Matthew Versichelli
American parents have to decide every day whether or not to let their sons play tackle football. Boys are trained to play full-contact football from a very young age, with Pop Warner leagues starting as young as five years old. There are many risks associated with playing football, including death. The question is – does playing football directly cause death at the youth level? An annual survey of football injury research on football fatalities for non-National Football League (NFL) players and found an alarming number of deaths among athletes.
A direct fatality is described by Kucera et al.* as a fatality that resulted from participation in the fundamental skills of football, such as a spine fracture occurring from making a tackle. An indirect fatality, on the other hand, is due to an exertion or secondary complication associated with playing football, such as a heat stroke. Since 2000, 311 football-related fatalities have occurred among non-NFL players. On average, that translates to 17.3 deaths per year, with 24 deaths in 2001. The number of indirect fatalities shows how grueling the sport is, and the overall death count indicates that the sport is not safe for its athletes. Proponents of football argue against the study by citing a recent trend downwards in fatalities since the year 2009, however, the minimum value occurred back in 2002 (10) before returning to the average. On top of that, each of these numbers represents a child’s life, so any number greater than zero should be treated with the utmost importance. Football is not safe for non-NFL players and greater precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of its players.
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With 311 non-NFL deaths since 2000, it is difficult for parents to allow their sons to play football. 17.3 deaths per year have occurred at the non-NFL level in that time span. The number of indirect deaths shows that football is physically grueling, and its athletes must be monitored closely at all times. For years to come, parents will continue to make the difficult decision of whether or not to let their sons play tackle football. If the sport cannot limit its fatalities, parents will be forced to steer their sons away from a life of football.
*Kucera, K.L. et al. National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, 2017