Article: Soccer death raises questions about safety of heading the ball.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)

The game looks fairly tame.

No crashing helmets. No bulky bodies piled up in a heap. Just a bunch of kids running and kicking the ball up and down the field.

Soccer certainly seems like a safe sport. But the death several weeks ago of a 13-year-old Philadelphia area who suffered a brain injury after ``heading'' a soccer ball begs the question: Well, is it?

``Soccer remains one of the safest sports for children,'' said Dr. Robert Contiguglia, who serves on the sports medicine committee of the U.S. Soccer Federation. ``The type of injuries that occur in soccer are usually minor, and when there is serious injury it's extremely rare.''

The coroner's ...

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