Why Is It Important To Participate In High School Football?

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Football is a tradition woven into American communities, celebrated for its fun events and competitive spirit. Yet, beneath the roar of the crowds, there is a sobering reality: the threat of injuries, particularly those to the head. While the sport's cultural significance cannot be downplayed, the evidence of its harmful impact on young athletes' health calls for a reassessment of its place in high school athletics. Football is important to communities across America, but ultimately the sport yields far too many dangerous injuries, specifically to the head, that hinder many students' futures and threaten proper brain development. To start, American Football contains far too many dangerous and even life-threatening injuries. Despite protective helmets, high school players often find themselves …show more content…
To account for the potential long-term consequences of concussions and prioritize student safety, we must reevaluate the continuation of high school football and consider alternative, less risky athletic options for students. In addition to this, “Participation in American football also carries the risk of injuries besides concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, including catastrophic injuries—those that result in death or permanent neurological damage” (O’Brien 9). This indicates the potential harm and the significant risks that high school football players face during their involvement in football are far more life threatening than they may initially seem. Given the gravity of catastrophic injuries and their potential long-term consequences, everyone must reassess the viability of high school football as a safe and practical athletic pursuit for young athletes. Though it may seem severe, banning the sport is the most feasible option. Additionally, these injuries are a threat to the development of students and their