Football, kids, and CTE

[Chucktshoes]

Considering today is the super bowl, it seems like an opportune time to bring this up. 

Do you let your kids play tackle football?

If so, why?

In the last few years the NFL has been having to deal with a lot of fallout from the increasing awareness of CTE and it’s relation to the concussions and repeated hits that are part and parcel of the game. It isn’t just NFL players being affected. The data is showing that the damage done to a developing brain by those hits may be just as, if not more damaging than the concussions on grown folks. There are initiatives under way by advocacy groups such as “flag until fourteen” which push to keep kids from playing tackle ball while preserving the other valuable aspects of football while kids’ brains are at their most vulnerable. This wasn’t a subject I thought much about until we had our twin boys, but since then I’ve thought about it a lot and I know that my boys won’t play tackle ball until at least high school. As an advocate of a free range childhood like many of us grew up with in the 80s and prior, I’m not some overprotective helicopter parent. However, I’m also not going to ignore mounting evidence of a clear and present danger either. If you’re a parent of boys, or even girls who want to play ball, do the research and at ensure you’re making an informed decision on the risks associated with the sport.  

 

Here are a few links to articles that are either op ed pieces by advocates of delaying tackle ball or articles detailing studies looking at the dangers of youth tackle ball  

http://www.esquire.com/sports/a12437805/youth-football-cte-concussion/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/opinion-archie-cte-football_us_5a6f87a2e4b00d0de222f3cc

http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/17493946/talking-kimberly-archie-mother-sued-pop-warner-football

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-hlth-youth-football-players-head-injury-risk-1025-story.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/children-play-football-hits-head-originally-thought-study/story?id=50519830

[peejman]

In a word, no. 

I ride a motorcycle. Motorcycle helmets are designed to protect the brain, football helmets are designed to protect the skull.  It's that simple.  

That said, neither of my kids are suited for football. My oldest has the size, but not the attitude. He just doesn't have the aggression necessary.  My youngest has the attitude but not the size. He's been 10th percentile his whole life.  They both enjoy baseball and I'm good with that.  

[btq96r]

I think football (like any other team sport) has a lot to teach kids.  Football especially is great for young men who need some discipline and focus, not to mention an outlet to vent aggression.  But tackle football is probably best delayed until high school knowing what we do now.  Even then, there should be someone looking out for the players that isn't tied to the coaching staff.  Hard to see how that is worked at the high school level aside from places like Texas where HS football is a community event that can command the resources as such.

My biggest worry is the college level.  They're not in the same lens as the NFL players with this issue, but they hits they're taking are adding up all the same.  When you think about how many play across all the schools, but don't make it to the NFL, we have a lot of potential CTE cases out there, which is a risk to them and the community in a way.

[MacGyver]

I was having this conversation with a parent the other day.  At least around Nashville, lacrosse and hockey have really seen a surge as parents are fearful of football.  

It would change the game, but you’re starting to see support for taking the helmets away so that players can’t lead with their heads.  

[btq96r]

6 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

It would change the game, but you’re starting to see support for taking the helmets away so that players can’t lead with their heads.  

I think within a generation, we'll see football tackling be more like rugby tackling.  How they massage that in with the speed and flow of the game, I have no idea.

[peejman]

10 hours ago, MacGyver said:

I was having this conversation with a parent the other day.  At least around Nashville, lacrosse and hockey have really seen a surge as parents are fearful of football.  

It would change the game, but you’re starting to see support for taking the helmets away so that players can’t lead with their heads.  

Interestingly, among the popular youth sports, soccer typically has the highest percentage of serious injuries due to the running with no padding. 

Taking away face masks and reducing the shoulder pads dramatically is an option for football.  The speed and power of the athletes has outgrown the current version of the game. 

When race cars (and motorcycles) outgrow a track, they either fix the track or don't race there anymore. What changes could be made to football fields to help reduce the head injuries?