NYT article on CTE in kids who play football

[Anonymous]

Do parents still let their kids play tackle football these days? They're finding kids in their teens now with CTE:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/16/us/cte-youth-football.html

Im just trying to understand what calculus parents would ever be able to use to come to conclusion that yeah, it's ok for my kid to play a sport where they can risk permanent brain damage for the rest of their lives, even if they're only playing for a few years.

[Anonymous]

What kind of question is “do parents still allow this?”

Obviously they do. You don’t have to agree with it or allow your kids to do it, but others have different feelings.

(Mom of two girls, so no dog in this fight but I do find the judgment annoying)

[Anonymous]

Among my peers (mostly in health care) with young children, no one would encourage tackle specifically due to the risk of CTE.

But as the mom of an 8yo DS, I can definitely see how families get swept up into the sports culture. So many positives—physical activity, camaraderie. But even on the soccer field of 8 & 9 year olds, I saw a kid get a concussion when three kids collided on the field.

I’ve noticed a rising popularity in flag football, so maybe that will keep kids from feeling that the only way they can participate in football culture is with tackle. Such a huge industry built around tackle football though, that I imagine the press around CTE will do little to change things unfortunately. I was shocked that the majority of the parents interviewed in that NYT article would still have wanted their kids to play.

[Anonymous]

I can’t believe that people can still watch professional football knowing what we know now, let alone letting their children play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe that people can still watch professional football knowing what we know now, let alone letting their children play.

Well, mean it’s just like boxing and mma. If you get hit in the head too much everyone knows you’re gonna get punch drunk and turn out like Ali. The only difference is we let 6 year olds smash their brains out for sport.

[Anonymous]

I can see how it happens. Kids are into sports, start clamoring to play football with their friends, you sign them up for flag, they love it and get older and now want to play for high school (and high school games are still THE weekly fall social event, even in MoCo which isn’t particularly a hotspot of football love). Parents see the benefits (kid get physical activity, kid spending time with friends, kid engaged in something they are passionate about outside video games, games are enjoyable for parents too, parents are less risk-adverse than you). Next thing you know, you have a high school football player.

We’ve successfully steered out two sports-obsessed boys away from football but I can see how it happens and some of our kids friends play.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget, there are families that are "into" football, so it's a thing for the. I don't like football "culture" - at least for the games I've been to - I find it vulgar.

[Anonymous]

My nephew wasn't allowed to play football because of those concerns and he got a severe concussion playing soccer. In high school he switched to football because it is safer. Soccer is a dangerous sport.

[Anonymous]

Would love to read it but I don't have a NYT subscription.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My nephew wasn't allowed to play football because of those concerns and he got a severe concussion playing soccer. In high school he switched to football because it is safer. Soccer is a dangerous sport.

The stats show that tackle football is many, many multiples of injuries more dangerous than soccer. But any physical activity has risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget, there are families that are "into" football, so it's a thing for the. I don't like football "culture" - at least for the games I've been to - I find it vulgar.

Agree. I find the whole culture and obsession around football pretty appalling. I live near a school football field. The only kids that playing flag are 5-8 yr olds. They all seem to progress to tackle if they want to continue playing. Unfortunately there are even tackle football leagues for the very young under 8 boys, with similar aged cheerleading squads in full makeup. I find the whole thing weird.

[Anonymous]

What's horrifying about that article is that three of the five families indicated that if they could go back in time knowing what they know now, they would still let their sons play tackle football. Only one adamantly said no they wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do parents still let their kids play tackle football these days? They're finding kids in their teens now with CTE:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/16/us/cte-youth-football.html

Im just trying to understand what calculus parents would ever be able to use to come to conclusion that yeah, it's ok for my kid to play a sport where they can risk permanent brain damage for the rest of their lives, even if they're only playing for a few years.

No, no parents anywhere in the entire world still allow their kids to play tackle football.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can’t believe that people can still watch professional football knowing what we know now, let alone letting their children play.

I agree. Other sports have concussion risks too: rugby, soccer, etc.

Millions of people grow up watching these things. It's like a cult: people are attracted to matches because they offer opportunities to socialize and party with their friends and relatives. The feeling you get when your team wins and you celebrate with your friends can't be replaced with anything else. It's like an addiction. The commercial sports industry exploits those emotions and pays such large salaries to players that every generation, thousands of little athletes dream of making it into the big leagues, and the money, women and fan adulation that comes with it. The small matter of later-life dementia and misery does not weigh in the balance.

- European who grew up around die-hard soccer fans. The crazy is real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do parents still let their kids play tackle football these days? They're finding kids in their teens now with CTE:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/16/us/cte-youth-football.html

Im just trying to understand what calculus parents would ever be able to use to come to conclusion that yeah, it's ok for my kid to play a sport where they can risk permanent brain damage for the rest of their lives, even if they're only playing for a few years.

No, no parents anywhere in the entire world still allow their kids to play tackle football.

Right? What does OP think was going on every Friday night at high schools across the country for the last few months?