Tackle football is not for children

hey know the risks.” That’s the argument trotted out in discussion about the dangers of playing football and the game’s linkage to brain damage. Players, this line of thinking goes, are willing to accept the risks in return for the game’s benefits. That reasoning flies out the window when it comes to children. Children aren’t allowed to accept the risks of smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, so it defies logic to let them accept the dangers that football may present to their developing brains.

A long-term study by Boston University researchers found that those who started playing contact football before the age of 12 suffered more behavioral, cognitive and emotional problems than those who started after. Repetitive head impacts may double the chances of developing behavioral problems and triple the risk of experiencing depression.

The study made no recommendations for youth tackle football, citing the need for further study. But a researcher said he didn’t think kids should be playing tackle.

Apparently, he is not alone. Participation in youth tackle football has fallen off, and, as The New York Times reported, schools across the country have ended programs “because of safety concerns,” with parents switching their children to other sports.

Yes, there is some risk in most sports, but the emerging evidence seems to put tackle football in a category of its own.