Malcolm Gladwell currently has a piece in the New Yorker titled Offensive Play – How Different are Dogfighting and Football? It’s an excellent, yet disturbing article about football and brain injuries. One that has me questioning my future parental decisions.

I’m a football player.  No, I don’t currently play, but I did through high school and college.  I coached 14-16 year olds. And like many of you, I am a huge fan of the sport at all levels.

My six-year-old son is also a fan.  We spend Saturdays watching Penn State and Sundays cheering the Eagles.  Before reading this article, I had big dreams of watching him play for a 96-year-old Joe Paterno.

Gladwell describes several studies looking at the brains of football players, mostly linemen and linebackers.  In these studies, researchers found that the brains of football players looked a lot like the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.  They also frequently shared similar symptoms. Memory loss. Dimentia. Loss of cognition.  And this was not just of NFL players, but also of college players.

So what impact does this have on my kid’s football future?  What kind of father would I be if I allowed my son to take on this type of risk?

I have a few years to consider this and look further into the subject.  But for now, he can continue with t-ball and soccer.

Popular Posts:

• Do Your Daughters Work The Corner on Halloween?
• Football and Brain Injuries – Do I Let My Kid Play?
• How Instant Coffee Will Change Your Life
• Last Minute Halloween Costume Alterations
• Your Kid Wants a Giant T-Rex In His Room

No related posts.