By Ashley Nnabue ’16

The Hall of Fame Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman said, “I think that we’re at a real crossroads, as it relates to the grassroots of our sport, because if I had a 10-year-boy, I don’t know that I’d be real inclined to encourage him to go play football, in light of what we are learning from head injury.”

According to the New York Times youth football is the most dangerous stage of football because it produces higher risks of memory and thinking problems later in life. Players that begin playing between the ages of 5 and 14 tend to accumulate more drastic injuries than players that start later in life. By playing a contact sport at such a young age, children can disrupt proper development. However, the symptoms of brain injuries might not appear until later in the player’s life.

Many youth football organizations have earned a lot of attention after studies highlighted the dangers of allowing young children to partake in an extensive form of aggression at such a young age. According to Boston University, former NFL players that played tackle football when they were younger were more likely to experience thinking and memory problems as adults. Depending on the severity, the damage can be fatal.

Responding to complaints of violent, physical contact, Pop Warner, a prominent youth football program across the country, created new rules to limit contact during practices in 2012. Players are no longer allowed to engage in full speed head-on blocking or tackling drills or intentional head-to-head contact. Also, each practice may only contain 40 minutes of contact.

Yet according to USA Today, the University of Pittsburgh conducted a study that found that players were 26 times more likely to be concussed in games than in practices. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center suggested, “youth football leagues should focus on awareness and education about concussions … practice is when tackling technique can be taught and reinforced in a much safer environment than in games.”

Julian Bailes, chair of Pop Warner youth football’s medical advisory board, responded by questioning the size of the study sample (of 20 diagnosed concussions, 18 happened during games), but did not disagree that more concussions occur in games.

Furthermore, youth football organizations have minimal requirements in place for coach qualifications. Pee-wee football has proven to be the most critical stage for children because their brains are still developing, yet that is where the worst coaches are found. Coaches for Pop Warner only have to complete an online course every three years to become eligible. This process neglects to assess an individual’s ability to instruct young children on proper tackling techniques.

Ultimately, it is up to parents to decide whether or not they will allow their child to participate in a high-contact sport during their youth. Although precautions are being taken to improve safety tactics, there are still many parents, including NFL players, that refuse to allow their sons to play the sport.