What Black Mothers Need to Know About the Dangers of Youth Football

Because Businesswomen Are Mothers Too!

As a mother, you want your child to be well-rounded and active. One of the ways you may choose to instill greatness in your child is by enrolling them in sports, teaching them how to become a leader, and how to get along with others.

Baseball, basketball, and football may be among the top sports that interest your child, with football being their top choice. Your child may have a passion for playing football for different reasons, such as having a relative that plays football or having a dream of becoming the first NFL star in the family.

Playing football may seem like a great way to engage your child in an activity outside of your home, but is it worth the potential negative impact on your child’s health?

Short-Term Damage

Common short-term damages that accompany playing youth football include:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Memory loss
• Nausea
• Vomiting

More serious short-term damage includes:

• Delayed response to questions
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Loss of balance
• Changes in eating and sleeping patterns
• A temporary loss of consciousness

According to WBUR, a Boston, Massachusetts-based radio station, and member of National Public Radio (NPR), children who play youth football can sustain brain damage even if they do not get a concussion.

A study conducted by the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center reveals children who engage in football previous to age twelve have an increased risk of neurological damage, which affects their mood, behavior, and their ability to organize and plan things—even later in life. 

Long-Term Damage

The long-term damages could include any of the following:

• Depression and a variety of other psychological problems
• Difficulty concentrating
• Irritability
• Personality changes
• Severe memory loss
• Disorders that cause a loss of smell and taste
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) 

CTE is a disorder that is caused by repeated head trauma such as concussions. This disorder is often found in individuals who participate in contact sports, including football and boxing.

There are no specific signs and symptoms that pertain to this disorder specifically, but possible symptoms include:

• Apathy
• Impulsive behavior
• Suicidal thoughts or behavior
• Cognitive impairment

It is important to keep in mind that players can experience these problems even without a concussion.

What Precautions Are Being Taken?

Coaches are taking a more active role in helping prevent concussions and other serious injuries of young football players by teaching them the correct way to tackle and avoid taking direct hits to the head.

Full-speed tackling and head-on blocking drills are now limited. For these drills, players must line up at least four yards apart. Parents and coaches are enforcing strict new rules for fair play, good sportsmanship to all players on the field, and overall safety for all players.

There is a free online resource called Heads Up that is available online for coaches and parents to help further educate you on concussions to help keep athletes of all ages safe.

These dangers of playing youth football, whether short-term or long term have a lasting effect on your children. As a Black mother, you want to be able to support your children in their worthwhile interests, but it’s also important that you help to keep them safe.

Just be sure that if your child decides they want to play football that you take the necessary precautions to lessen the chance of injury.

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Did you enjoy this parenting article? Check out this other parenting article on cultivating self-esteem in Black girls!