Participation in youth tackle football has been decreasing
drastically since 2008 because of football related health issues, specifically
head injuries. Parents are opting to have their children not play tackle
football as they are worried about the long-term effects of these injuries on
their children’s cognitive development. As we discussed in class on February 12,
because of parent concerns, there has been a significant increase in participation
in flag football over the past few years because it is much safer than tackle
football. In the article I read, Study
Cites Youth Football For Issues, ESPN writer Tom Farrey tackles the
question of when is it safe for kids to start playing tackle football. According
to neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Cantu, it is unsafe for children to be playing
tackle football before the age of 14 because their brains aren’t fully
developed. With the number of hits football payers sustain each season, it can
affect the development of areas of the brain that affect personality and
decision making. Who wants that for their child? The Youth Sports Report Card
we also discussed in class gives health and safety for youth sports a low grade
of a C+. It’s no wonder there has been a 24% decrease in tackle football
participation. In defense of the parents who are pulling their kids from tackle
football, would you want your son or daughter participating in a sport that can’t
guarantee your child’s safety? A C+ is only average. We also discussed in class
that there are about 1.35 million injuries each year in youth sports. This is
an excessive amount. How many of these injuries could be life altering? A study
done by Dr. Robert Stern showed that former football players between the ages
of 40-69 who played tackle football prior to the age of 12 performed worse on a
number of cognitive tests than players who didn’t start playing until later.
These players had trouble with cognitive tasks such as remembering and making
good decisions. So I ask again with all the injuries short term and long term,
is it really a good idea to let your child participate in tackle football
before they turn 12?
For a video discussing youth football injuries click here:
Article discussed in blog post:
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