Football. American football, to be exactly. Arguably considered one of the most enjoyable past for both grown men and children alike, many consider football to hold a powerful aura in the realm of sports. The ever-so fascinating sight of men passing or running across a field with an oval-shaped ball in hand can captivate a stadium of thousands, not including those who watch in a screen in a living room. A mere touchdown can lead to, for many, screams of joy, while for others, tears of utter despair (followed by the flipping over of a table or two). Often, these scenarios are what come to mind when we think of football. Despite this, there are more consequences to the game than just winning or losing. Looking at it in this sense, the sport is also known not just to be popular but dangerous. And when many young people partake in tackle football today, it’s time to consider why we shouldn’t allow them to do so with the risks to keep in mind. …show more content…
According to San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland, in the article “49er’s Chris Borland retiring at 24, wary of head trauma,” it’s simply not worth the risk to wait till you experience certain symptoms, because otherwise, it will just be too late. With this in mind, based on statistics from the National Athletic Trainer’s Association, “approximately 8,000 children are treated in emergency rooms each day for sports-related injuries.” Along with this, “there are three times as many catastrophic football injuries among high school athletes as college athletes.” When being exposed to a sport such as tackle football, it is only evident that students are prone to facing many injuries. Having a history of injury can only act as a catalyst for future injury; prevention, in this case, to avoid such situations is only more critical, as specific injuries can deter mental development for
In contrast to the positives, high school athletics can be seen in a negative light. “Concussions [from athletics] cause structural brain damage” (Solotaroff 7). Even though nobody is said to get a concussion in Friday Night Lights, they are very frequent in football and in other sports today. They occur all the time in football especially. In addition to that piece of nega...
In the article “Should Kids Play Football” from the Scholastic Scope on February 2015, writer Jennifer Shotz discusses both issues of the benefits and dangers of playing American football. For example, Jennifer Shots mentioned that tens of thousands of young football players get concussions every year. She states that most players return to the game after they are healed but some never return because their concussion was too severe to their health. On the other hand, the writer also discusses how football isn't the only sport that encounters concussions. The rules of football are always changing and each new rule provides a safer way to play the game. For example, the writer notes that Pop Warner has reduced the amount of practice time dedicated
“Concussion rates for children under the age of 19 who play football have doubled in the last decade, even though the overall sports participation has declined” (Youth Football Concussion Statistics). Football is extremely popular in American culture. Children all across the world love watching and playing the sport. However, many studies have shown numerous possible long term effects of starting the beloved sport when young. Undeveloped brains have a harder time recovering from bumps and blows that occur during playing time. After examining the long term effects of children playing football, it is clear that the tradition of tackle football in youth should be held off until the brain is more fully developed,
Following behind motor vehicle crashes, traumatic brain injury in sports is the second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries for people fifth-teen to twenty-four years of age. Immense concerns follows given that American football accounts for the highest incidence of concussions (Rowson and Duma 2130). In addition, th...
McCrea, M., Hammeke, T., Olsen, G., Leo, P., & Guskiewicz, K. (2004). Unreported concussion in high school football players: implications for prevention. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 14(1), 13-17.
That’s where the advancements in concussion detection and treatment comes into play. According to the article “Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment” the writer states “the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 207,830 trips to an emergency room annually between 2001 and 2005 due to sports participation injuries” ( “Advancements in Concussion Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment | The Sport Journal” ). The report from the CDC shows how many reported sports injuries occur in a short period. However, this does not include the vast number of injuries not reported every year. That is a lot of injuries that go unreported and not cared for. We can help make it to where all kids after a concussion report it and get treated by educating them on the dangers they face if they continue to play as they are and tell them they will be right back to playing after the testing has been completed and they are clear to play again. This is not hard to do it’s just the fact of telling the kids the truth of the matter and them knowing the tests aren’t hard and don’t take long to pass. But the kids need to know this is needed if they want to be able to play for years to come in school and even in
Through sports or through everyday life, concussions tend to happen. An estimated 300 000 sport-related traumatic brain injuries, predominantly concussions, occur annually in the United States. Sports are second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of traumatic brain injury among people aged 15 to 24 years. (U.S National Library of Medicine). Coaches and parents often do not go through the right procedures or protocols when dealing with a teenager who has received a blow to the head. The usual questions that are asked when there is a head injury are, “what day is it, what’s the score, and how many fingers am I holding up?” Now these are not poor questions, but these questions alone cannot determine if a person has suffered a concussion. The correct method, which they are now implementing in most professional sports leagues, is for anyone with a head injury to take a legitimate concussion test performed by the team doctor. (WebbMD) At present the symptoms can be hit or miss. After receiving a concussion, research shows that an “estimated 80 to 90% of concussions heal spontaneously in the first 7 to 10 days”. (Barton Straus) But, it is important to remember not to return until all symptoms are
Herring, Stanley A., and Kathleen R. Bell. "Youth Sports Concussions, An Issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics." Google Books. Ed. George H. Kraft, MD,MS. Elsevier Health Sciences., Nov. 2011. Web. 08 May 2014. .
