In a striking new public service announcement, parents are urged to delay enrolling their children in tackle football until the age of 14. Over recent years, tackle football has faced intense scrutiny primarily due to the alarming incidence of concussions among young players. As the troubling statistics regarding chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)—a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head injuries—come to light, more parents are reconsidering the decision to allow their kids to participate in the sport.
This week, a hard-hitting PSA from the Concussion Legacy Foundation was unveiled. The campaign draws a bold comparison between the long-term risks of playing tackle football at a young age and the dangers of smoking cigarettes.
In the brief yet impactful video, a group of children is shown playing football. After a tackle, the coach congratulates them and surprisingly distributes cigarettes to the young players. As they puff away, a child’s voiceover states, “Tackle football is like smoking. The younger I start, the longer I am exposed to danger. You wouldn’t let me smoke. When should I start tackling?” The video also depicts a cheerful mother lighting her son’s cigarette, further driving home the point.
This campaign, dubbed “Tackle Can Wait,” is spearheaded by the daughters of two former NFL players who were diagnosed with CTE posthumously. Sarah Jenkins, daughter of ex-NFL player Bob Jenkins, and Jessica Miller, whose father was college football player Mark Miller, advocate for postponing tackle football sign-ups until at least age 14 to mitigate the risk of CTE.
Recent research published in the Annals of Neurology reveals that it isn’t just the number of concussions that influences the severity of CTE; rather, the duration of time spent playing football is a critical factor. The study indicates that the risk of developing CTE increases significantly with each additional 2.6 years of play. Thus, a child who begins playing tackle football at age five faces a tenfold greater risk of CTE by high school compared to peers who wait until 14.
Why make the parallel to smoking? Chris Johnson, co-author of the study and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, argues that implementing age restrictions for tackle football, similar to those for smoking, could cut the risk of CTE in half. While 14 isn’t a definitive age, he explains that children under 12 often experience slower recovery from brain injuries. Additionally, their physical development may not be equipped to handle the impacts involved in tackle football.
Enrolling your child in contact sports may not equate to handing them a pack of cigarettes; however, this provocative PSA raises vital questions about the future of youth tackle football. Two decades ago, the potential for brain damage from football was not well understood. With the knowledge we have now, it may be time to rethink the direction of the sport at the youth level.
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In summary, this new PSA serves as a striking reminder of the potential long-term consequences of youth tackle football and encourages parents to reconsider the age at which their children should begin playing the sport.
Keyphrase: Risks of Kids Playing Football
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