High School Football Deaths, Youth Participation Declines, and High Schools Closing Programs Are Cause for Concern

Three teenagers have died playing high school football so far this season due to injuries suffered on the field. A few high schools have completely scrapped their football programs for a variety of reasons, one of which is the fear of injuries.

When does this drip turn into a drizzle? From the New York Times:

Despite the popularity of college and professional football, the number of male high school football players has fallen to about 1.08 million this year, a 2.4 percent decline from five years ago.

Pop Warner, the largest youth football organization, has seen larger decreases. It has also been sued by a parent of a player who committed suicide at 25 and was found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease linked to repeated head hits.

The only people who don’t see the trend in its embryonic stages are those with their head in the sand … like the media in the late 90s during the Sosa/McGwire home run madness.

If football doesn’t huddle up and make some changes to make the sport safer – and they’ve already started the process, but not nearly enough is being done – it’s anyone’s guess what football will look like in 2045.

This much is true: Football now will not be the same our kids and grandkids are watching in 30 years.

Related: Chris Borland Retirement Decision is a Game-Changer: What Will the NFL Look Like in 30 Years?

from The Big Lead http://ift.tt/1Rekw9r