Football dominates American culture. Many people from all across the nation support their teams religiously, even those who have never played the sport a day in their life (a.k.a. me!). The Monday night football song reverberates throughout American homes weekly, die-hard fans decked out in jerseys of their favorite players with footballs in hand. Even in my own home, the Super Bowl has been a tremendous celebration since before I can remember. Super Bowl Sunday is sure to be a night filled with mini hot dogs, sliders, chicken wings, and, of course, angry shouting and cheering in front of my basement television with close friends and family. Yet, despite football’s evident popularity throughout the nation, critics are debating whether the high contact sport is too dangerous to the well-being of the players.
Concussions are formally defined as “traumatic brain injuries that alter the way the brain functions.” Symptoms of concussions include imbalance, headache, confusion, memory loss, vision or hearing impairment, and more. Frequent concussions, in a more drastic sense, can lead to many dangerous and sometimes fatal conditions, including depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). According to a recent study conducted by the National Center for Injury Prevention, 47% of high school players are diagnosed with a concussion each season, with 35% of those players suffering from multiple within just one season. The bottom line is this: people across the nation are increasingly associating football with concussions, which will definitely impact the game at some point in the future.
Only a month ago, something very drastic and almost unheard of transpired in the small town of Caro, Michigan. A high school football coach presented a proposal to the board of education pleading to cancel the remainder of the football season due to an unusually high amount of concussions. He argued, “These kids have long lives ahead of them, and we need to keep the brains in their heads intact.” In support of this ban includes many worried mothers, guardians, and doctors who fear the long-term impact that head injuries acquired from football could potentially have on a child’s future. The worries are understandable; hundreds of retired football players face irreversible difficulties with their lives as a result of years of concussions.
On the other side of the debate, millions of football players and fans assert their passion for the game. Ben Schumacher ’17, a defensive lineman on Bucknell University’s football team sums up this sentiment well. “But when we go out with our pads and are spending hours hitting each other, we as players understand the risk that we are running. We enjoy playing the game and winning with our team enough to overcome the risks that come with a high impact sport.” As Schumacher points out, players are aware of the risk, but continue to play on their own terms due to the positive impact that the sport has on their lives. It is no argument that football has tremendous influences on lives of Americans throughout the world given its popularity; it gives fans a sense of belonging and a sense of community; it gives players a sense of discipline and of family. It teaches young kids the power of sportsmanship. For those not familiar with the sport, it is important to point out that banning high school football would have irreversible effects on the entire sport; college football players would not be recruited, which eventually means that somewhere down the line, the NFL (National Football League) would cease to exist.
What is the solution to this problem, then? One anonymous educated football fan explains, “There may never be a solution to totally eliminate concussions and injuries in football. Over the last 20 years football has seen an increase in size, strength and speed amongst its players. The players are so much bigger and faster that the collisions they have throughout the course of a game cannot be fully protected from even the safest and modern helmets and equipment.” Clearly, a solution is not clear or even possible in eliminating concussions completely. However, I believe one step that can be made is raising awareness about concussions and the impact they can potentially have on an individual’s future. In recent years, several former NFL players have sued the NFL because of their lack of awareness and expression of the deathly risks about concussions. As a result, many organizations, including the NFL, have taken measures towards raising awareness about concussions and how to properly care for your brain. I do not believe that completely banning the sport in schools is the right way to handle the situation, simply because it would take away such a crucial component of many people’s lives.
Any sports fanatic or athlete knows that a sport is about more than just a game. It is about the skills gained, the relationships formed, the teamwork required, and the overall passion it gives to one who is lucky enough to experience it. Yes, there may be some risks involved in such a high contact sport, but sometimes in life we must take risks in order to yield the most success and happiness.
So, what do you think the future would look like if football didn’t exist? Schumaker believes that the benefits of football outweigh the risks of concussions. “Football is something that kids grow up playing and live to do. It has been a larger influence on my life than almost anything besides my own family. It teaches so many good things about life and relationships that are usually unattainable by the regular person… Really, when you take away high school football, you’re taking away apart of someone’s life that has been so good to them for so many years.”
Sources:http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/ban-college-football-breaking-down-a-debate/?_r=0http://www.huffingtonpost.com/journey-bailey/high-school-football-concussions_b_6289572.htmlhttp://cognoscenti.wbur.org/2014/10/15/ban-high-school-football-steve-almondhttp://www.cnn.com/2013/08/30/us/nfl-concussions-fast-facts/