I have thought for some time that the private schools in the area with high academic goals ought to move to 8 man football, which is less about brute force and more about tactics, quickness and can be a lot of fun (and more safe fun). The state of Nebraska has a ton of 8 man teams, because farming communities could not field 11 man teams. yet, the University of Nebraska, which until lately had been a strong program, recruited heavily from the state's 8 man squads.

Some schools have figured out how to do it more safely than others.

All around the country, except in maybe Texas, there is a year over year decline in participation in HS football. It is very obvious in PeeWee football and is building such that HS participation rates are down with some schools dropping their programs. The declines are modest year over year but in ten years it will look very different. Many moms do not want their boys to play regardless of what their husbands say. Football is an incredibly exciting game but can the excitement be maintained along with eliminating brain injuries? A few concussions in HS can have a lifetime effect.

Anonymous wrote:Guys, the thing with CTE that is unique to football is not the concussions. You do not need a concussion to experience brain trauma. It's it's the drills and the concussive movement of the brain around the skull. A concussion is just a small part of the overall problem.

I just think it's very important that people are informed and knowledgeable so that you don't catch yourself making false comparisons to soccer and cheerleading.

dementia and Alzheimer's are also one small part of the problem. If you look at the depression, suicide, and aggression rates among many football players you will see they are rather out of the norm.

it's just good to ask ourselves if it's a game that is worth putting our children and future adults through TBI and CTE.

Yes, this. I think boxing is similar. I’m not saying to ban it, but I definitely feel creepy watching or supporting it. I feel the same way about boxing. It feels. Dry exploitative, watching people harm themselves and others as entertainment. Yuck.

Anonymous wrote:Guys, the thing with CTE that is unique to football is not the concussions. You do not need a concussion to experience brain trauma. It's it's the drills and the concussive movement of the brain around the skull. A concussion is just a small part of the overall problem.

I just think it's very important that people are informed and knowledgeable so that you don't catch yourself making false comparisons to soccer and cheerleading.

dementia and Alzheimer's are also one small part of the problem. If you look at the depression, suicide, and aggression rates among many football players you will see they are rather out of the norm.

it's just good to ask ourselves if it's a game that is worth putting our children and future adults through TBI and CTE.

If you don't want your kid playing, then don't let them play. Please don't impose your values or fears on others.

Guys, the thing with CTE that is unique to football is not the concussions. You do not need a concussion to experience brain trauma. It's it's the drills and the concussive movement of the brain around the skull. A concussion is just a small part of the overall problem.

I just think it's very important that people are informed and knowledgeable so that you don't catch yourself making false comparisons to soccer and cheerleading.

dementia and Alzheimer's are also one small part of the problem. If you look at the depression, suicide, and aggression rates among many football players you will see they are rather out of the norm.

it's just good to ask ourselves if it's a game that is worth putting our children and future adults through TBI and CTE.

Anonymous wrote:Yes I absolutely think it’s time, because of the indisputable evidence of CTE in every brain they have studied in college and pro players. But it won’t happen because people love money more than they care about saving lives. It’s as if we as society made millions every year from smoking, so we just kept on celebrating it. I will not go to football games at any level. If you doubt me, go watch the documentary Concussion.

Concussion starring Will Smith? Not a documentary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my kids game last weekend, they had to call an ambulance, for the soccer game taking place on the field next door.

Soccer players especially girls are also very trauma prone

Yes WJLA just featured a segment on this

https://wjla.com/features/7-on-your-side/girls-soccer-concussions

I’ve seen a couple of threads thr last few months from posters whose daughters receivedmultiple concussions playing soccer

Anonymous wrote:At my kids game last weekend, they had to call an ambulance, for the soccer game taking place on the field next door.

Soccer players especially girls are also very trauma prone

At my kids game last weekend, they had to call an ambulance, for the soccer game taking place on the field next door.

Umc public schools are dropping it due to lack of kids playing

In 20 years it'll be a regional sport

Anonymous wrote:If letting kids play football is irresponsible parenting, then so is letting them play other sports:

https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Sports-related-Head-Injury

And don't forget to start a campaign against Bike to School Day!

Additional reading:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/536604/

If letting kids play football is irresponsible parenting, then so is letting them play other sports:

https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Sports-related-Head-Injury

And don't forget to start a campaign against Bike to School Day!

Anonymous wrote:Yes I absolutely think it’s time, because of the indisputable evidence of CTE in every brain they have studied in college and pro players. But it won’t happen because people love money more than they care about saving lives. It’s as if we as society made millions every year from smoking, so we just kept on celebrating it. I will not go to football games at any level. If you doubt me, go watch the documentary Concussion.

You mean the evidence of the pro players who previously evidenced significant symptoms and died with the disease? I don't think there have been any similar studies (autopsies) of college players or of pro players who died but that did not exhibit very significant signs of dementia.

There are millions of people who have played high school football in the US and a huge number of people who suffer from Dementia / Alzheimers. It doesn't seem it would be that hard to find out is there's a correlation between the two. I have read there is some correlation between the disease and military service. No one seems to know why these two things correlate.

But because no one has bothered to study this or to publish results, I'm thinking that they cannot find a correlation between the two. Correlation doesn't automatically prove causation. But in this case, it would be pretty convincing evidence. But apparently there is no evidence.

And watching one-side documentaries is probably not the best place to be educated. Especially for the already safety-obsessed among us.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sad story about a football player in Georgia who died after a head injury. How can parents continue to let their kids play this dangerous sport?

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/01/health/georgia-high-school-football-player-dies/index.html

+1.

It's bad parenting at this point to let your kids play football.

About 1,000,000 boys played high school football in 2017.

I can guarantee there's more than one million bad parents out there.