For generations, football has served as a vital entertainment source and a tangible representation of stereotypical masculine attributes, a platform to demonstrate physical toughness and mental acuteness. In recent years, however, football has received flak for its link to head trauma, specifically Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is a degenerative brain disease associated with memory loss, impulsive behavior, depression and dementia. Football’s legitimacy continues to come into question as education about these side effects increases.
In order to ensure the continued success of the sport, it is pertinent to protect future players and therefore discourage youth football. Shorter playing careers could be beneficial in reducing lasting brain damage and could also change American cultural attitudes in regard to male stereotypes.
Antwaan Randle El, a former wide receiver standout and Super Bowl champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers, recently said he regrets playing football for a career because of the lasting consequences. At age 36 he is experiencing significant memory loss and often has to walk down the stairs sideways, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “If I could go back, I wouldn’t [play football],” Randle El said. He was drafted into the MLB while in high school, but instead pursued college football and a degree. A notable NFL player essentially denouncing his career addresses the harsh reality of the sport and puts the needed pressure on parents to reconsider allowing their child to play.
“I tell parents, you can have the right helmet, the perfect pads on, and still end up with a paraplegic kid,” Randle El said.
By limiting the number of encounters with intensive collisions, players can potentially live healthier lives post-participation. Playing football at young ages and then continuing through high school, maybe even college and the NFL, means that the blows to the head are compounded, raising the probability of lasting brain damage, considering that CTE develops from repeated head trauma. If careers began in high school, the compounded trauma would be lessened. To have a child undergo repeated head-to-head contact while his or her brain is rapidly developing is illogical.
A possible explanation for why children want to play such a dangerous game at a young age is the culture. In America, a football player is glorified for his toughness, which has long stood as a stereotypical masculine trait. The sport therefore offers children of virtually all ages a chance to adopt the trait and win respect from their peers. Though, if there is less emphasis to participate in football at young ages, then it is possible that the culture would experience slight changes in response and the desire to participate at youth levels would be eliminated.
If one generation of parents factor in the risk-reward ration of allowing their child to play football, significant positive changes will affect the sports’ culture.
Like many parents who grew up with football central in their lives from an early age, Randle El acknowledged that “It’s a tough pill to swallow because I love the game of football,” but in the end “it’s a physically violent game” and change needs to be embraced.
Revising the standard introduction to the sport can certainly be difficult, but it is crucial when factoring in health risks. A career in football can leave players with debilitating brain injuries, as proven by new scientific inquiries and the testimonial of Randle El. Now is the perfect time to slowly loosen the grasp that the sport has on our hearts. Protecting children should be at the forefront of every parent’s mind and despite the reality that football has been important to our culture, acknowledging the negative consequences it holds can make future generations safer.
Michael Agnello is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at [email protected].
