This tragic event has sparked a debate about the risks associated with the sport, particularly for young athletes. The debate is further complicated by the increasing popularity of youth football leagues, which have seen a surge in participation in recent years. This surge has led to a greater number of young athletes exposed to the risks associated with the sport.
Focus on Head Trauma Those traumatic injuries have been the focus of concern, as football is responsible for the highest number of traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related emergency department visits for sports-related injuries in kids, according to Jill Daugherty, PhD, an epidemiologist on the TBI team at the CDC. A CDC analysis showed that a quarter of ED visits among kids for sports-related TBI are due to football, Daugherty told MedPage Today in an email, adding that tackling is responsible for about two-thirds of concussions and other TBIs among high school football players. Chris Nowinski, PhD, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, in Boston, a non-profit advocacy organization that collects data on concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in athletes, said about 5% of youth football players are diagnosed with concussions each year.
However, many concussions in youth football players go undiagnosed because methods for identifying concussion used at the college and professional level — such as having physicians on the sidelines — “can’t be done at the youth level,” he said. The risk of head impacts for youth players cannot be overstated, Nowinski said. “Is it safe to hit a kid in the head 200 times?” he told MedPage Today, noting a CDC study found that the median number of head impacts in a season is 378 for 9- to 12-year-old kids. Recent research showed CTE is correlated to the number and strength of repetitive head hits people take over their lifetime, he added.
Nowinski’s research suggests that the risk of CTE is directly proportional to the number of concussions sustained. The more concussions a player experiences, the higher the risk of developing CTE. Nowinski’s research also suggests that the risk of CTE is not limited to professional football players. It can affect amateur players, too.
“The way people practice, discouraging excess contact during practice, that’s really changed a lot in the sport, and some of that has been cultural [because] coaches want to keep their players healthy,” said Peterson, who is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. USA Football has also promoted its Heads Up Football program, which aims to certify coaches and calls for teams to have a coach focused on player safety. Daugherty noted that flag football, where games are played without blocking and tackling, has grown in popularity as participation has declined in tackle football, according to a report from the Aspen Institute.
Nowinski agreed that “the greatest change we can make to prevent CTE and concussions is flag [football] until 12 or 14 [years old], and the next greatest thing is don’t hit in practice.” “Everything else is small,” Nowinski added. However, Peterson said there’s some evidence that the rate of concussion is similar for both flag and tackle football. He believes football of any kind is “safer than a lot of the alternatives,” such as jumping on trampolines or swimming in backyard pools. He also believes “the benefits of sport participation in general outweigh the risks of sports participation,” even for football.
Still, he thinks a developmental model of football — one that starts kids in flag before progressing to tackling and blocking elements — would be a safer approach to youth football, allowing young kids to develop the skills of football without being exposed to the cumulative risk of head impacts. “Most of those cases, most of what we’re seeing in these brain bank studies are from people with very long playing careers,” Peterson said. “The vast majority of people that seem to be developing [CTE] are people that essentially got hit in the head for a living.” Ensuring Safe Play
This statement highlights the importance of education and awareness in youth football safety. Duffy emphasizes that the NATA is committed to providing resources and support to help educate and empower these individuals. The NATA’s efforts are crucial in addressing the growing concern about youth football injuries. The organization’s focus on education and awareness is a proactive approach to preventing injuries and promoting a safer playing environment.
A sports coach or parent can help prevent heat-related illnesses in young athletes by taking a few simple steps. These steps include:
* **Monitoring the weather:** Coaches and parents should be aware of the heat index and other weather conditions that could pose a risk. * **Hydration:** Adequate hydration is crucial for preventing heat-related illnesses.
“We’re doing our best to get the information out there, so that there’s proper medical care for those at all levels,” Duffy said. Michael DePeau-Wilson is a reporter on MedPage Today’s enterprise & investigative team. He covers psychiatry, long covid, and infectious diseases, among other relevant U.S. clinical news. Follow Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.