A new study found heading a soccer ball on a regular basis could lead to brain damage similar to the kind suffered in car accidents, according to USA Today.

"We found the real implication for players isn't from hitting headers once in a while, but repetitively, which can lead to degeneration of brain cells," lead researcher Dr. Michael Lipton told the newspaper.

Lipton and other researchers used an advanced MRI technique to watch changes in the brain white matter of 32 adult amateur soccer players who headed balls an average of 436 times per year.

The study found players who hit the ball with their head more than 1,000 times per year showed abnormalities similar to traumatic brain injuries, with what's described as a subtle but serious decline in thinking and coordination skills, according to USA Today.

Dr. Chris Koutures, a pediatrician and sports medicine specialist in California, told the newspaper that children are not developmentally ready to learn the skill until age 10 and that practicing proper heading technique can reduce force on the head.

Koutures released his own study in the February 2010 issue of the journal Pediatrics and found no link between heading long-term head injury, the report said.

Have you ever hurt yourself while trying to head the ball in soccer? Did your youth coach ever teach the proper technique? How concerned are you about brain damage and concussions for youth athletes? Sound off below and on our WNWO Facebook page.