(Photo by Styves Exantus from Pexels)
The issue has been debated since football became a sport in the late 19th century. Is football safe for kids?
In August 2024 alone, seven children in junior high and high school died from football-related damage to the body. Two of the deaths were attributed to blows to the head. The other deaths were attributed to excessive heat, heart conditions, and other medical emergencies.
Last year, reports show that 16 students died from football-related conditions. Most of the students were in high school or college. Three of those deaths were attributed to traumatic brain injury (TBI).
According to the Concussion Legacy Foundation in Boston, about 5% of youth football players sustain concussions each year. Those statistics, however, represent just the concussions which are known. Many concussions at the youth league level are never identified because no trained person is on site to recognize a concussion when the injury occurs.
One study finds that the average number of head impacts among nine to 12-year-olds is 378 per season.
Over time, changes to youth football have been made, many focused on lessening impacts to the head. The National Federation of State High School Associations has issued new guidelines that limit the number and frequency of full-contact practices.
USA Football promotes its Heads Up Football program, which emphasizes certifying coaches to recognize and act when a concussion occurs. They encourage sports teams to have someone on site for practices and games who focuses on player safety. The Aspen Institute reports that flag football, played without blocking and tackling, has grown in popularity as participation in tackle football has declined.
The position of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) is that the key to making youth football safe is to ensure that parents, coaches, and physicians understand the risks associated with the game. Together, they can create a safe sports culture that decreases the chance of an athlete getting a concussion or other significant injury.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued specific guidelines for lessening the risk of a concussion. Officials say young athletes should:
- Receive positive messages and praise from their coaches for concussion symptom reporting.
- Have parents who talk with them about concussions, and model and expect safe play.
- Support their teammates sitting out of play if they have a concussion.
- Feel comfortable reporting symptoms of a possible concussion to parents and coaches.
To further limit concussions, sports programs can:
- Expand opportunities for youth in all communities to participate in low-cost, non-contact football programs, such as flag and touch football.
- Limit the number of contact practices for contact and collision sports.
- Enforce the rules of the sport for fair play, safety, and sportsmanship.
- Ensure athletes avoid unsafe actions such as:
- Hitting another athlete in the head
- Using their head to tackle or hit another athlete
- Educate coaches, sports officials, parents, and athletes about concussion policies and about strategies to reduce head impacts and concussions.
Getting back to the debate about whether football is safe for kids – let’s reframe the question. Is it safe to hit a kid in the head 378 times? The answer is an unequivocal no.
The children playing football have immature brains, not fully developed in critical thinking and decision-making skills to judge the risks and benefits of the sport for themselves. They still rely on adults for reality checks and deserve and need trustworthy information.
Would it be more honest to answer, “No, it isn’t safe, but we’re going to let you play anyway.” Hopefully, favorable changes continue until the debate is resolved, and we can one day say unequivocally, “Yes, football is safe.”
