Many are opting out. Participation in youth tackle football has been declining for years. But especially in communities of color, tackle football’s lure remains strong and the balance tips toward opportunity, a four-month investigation by The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland has found.
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Last year, the Boston University CTE Center released a study that said the developing brains of children are at risk for damage from repeated impacts to the head and brain that have been associated with impulsive behaviors and cognitive problems.
The study notes that children who start playing tackle football at an early age or participate in the sport for more than 11 years run an increased risk of such impairment.
I cannot disagree more. Playing sports in my youth and adult life has led me to living an infinitely healthier life long-term and I’ve made a lot of my friends through sports even in my adult life.
While I’m not going to force my kids to do a sport they don’t like we will keep trying different sports until we find something they enjoy.
Sure kids probably shouldn’t be playing football, but to say they shouldn’t play any contact sport as a whole is utterly insane.
Kids need to play a team sport when they’re young. I’m not a football fan, but beyond that I don’t much care which team sport…
But the lessons learned in working together towards a common goal, even with teammates you don’t necessarily like
…… It’s an invaluable lesson.
I don’t really see it. You can teach teamwork a hundred ways
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