Soccer Safety Vol. 1

Water Bottle Safety

October 27, 2007

(Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of a multi-part series on soccer safety.)

Look across virtually any sport field and you will see the players' water bottles laying in the grass or turf. In the past, the team trainer or coach would bring out a 6-pack of water bottles for all players to share - now we know that sharing bottles is unhealthy and can lead to the transmission of germs and illnesses amongst players.

So are we really better off now that each player brings his or her own water bottle?

If a water bottle is left in the grass or turf it is exposed to microoraganisms such as Staph A, Pseudomonas, Enterococci, and Fecal Coliform. You may not be familiar with these names but each of these bugs can cause serious illness. One company took samples from the technical and goal areas of local soccer pitches (both grass and turf) and found the above bacteria at levels from 40 to almost 4,000 times the suggested maximum human exposure. The average household bathroom floor has fewer bacteria than the levels found on these soccer fields.

The bottom line is this - Bring your own water bottle but do not leave it on the ground where it can encounter fertilizers, blood, spit, bacteria and other pathogens.

Yours in Sport,

JR Justesen

JR is a physical therapist, a player, coach and father. He has worked in amateur and professional soccer and has also written a book called “The Ultimate Guide to Soccer Safety.”

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