HS: Get Your Head in the Game

There is no doubt that tackle football can be intimidating to think about. From articles to movies to lectures, this particular sport has sparked controversy across the country. Seabury scrapped the football program in 2015 because of lack of participation, and it does not seem like it is ever going to come back. I personally love football,so I was disappointed to hear that I could not play it here. As time went by, a thought slowly crept in my mind: maybe this decision actually saved all of us from a world of suffering.

Like any other contact sport, there will always be an apparent risk of injury. Scrapes, bumps and bruises are a part of the game in general, but, with football specifically, concussions are the most critical concern. In a recent study, 111 deceased NFL players donated their brains to neurologists do they could discover the effects of persistent impact on the brain. Out of the 111 brains, 110 were diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that alters mood, behavior and cognitive abilities. However, this study did not adhere to “random selection.” All of the brains in this study were accepted from patients who had unusual and suspicious behaviors before their death. If one was to choose players at random, would the percentage of players diagnosed with CTE drastically decrease small number? This specific study was advertised everywhere, yet people only saw the results, creating a new perspective on the safety of this sport.

Concerning pre-collegiate football, what It is important to consider that children’s bodies are still developing. With a developing body there is a developing brain. Let us just say that a developing brain and brain damage of any sort does not mix well. To most, damage to a premature brain is worse than a mature one because it hinders growth, creating complications like learning and cognitive disabilities in return. This can possibly make classroom performance plummet.

What surprises me is that many think that kids are trained to randomly throw their bodies at the opposing player in a spastic fashion and call it a “tackle.” That is not the case. Players are taught how to properly tackle with head positioning being the main focus. Also, because of technology, helmets are better designed to withstand large amounts of force and reduce the risk of concussion and whiplash.

To any loving parent, knowing this would bother them to a point where they will not even let their children touch a football. Now, I can see where they are coming from. Yet, I feel like one can acquire habits and skills that can be applied to real world situations from this sport. Maybe it is smart to consider another sport at a young age, though.

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