Should children be allowed to play American Football?

Dangerous Sport' and 'Children and Dangerous Sport and Recreation'. While Russell does not argue that kids should be permitted to play football, and agrees that some sports may be too risky for children, he argues that kids should often be allowed to participate in extraordinarily risky sports. read more

We should at least wait for our children to grow up, be provided with the information and education on the risk of play, and let them make their own decisions. No adult, not a parent or a coach, should be allowed to make this potentially life-altering decision for a child. read more

Omalu contends that children under 18 should not be allowed to risk their future by playing football. "Our children are minors who have not reached the age of consent," he says. A growing number of athletes now agree, including the hard-nosed former NFL tight end and coach Mike Ditka, who says that if he had a young son, he wouldn't let him play football. read more

“Head injury is an obvious risk of kids playing football,” she says. Between 2001 and 2009, the most recent years of CDC data, football sent about 25,376 kids under age 19 to the emergency room for traumatic brain injury each year, which was second only to bicycling. read more