. And this decision to implement the wearing of helmets by youth in the club is their way of safely keeping young and future professional goalkeepers on the pitch, and quite literally keeping their heads in the game.
Vandevoordt’s case is merely one example of the reality of the game and the growing awareness around it.
Witters says: “We train our goalkeepers to be aggressive in play, whether it’s intervening on high balls or diving at the feet of opponents. There are risks involved, but by wearing a helmet, we can reduce the risk of concussion by 50%.”
Though helmet wearing for under-16 youth goalkeepers at Genk will be required, the club says that players who have advanced to higher levels, like Jong Genk or the first team, will have the option to go without it. They aim to sow seeds of the understanding of the lifelong benefits of prioritising safety by exposing goalkeepers to safety practises at a young age. In doing this, they hope that upon reaching higher levels of playing (and maturity), players will consciously choose safety on their own accord.
On an Instagram post by @risingballers on this new rule, many comments show support for this practice saying that if it keeps young players in the game or helps them secure a longer and more successful career in goalkeeping, then it's a yes for them and maybe other clubs should follow suit as well.
Helmets are on their heads, but what’s on your mind about this new rule?
