This is one of the toughest questions parents encounter when their teenage son wants to play football. As a parent, you need to balance your desire to let your son do what loves, but also to make sure he will be safe. With so much news about the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury in the NFL, you will be reasonably hesitant to let your son put on his helmet and run on the field. As a teenager myself, and based on my review of the literature – which I have summarized in my recently published book: A Brain That Heals, I would not let my son play football. Period.
Statistically, there are around one million high school boys who play for their high school football team. Many of them believe that as a football player they would be more popular with their teenage girls in their school and also get a lot more attention from their teachers and school administrators. Though some of them focus on the athletic aspect of this rough sport or wish to pursue a career in the NFL, most of them love the glamor of wearing their football jersey to school on game day. These boys do not take seriously how repetitive tackles and jolting of their head injures their brains. They may or may not know that wearing a helmet does not protect their brain against concussion. After all it is the jolting of the brain inside the skull that causes traumatic brain injury – and this TBI happens whether or not a player wears a helmet.
Many young boys do experience jolting of their head and later experience concussion symptoms. But their love of the game, and all the attention they receive, makes them ignore these symptoms and return to the game the following day.
Most concussion symptoms are invisible – which makes it hard for trainers or parents to decide if the athlete is safe to return to the field. These include headaches, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and noise, fatigue, dizziness, balance problems, blurry vision, difficulty sleeping, and irritability.
Concussion symptoms may slow a player’s ability to respond quickly when they are running, catching the ball, or crashing into another player. This reduction in response time, even if it is only a few milliseconds, puts the player at risk for further concussions. This becomes a serious issue when the player continues to participate in football games for the whole season. Ignoring the fact that their brain needs full recovery and rest leads to more and more concussions.
A recent article in Journal of Medical Association (JAMA) confirms these common observations. Their study showed that young youth football players are most likely to return to the field less than 24 hours after a concussion. For this exact reason, high school boys should not be allowed to play American football – unless the rules of the game changes so that risk of concussions are minimized.
Beyond short-term consequences of concussions, such as poor performance at school, getting into fights with friends or family members, and making poor decisions, there are also many long term consequences. Known as post-concussive syndrome, some players may have persistent concussion symptoms for months or even years. Some have daily headaches which do not improve with the usual pain medications, they have depression that does not get better with routine treatments, and they may have difficulty understanding what they read. Other post-concussions symptoms include memory problems, trouble concentrating, sensitivity to light and noise, and sleeping too much or not enough. These invisible symptoms of concussion can hinder a teenager’s chances of success in high school, college, or life. This is why it is vital to rest properly after a concussion, as improper recovery can lead to long-term brain damage.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention specifically mentions that, “Most children with a concussion feel better within a couple of weeks. However, for some, symptoms will last for a month or longer.” It is almost impossible that a passionate football player will follow proper concussion recovery and take this time off.
Knowing all these facts, I would never let my son (or daughter) play American football (or other contact sports such as hockey or boxing). Their brain is precious and for as long as they value my opinion and listen to my advice, I would encourage them to stick to soccer, tennis, basketball, swimming, or so many other sports where the risk of a concussion is a lot lower.
I am a rising senior at Langley High school with a passion for neurology and concussion. In seventh grade, I started my non-profit organization called Concussion Superstars dedicated to educating children about how they can prevent concussions in different sports and how they can recover. I also recently published my book, The Brain that Recovers, that explains how the brain works, what happens during a concussion, and how to prevent/recover from a Traumatic Brain Injury.