Some opting out of tackle football

This editorial was published in the Rock Hill Herald:

Just growing up entails risk. But parents and sponsors of childhood sports activities have a responsibility to seek ways to mitigate the hazards wherever possible and to decide how much risk children should be subjected to.

In York County, two communities have looked at the risk of tackle football for young children and reached different conclusions. This year, Fort Mill will offer tackle football as an option in its youth program; Tega Cay won’t.

Instead of tackle football, Tega Cay Parks & Recreation will offer flag football for ages 5-11. Fort Mill Parks & Recreation will offer tackle football for ages 7-12, and flag football for younger players.

Tega Cay Parks and Recreation Director Joey Blethen, who has played and coached football, said, in effect, he doesn’t think the reward is worth the risk.

“My love for the game was being consumed by my concern for the safety of our youth participants,” he wrote in a letter to local families.

His counterpart in Fort Mill, Brown Simpson, said the township’s tackle football program has been extremely popular, and he thinks parents are capable of deciding the level of risk they are willing to accept.

“I think they realize what they’re signing up for,” Simpson said.

He also believes that the risk of serious injury is less for young players, who don’t hit as hard as older players. He sees the youth program as an opportunity to teach youngsters the basics of the game without the hazards they might face later.

Different attitudes among residents in both communities might also play a role.

The popularity of tackle football has dropped off somewhat in Tega Cay, while it has increased in Fort Mill. Simpson thinks his program might attract some players from Tega Cay who want to play tackle football.

But concerns about injuries – especially with the high-profile focus on the danger of concussions – seem to be altering attitudes nationwide about youth football. From 2010 to 2012, Pop Warner Football – the nation’s largest youth football program – saw a 9.5 percent drop in children participating in the program, according to ESPN.

Sprains and strains, contusions, abrasions and broken bones are common in many youth sports. But football has the highest number of pediatric injuries – nearly 400,000 a year, according to the Safe Kids Worldwide survey – and the highest concussion rate – 40 per 10,000 athletes.

It should be noted, though, that sports such as basketball, wrestling and cheerleading, which aren’t considered contact sports, also have high injury rates. And another contact sport, ice hockey, also had a high concussion rate.

The concern over concussions extends even to soccer, usually regarded as a relatively safe sport. Parents are concerned with the practice of heading the ball, which can result in concussions and other head and neck injuries.

But no other team sport poses the hazards that tackle football does. The danger is virtually built into the game despite efforts to reduce the risk with better tackling and blocking techniques and better equipment.

Despite – or perhaps because of the danger – football remains the most popular sport in America. But if fewer and fewer parents are willing to encourage their kids to participate in youth football, the popularity of the sport could begin to slide.

That would be an unwelcome outcome for those who love football. But it might be a relief for those whose top concern is the health and welfare of our children.

This story was originally published June 14, 2016 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Some opting out of tackle football."