For instance, from "Study of former NFL Players Highlights Risks of Tackling Too Young", ""Other research has shown that the brain undergoes key periods of development during childhood leading up to the age of 12 in males"…" This quote displays that the brain grows a lot at a young age and the growth can be affected by playing football. From "49ers' Chris Borland Retiring at 24, Wary of Head Trauma", "Borland is leaving football, and the promise of NFL stardom and piles of money could not change his mind. He was worried about head trauma." One can infer, the player was terrified of what may happen to his brain if he continued to play. Critics may say that brain injuries don't happen often and there is a slim chance of it occurring. However, as stated in "Study of former NFL Players Highlights Risks of Tackling Too Young", " players between 9 and 12 are exposed to an average of 240 head impacts in a single football season." It is clear, football causes multiple brain injuries, and some can be very
Not only do we know the effects of playing football at a young age, we also have real life stories that have occured to real people. For example, In 2006 a 13 year old named Zachary Lystatdt’s head hit the ground in a routine tackle. He was in pain, so the coach took him out of the game for two plays. He returned to the game and on the last play he collapsed. Zachary was rushed to the hospital and was required to have emergency neurosurgery. After this life changing surgery, 9 months later he was finally able to communicate. Now, he is still learning how to walk (Hamblin, James. “Football Alters the Brains of Kids as Young as 8.”)This story sets an example of why children should not be able to play contact sports until adulthood. Unfortunately, this is not the only sad story about a child who has had life changing effects from playing
Football is America’s favorite sport. It is a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Every week thousands of men and boys all across the country take part in football and every week these men and boys receive violent hits during the game. Frequently, as a result of these violent hits, the player receives a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a slight concussion in a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not play tackle football.
In America, football is no longer a sport but is engraved into our culture. According to SoftSchools.com, a website containing informative information on multiple subjects, The National Football League was established in 1920, quickly becoming the most watched sports league in the U.S. (“Football”). The league is composed of thirty-two teams, competing each year with the intent to play in the Super Bowl for a chance to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy (“Football”). The Super Bowl is the most watched television program in the U.S., averaging 113 million viewers each year (“Football”). With so many people watching this sport the annual revenue of the NFL is approximately nine billion dollars (“Football”). In contrast, baseball is considered to be the American sport, however, the annual revenue is only 7.2 billion dollars (“Football”). Football has now passed many sports in popularity in the United States being the favorite of thirty-five percent of all Americans (“Football”). The sport is appealing to many because the physical aspect to the game is exhilarating and keeps the fans entertained. However, the physical nature of the sport may cause the popularity but also can make the game dangerous.
When I was beginning high school as a freshman, I searched for an activity that I could participate in. I was looking to meet new people and hoping to be accepted by other students. I was willing to do anything for their acceptance. At the beginning of the school year a football meeting was announced, although I had never played football before, I decided to attend the meeting. From the day of that initial meeting, I will be in love with the game for the rest of my life. I learned of the consequences involved with participating in a full contact sport such as football. Many people ask if football is worth the risk for high school athletes. I decided that for me the benefits outweigh the risks.
From the early ages in history to the present day, sports have always been an important part of society. It teaches discipline, how to be a team player, how to interact with others and is a good source of physical activity. In specific, football utilizes all of these aspects of sports and it’s a great source of teaching self-restraint and perseverance. Some may say that football is a violent sport or it’s not beneficial in any way, but in reality it gives a person the basic tools needed not only for playing the game, but also how you interact with people in society.
In stadiums, parks and fields all across America, many youth participate in a journey through defeat, heartbreak, hard work, and success. Practicing for hours, rain or shine, to be able to snag that game winning touchdown in the back of the endzone. Although football comes with many risks and dangers, I strongly believe that kids and teens should be allowed to play football because it promotes leadership, teamwork, and requires significant amounts of exercise and cardiovascular activity, and other contact sports are just as dangerous.