New York Bill To Ban Youth Tackle Football?
I went to school at Northeast Bradford, Pa and we didn't have a football team there. From what I was told, it was because they decided to build a track instead, When I was younger, it bothered me a little because I wanted be a wide receiver.
Now that I'm older, I'm thankful that we didn't have a team. I'm probably healthier today then I might have been if I had participated in tackle football. I have some friends that tell me that they some nagging injuries from their years of playing football.
Bill To Ban Youth Tackle Football In New York
If you haven't heard, New York has been looking to get rid of tackling for kids that are younger then12 years and move toward non-contact flag-football. In fact, New York State Assembly member Michael Benedetto has been pushing this for around ten years.
He sites science as the reason for his bill, but for the longest time, he was getting pushback. However what happened this past season in the NFL may do more to bring change in youth tackle football.
We watched in disbelief when we saw Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffer two concussions in five days and watched as his hands were froze in front of his face and our eyes.
We watched in horror on Monday night, January 2nd when Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin drop suddenly to the ground after making a tackle when he suffered cardiac arrest.
That brought the conversation about player's safety back to the forefront. I'm not saying that Tagovailoa and Hamlin's problems started with youth football but it has started a discussion.
Pop Warner Football Restrictions
Pop Warner Football is for kids 5 to 12 years old and they implemented stricter restrictions beginning in 2009 but they still have tackle football. Assembly Member Benedetto's bill wants to protect the kids from the possibility of long-term brain damage that will affect them past their playing days.
I want to be fair here, earlier I mentioned that some of my friends have nagging injuries from their football playing days. I have bad ankles from my basketball playing days and I'm not looking to change that sport and I wouldn't have traded that experience for anything.
So has your mind changed about letting your child play tackle football?