Should Parents Let Their Kids Play Pop Warner Youth Football?
Millions of kids in America ages 6 through 12 play organized sports. Whether it is soccer, baseball, or basketball, kids love to play. However, in recent years, there has been a significant decrease in kids playing youth tackle football. CNN reports that in 2017, there was only an estimated 980,000 kids who played organized football. This is almost a 2% dip from 2011. Why is that?
With the new understand of what the sport really does to the developing brain, there is a big debate today of whether parents should let their children play youth tackle football. I remember from the moment I could understand the game, all I wanted to do was play tackle football, but my dad would not let me. "High School", he would say. It seems that new concerns of player concussions and brain damage are the main reason parents are pulling or excluding their kids from the sport. There has been a recent finding a disease that is a result repeated head trauma called CTE. CTE, formally known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a brain degenerating disease with haunting symptoms. Memory loss, difficulty thinking, depression or apathy, and substance abuse are just a few off the list of CTE symptoms that have parents horrified of their kids playing the sport. The main reason for the fall of the sport in youth would be the fear of the consequences the sport can bring, especially in an undeveloped brain. President Barack Obama came out and said that if he were to have boys, he would not let them play football. Would you let your kids play?
https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/health/youth-football-parent-curve/index.html
With the new understand of what the sport really does to the developing brain, there is a big debate today of whether parents should let their children play youth tackle football. I remember from the moment I could understand the game, all I wanted to do was play tackle football, but my dad would not let me. "High School", he would say. It seems that new concerns of player concussions and brain damage are the main reason parents are pulling or excluding their kids from the sport. There has been a recent finding a disease that is a result repeated head trauma called CTE. CTE, formally known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a brain degenerating disease with haunting symptoms. Memory loss, difficulty thinking, depression or apathy, and substance abuse are just a few off the list of CTE symptoms that have parents horrified of their kids playing the sport. The main reason for the fall of the sport in youth would be the fear of the consequences the sport can bring, especially in an undeveloped brain. President Barack Obama came out and said that if he were to have boys, he would not let them play football. Would you let your kids play?
https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/02/health/youth-football-parent-curve/index.html
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