By Ken Reed
The growing mound of research on the dangers of brain trauma in sports — especially when it comes to the young developing brain — has resulted in many parents deciding to not allow their children to play tackle football. According to a recent report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, the number of kids, ages 6 to 12, playing football was down 35 percent in the four-year period from 2007 to 2011.
If it continues to drop at that rate, high school football will be an endangered species. High school football also faces the threat of a lawsuit brought by a parent questioning the wisdom of a public institution, designed to enhance the brain, sponsoring an activity like football that’s been shown to be dangerous to the brain. A successful lawsuit of that nature could make insurance premiums for high schools prohibitive when it comes to football.
Smoking, once allowed on high school campuses, has been banned as dangerous to the health of students. Football is heading for the same fate.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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