Should kids be allowed to play football?

With recent CTE studies, people have been focusing on the negative aspects of playing football. However, playing football teaches skills like blocking, catch, and throwing. More importantly, it teaches life lessons.

Kids learn discipline, hard work, and teamwork when they play football. For a lot of children, football is the carrot on the stick that gives them an incentive to do well in school or behave. If the game was taken away from them, a lot of kids would be getting into trouble. Football gives children an activity to keep them occupied. Football should always be available to kids of all ages.

People act like youth football has been sitting on their hands since the studies about concussions have come out. Organizations have actually adjusted curriculums and exercises to make the game safer for kids.

Heads Up Football, run by USA Football, was created to teach youths how to properly tackle—so kids can protect their heads from injuries. USA Football also adjusted games to reduce the risk of getting hurt by eliminating kickoffs and punts, having fewer players on the field, etc. With organizations making efforts to improve the game, parents should rest easy knowing their kids are safe.