Many are opting out. Participation in youth tackle football has been declining for years. But especially in communities of color, tackle football’s lure remains strong and the balance tips toward opportunity, a four-month investigation by The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism and the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland has found.
[…]
Last year, the Boston University CTE Center released a study that said the developing brains of children are at risk for damage from repeated impacts to the head and brain that have been associated with impulsive behaviors and cognitive problems.
The study notes that children who start playing tackle football at an early age or participate in the sport for more than 11 years run an increased risk of such impairment.
I coach junior rugby in NZ.
The first thing we teach is the correct way to tackle so you protect your head, followed closely by how you protect their neck. Also now have a standing rule that if a kid goes down holding their head, they are off, and I have called games early if we feel it isn’t safe to continue with the number and technique being displayed.
We also don’t have pads - and a different definition of a tackle.
Kids get hurt playing everything, and we can’t just stop them having fun because we are worried. Put kids in a trampoline and they will be tackling eachother in minutes. Teach them safety, minimize the risks, let them throw themselves around.
Yeah, ironically the unbelievable 92% of players who have brain injuries are partially a result of the protective gear.