Potential Football Injuries and Stealing a Candy Bar for 09/08/2017
Dear Family Coach

Dear Family Coach: I allowed my son to play high school football last year because he’s a former soccer player, and the coach said he needed him to kick and punt. I was comfortable with that, and he had a great time. This year, however, the coach wants him to be the backup quarterback. My son is thrilled, of course. Football terrifies me because of the roughness and potential for long-term injuries like concussions. Would it be cruel to say no? – Cautious

Dear Cautious: I have a strong opinion here. Too many parents blindly sign their kids up for football without a moment’s thought to the high potential for irreparable injury. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that 110 out of 111 former NFL players whose brains were donated to scientific research after death had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a fancy name for brain damage. While evidence is mounting about the impact on younger players, the same study reported that 21 percent of high school players and 91 percent of college players also showed CTE.

Updated: Fri Sep 08, 2017

Potential Football Injuries and Stealing a Candy Bar for 09/08/2017