Alarming risk of Concussions for football players #3

COMM 1270, Young
Dian W. Robinson

There has been so much in the news lately about Football concussions with the death of 16 year old defensive back Chad Stover. This, among other factors  finally hit home on a reality check.  This is a cogent issue that we are putting our youth, families, and professional football athletes at risk by continuing the program as it now exists.

According to this same article, one-third of all NFL Football players have or will have lasting effects associated with brain concussions, including Alzheimers.   This staggering number has been concealed  and denied from the public and families of the players until just recently, when a lawsuit  settlement was reached with some 5,000 players and the NFL. According to researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health, 'found that football had the highest incidence of the brain rattling impacts....That are which accounts for games and practices, more than doubled for high school football players from 2005 through the 2013-14 school year. "

In years past, many Little league football players even  7-9 year old boys, were playing tackle football.
It is not cute, nor it is fun to watch these adorable children trampling on each other, and causing possible harm.

My seven year old grandson loves football, in fact he loves almost all sports.  He plays flag football on a city league.  It is nice watching these boys play without pulling at each other and dragging them to the  ground.

The football coach at the high school my youngest son Ben attended, encouraged us to have him play football as a kicker.  He said he would have a full ride scholarship with his talent.  I discouraged him
because of all the football injuries I have witnessed with my husband, brothers and others.  From time to time, I felt pangs of guilt for not encouraging him to follow his football dreams, but perhaps not too much since he followed his love for basketball.

Unfortunately, all the articles in the world, will probably not change playing football nor the  staggering revenue generated from the sport.  However, it has created more awareness, which has brought some change. Parents, kids, and coaches are more wiling to report head injuries.  Some high schools, and college football programs are cutting down the weekly practice hours spent in block and tackle.

According to this same article, " Perhaps the only paradigm shift that can be effective, is the upcoming, young athletes and their parents who have an unprecedented influence on these boys."  Let's hope it is enough.

Too much emphasis is placed on competitive sports today.  Football arenas all over the country are filled with fans, food and excitement.  I am in the minority.  I am not a football fan, even though I have attended a few and watched some with my husband and family.

Let's separate the fallacious issues surrounded by the prejudices and ignorance of those who think football is not a dangerous sport.  It is evident by facts, reason and research, football is dangerous.  and we have been ignoring it much too long.

Three in one professional players will have permanent brain injury. Parents need to take a stronger stand while their boys are still young enough to listen and understand the danger.  Football is not the sport it used to be. In reality, to be competitive enough to even make a team at the high school level and above, players need to 'beef up', step up their strength, and muscle capacity.  The interior lineman today are more like a semi truck, compared to thirty years ago, they were like a pickup truck.

It is clear we need to take a stand. "A no tolerance to violent football playing" will save lives of not only the players, but also the loved ones who hearts are broken.   We don't need to be on a crusade to have ambulances at each one of the high school games, as Chad Stokers' parents proposed.  Changing to safer drills, less frequency of contact practice , and training our players to keep their heads up instead of tucked under, may help, but in reality it won't be enough.