Monday
High School Football
An article in the Chicago Tribune caught my eye just a few days ago. This article, titled "It's Time to Ban High School Football", can be found here. In the article Ken Reed compares football to smoking, saying that as soon as the dangers of smoking were fully understood, it was banned on campuses all around the country. He says the new research on brain injuries, showing that about 20 percent of high school football players sustain tissue damage, should put football to a similar fate. My first instinct was to decide that this is preposterous. Football has been an integral part of high school for years, and now some parents are overreacting to a bit of a risk. Next they'll want to keep kids from walking to school because they might get hit by cars. I also thought about what sports can teach somebody. I remember seeing the documentary "'Undefeated", which includes the stories of many young men who grew up in unfortunate circumstances and whose lives were reformed by their experiences on the grid iron. They certainly benefited enough from the game to justify the risk that they took on. The more I thought about it however, the less certain of my opinion I became. Most of the country, and certainly New Trier, is very different from the Manassas, Memphis high school shown in Undefeated. To be honest, at New Trier it doesn't seem to me like the football players have learned any profound life skills from football that couldn't be gained from another sport or interest. Maybe it would be better for kids if they played less risky sport that still required the commitment and perseverance that football does. And brain injuries are definitely not something to be taken lightly. They can have an impact on someone for life, even if acquired as early as high school. Whatever society ends up deciding on this issue it will have a huge impact on the high school experience.
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I certainly agree that brain injuries shouldn't be taken lightly, but have you considered a middle ground solution? Sports are a huge love of Americans and I don't think that even brain injuries could keep them from their football. Don't get me wrong, in no particular way am I a fan of it, but I still think that changes to soft padded helmets, along with a change in coaching and rules could go a long way without eliminating football. I also agree that football doesn't serve the same benefits at New Trier as it does in "Undefeated" but who's to say it doesn't serve a purpose? As an athlete much of my identity is based on the sport I play, and if you take away football, one of the few no-cut varsity sports, then you also take away a lot of many kids' identities.
ReplyDeleteIn a sport like football, I really don't see how there can be any "Middle Ground" solutions. Many injuries and concussions can happen on "freak accidents", even when the play is clean and the tackle is made in line with the rules. For me, one thing that should done immediately is that if a hit is dangerous to either the offensive or defensive player, the penalties should be stricter! 15 Yards is not enough of a penalty to help stop future brain damage and concussions. The human brain is way too fragile to not be protected with possible automatic ejections and fines, especially in the NFL.
ReplyDeleteI saw a segment on ESPN about how many concussions are caused because during their youth, football players are not taught how to tackle correctly. Do you think it is the fact that the coaches are ignoring the rules of tackling, or are players just lowering their helmets to make contact with the head