Football is the most popular sport in the United States, with many children participating in tackle football at a young age. While tackle football can help develop skills like teamwork and decision-making, it can also have negative effects on growth and development, particularly in elementary schoolers. Research indicates that playing football for more than 11 years causes less white matter in the brain, potentially leading to issues like poor impulse control and cognitive problems.
Studies have shown that youth tackle football athletes sustain significantly more head impacts compared to those in flag football programs. For instance, youth tackle football athletes aged 6 to 14 experienced 15 times more head impacts than their flag football counterparts. Additionally, a study found that 5% of youth football players aged 6 to 14 sustain a football-related concussion each season, highlighting the risks associated with the sport.
Coach Drew Ferrer is the athletic director at Lambert High School. He has also been a football and baseball coach at South Forsyth High School and believes that tackle football can be played by elementary schoolers as long as some precautions are taken.
“Usually football players deal with concussions, but with the younger ones it’s usually bumps or bruises because they typically don’t hit hard enough,” Coach Ferrer stated.
Coach Ferrer discusses Sharon Forks Park’s tackle football team, which includes kids from kindergarten to sixth grade. He states that the only restriction is that those over a certain weight limit cannot play certain positions. He also emphasizes that he did not let his own kid play tackle football until middle school and that there are other alternatives to tackle football, such as touch or flag football, which require less physical contact.
On the other hand, junior Dylan Biehl is a varsity football player at Lambert High School who believes that younger students should be able to play tackle football.
“I think that football builds your character and teaches you lots of valuable life lessons that cause you to be a better person later in life,” Biehl stated.
Biel started playing tackle in fourth grade where he was given the best protective equipment such as shoulder pads and a helmet to avoid any major injuries. He believes football also allows younger children to find a club or team where they can make friends and build a support system.
Although playing football comes with significant health risks, the character development that one builds while playing the sport is far more valuable than the potential bumps or bruises. Regardless of the potential risk, football will continue to be one of the most popular sports in America, even for younger kids
