Cody Steed

Mushy Hams

English 1010

Is playing youth football worth the risks?

Recently, participation in football has dropped severely. This can especially be

seen in youth football. Not nearly as many kids are coming out to play or even

interested in football. This is shown as Gasser Donnie, a youtube influencer and former

football player, says that “The nation's largest youth football program, Pop Warner, saw

participation drop anywhere from 9-5 percent in recent years.” This could be a sign that

the concussion crisis in the NFL is having a dramatic impact on the lowest rungs of the

sport. (Donnie) This decline in participation could be partly due to parents denying their

kids the joy of playing football for various reasons. Research shows that one of the

leading concerns is the central topic of concussions and brain damage. Recent studies

have come out about head injuries and the long term effects football can have on your

life. A lot of celebrities and former football players are speaking out against playing

football because of the dangers of injury. This raises the question, should parents let

their kids play football?

It is very difficult to compare the dangers of youth football to those at the NFL

level. Kids do not usually have the strength or the power to make big hits that would

cause brain damage. If coaches teach young kids to tackle the right way and not lead

with your head a lot of injuries can be prevented. You can’t deny the fact that football

can be dangerous. It is a very physical contact sport and injury is always a possibility

when playing contact sports. However, equipment technology has made gigantic leaps
over the years that have made the game safer at every level. For example, the Riddell

Speedflex helmet has brand new technology that has proven to limit the risk of

concussions. Sander says in his article, “Coaches and teams have gotten better at

monitoring the health of their players, which has resulted in a 35% reduction in

concussions since 2012 .... it has never been safer to play professional football. And the

youth game is following suit.” (Sanders) This hemet has an octagon shaped disk in the

front of the helmet that is detached from the rest of the helmet. This plate actually

moves with your skull when contact is made. This new technology can and is already

limiting the amount of concussions in football. Along with better equipment, the actual

rules and regulations of the game of football have changed in order to keep it’s

participants safe. These guidelines are strictly followed and players and coaches are

held to these rules. For example, a fairly new rule has been introduced to the game

called “targeting”. This is when a player leads with the crown of their helmet with

intention to spear another player. This penalty is an automatic 15 yard penalty and in

some leagues an ejection. This rule is very important because a large amount of

concussions occur when leading with the crown of the helmet. It is unsafe for both the

tackler and the ball carrier. In addition, coaches are required to have a player get

checked out by a medical professional if he or she has any symptoms of a head injury.

Players now have to do a concussion test every year that tests your basic motor skills

and intelligence. Then, if you have any symptoms of a concussion you have to take that

same test. They do this because then they can compare your test results from before

and after your possible head injury. This is just one of the many precautions that are

now taken to ensure the well being of the players.

 (Carstoonist Group)

This comic depicts how a lot of parents feel about letting their children play football. A

large number of parents are nervous to let their kids play, and they have every reason

too. Barry Sanders, a hall of fame football player said, “The symptoms of concussions

make it dangerous for players to return to the game, and they may interfere with basic

daily living, including academics. That alone is reason to follow guidelines closely. But

the dangers of long-term damage from repeated concussions must be understood as

well.” (Sanders) More and more studies and information is coming out everyday about
the dangers of CTE. CTE stands for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This occurs

often in football players due to constant and repeated blows to the head. Most people

that are diagnosed with CTE have a history of concussions. A concussion occurs when

you hit your head so hard that your brain actually moves in your skull. Symptoms of a

concussion can be nausea, vomiting, headaches, bothered by light, confusion, and

dizziness. However, the long term effects are the scariest part. Concussions, and

ultimately CTE can have huge effects on a person's life. It can lead to forms of

depression, suicidal thoughts, different kinds of disorders, and even dementia. Alex Pew

wrote an article for The National Center for Health Center titled, “Football and Brain

injuries: What You Need to Know”. In this article he states, “ Some of former athletes

with CTE have committed suicide or murder.” (Pew) In fact, some say that football

player Aaron Hernandez ended up killing his friend Odin Lloyd because of the

detrimental effects of CTE.

The life lessons and values that are learned from playing football at a young age

are arguably unmatched to any other sport. Football is the ultimate team game and

requires all eleven people on the field to do their job in order to be successful. It teaches

hard work and diligence. Football is known for being physically challenging and

demanding. It is good to learn at a young age what hard work is and how important it is

to do your best. Donnie lists some of the qualities that are learned from playing football

are leadership, brotherhood, perseverance, and discipline. (Donnie) The video goes on

to say “These values lead to success … creating champions on and off the field.”
 I can still remember the exact feeling of excitement and accomplishment as I ran

across the goaline when I was eight years old and scored my first touchdown. I handed

the ball to the referee and went to give my dad a high five. As I reflect on that day, there

were probably only tens of people there. However, it seemed as if there were hundreds

of people cheering me on. Football has always been a huge thing in my family. My mom

would decorate the house every game day as we would listen to pump up music. I have

had a deep love and passion for the game of football for as long as I can remember. It

sounds cliche, but the game of football is way more than just a game to me, along with

a lot of other people. My life would be completely different if my parents didn’t let me

play football and I don’t want other kids to miss out on the same opportunities that I had.

The game of football teaches you life lessons and characteristics that aren’t found in

other sports. The game is evolving and becoming safer everyday, as new technology is

created and new rules are enforced. Football is going to become safer and safer as

things progress.

The participation in football around the country is declining, especially in youth

football organizations. This is mostly because of the fear of injury and brain damage.

While parents have the right to be worried for their kid’s safety and well being, the

positives that come from playing football are endless. Playing football teaches you hard

work, discipline, teamwork and the list goes on. Football has personally taught me life

lessons that I will use throughout my life. Parents should let their kids play football so

they don’t miss out on the experiences that football offers.

Barry Sanders. “Should You Let Your Kids Play Football?” USA Today. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=J0E299808822716&site=e
host-live. Accessed 4 Oct. 2021.

Gasser, Donnie “ Why Parents Should Let Their Children Play Football.” Youtube.com,

2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya4fVZFCjvU

Cartoonistgroup.com. 4 Aug. 2017, www.cartoonistgroup.com/subject/

The-Football+Concussion-Comics-and-Cartoons.php. Accessed 13 Oct. 2021.

Connectusfund.org. 9 Aug. 2019, connectusfund.org/

19-pros-and-cons-of-youth-football-should-parents-let-their-children-play. Accessed

20 Oct. 2021.

Pew, Alex. “Football and Brain Injuries: What You Need to Know.” National Center for

Health Research, 23 Jan. 2018,

www.center4research.org/football-brain-injuries-need-know.