Leslie Osborne is a former professional soccer player and a PCA National Advisory Board member. She began her career at Santa Clara University, playing for PCA National Advisory Board Member Jerry Smith (@SCUJerrySmith). During her collegiate career she won an NCAA championship and was honored with the Honda Sports Award, given to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate female athlete. After college, she became a member of the US Women’s National Soccer Team and played for several women’s professional soccer league teams before retiring in 2014.

Osborne had her fair share of concussions playing soccer, as she discusses in this clip. While numerous headers may have an effect on the brain, concussion in soccer also can stem from colliding with other players while trying for a header.

Concussion can be difficult to diagnose or detect in the heat of competition. Osborne recommends parents monitor for concussion symptoms as much as possible. Asking your child if they are okay multiple times during the day or night after collisions or other causes of head trauma and monitoring them for effects of concussions is an important way to make sure they are safe. It’s crucial that kids don’t go back to playing before they are fully healed from a head injury, to prevent further damage, and Osborne urges parents to take an active role in monitoring the health of their young athletes to prevent this type of permanent damage.