Persuasive Essay: Should Kids Play Football

​Another reason, and perhaps the most pertinent, as to why youth tackle football should be banned is because it puts young kids at risk for a plethora of injuries – some of which have the potential to affect them for the rest of their lives. As stated earlier in this paper, a total of 1.23 million youth ages 6-12 played tackle football in 2015 (Farrey, 2016). In 2007, more than 920,000 athletes under the age of 18 were treated in emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, and clinics for football-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Levine, Owens, 2016). Ten years later, that number has since doubled and continues to slowly increase. Some of the most common injuries seen in youth football include traumatic knee injuries such as ACL/PCL tears and damage to the cartilage of the knee, shoulder injuries such as damage to the cartilage surrounding the socket of the shoulder, concussions, back pain from overuse, and heat stroke, and complications related to dehydration (Levine, Owens, 2016). Many youth football players also must deal with broken bones and torn ligaments (Levine, Owens, 2016). With the amount of injuries these young athletes are at risk of getting, it’s amazing that parents even let their children play football at all (Levine, Owens, 2016). Although

America’s baseball diamonds, soccer fields, hockey rinks, and basketball courts have never been so busy with children. The number of kids involved in an organized sport is not what is so groundbreaking. It’s the way in which children are playing or how their parents are arranging for them to play that may be cause for concern (Ferguson). Much controversy surrounds youth sports with the biggest disagreements coming over parental involvement and the intensity of play. Although there are many benefits for team participation, there is a growing fear that the negatives are starting to outweigh the positives.

Football is a sport known for the excitement it brings to the audience and to the players. This sport is being played around the country professionally, and throughout colleges and high schools. With all the tackling, screaming, touchdowns, and energy football produces, people either love the sport or find it to be too dangerous. Many people who believe football to be a dangerous sport especially fears the danger it puts high school students in. The concern of young lives being at stake just to be a part of a sport makes numerous people question football in high schools. What those people don’t realize though, is that football in high schools is an amazing opportunity for young men (and in some cases young women) to prepare for life and the trials it comes with. Playing football in high school will teach young men to learn to have a great work ethic, make quick decisions to better not only themselves but the others around them, and give them a chance to get athletic scholarships for colleges.

For decades, American Football has captivated this nation as one of the prime sources of entertainment. With the culmination point, the Super Bowl, attracting more viewership than any other televised event in the country, the sport has seen a tremendous growth since its origination in 1920. In an era of economic struggle, job shortage, and high-cost of living, those with above average physical abilities can find the lure of professional football to be extremely attractive. With the wealth and fame attached to a professional career, many of our youths share the common dream of achieving football star status. In order to attempt this lofty goal, many kids enroll in this contact sport at an early age, often times with the support of their parents.

Kids now in society have become accustomed to technology and not enough of physical activity. Exercise is essential for our health . Everyone needs exercise and football gives a kid a fun way to do so. If a player takes the sport serious enough, they will benefit by building flexibility, endurance, muscle and bone strength.

People have been playing a game that most call “tackle football” for decades, but they have also been asking one question: “Should children be allowed to play?” Young children should not be allowed to play tackle football in order to keep them safe and guarantee a healthy future. Football is a very dangerous sport and young people can not only get their brain permanently damaged, but they can also get CTE, or stunt their brain development.

Let's be honest, Most sports or all sports are dangerous, there is no doubt about it, But we've got to be honest Football is probably one of the or Is the most dangerous sport in the world. Yes, I know there can other people saying, No! The hardest, toughest sport is hockey or golf. There is no doubt in my mind, that you can't tell me and say, Football isn't a dangerous sport? You're Just being a wimp or whatever. Being 100% Truthful football has killed athletes or just permanently damaged their bodies or just messed them up mentally. Do I hate football? No, I think the sport can be so entertaining to watch, you get so into you don't really think about the players, you forget that they can hurt. If you're a hardcore sports fan, your reaction will probably be like, "Get up, He didn't hurt you too bad, Just walk it off." Sometimes those people aren't wrong, sometimes in other sports, they get tapped on the shoulder and then they fall on the ground crying like they can't even go with the game, but next 3 minutes, they are perfectly fine, without any care, they just get up like nothing ever happened. Maybe they are forced to do that, but that's another conversation.

American football is no doubt one of the most popular sports in the United States. It’s very commonly played in schools and colleges, but what most people don’t realize is how dangerous it actually is, especially when played by younger people. Common injuries such as concussions, are harder to recover from for younger people, and some may even lead to dangerous diseases. Although there are ways to make the sport safer, there is no way to make this sport 100% safe without completely changing the game. Football is unsafe for teenagers and children to play because common injuries that are gained during the game can affect them a lot worse, and certain injuries lead to dangerous diseases; the game also can’t be made any safer, even though some argue that with proper training and better equipment it can.

“An estimated 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur each year in the United States, and many are related to football” (Fedor, Gunstad). The concussion problem has been sweeping through the nation in the lives of young football players. Players that may be too young to even be coming into harsh contact with each other. The thought of twelve-year old’s dealing pain and hurt to one another in a sport is insane. A poll was taken on if adults would allow their child to play tackle football, and with a huge margin of 92.6% believing that their child should be playing is hard to think about (Fedor, Gunstad). This essay is definitely going to prove a point to many that children playing tackle football should be banned across the nation through statistics, examples, and proven theories.

Football, to many, is America’s past time. It is the most popular sport in the United States and is played all over the world. American football has originated from the sports soccer and rugby. The first official football game was played on November 6, 1869, which was played between Princeton and the Rutgers. Football to this day is seen as one of the best sports, but many people do not realize that football can cause severe damage to a player. Approximately thirty-six million kids play youth football every year. Many of the thirty six million children have endured injuries ranging from minor scratches to severe head damage. Football is not as magnificent as people perceive it to be. Youth football has become too

By participating in football people can learn sportsmanship, hard work, discipline, and teamwork. Considering the many lessons it teaches, teamwork and discipline play the main role. With teamwork, players/children are learning how to trust their teammates the more experience they have with each other. As for discipline, it teaches kids to work hard and set good goals which can be helpful for them in the future as opposed to not playing, and being a step behind. NFL expert Jobe Lewis says that “football requires a pretty unique brand of teamwork and requires the player to discipline himself and to work hard” (Lewis 1).

Dating back to 1892, a new threshold in American sports history was achieved. The Allegheny Athletic Association had defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. More importantly, William Heffelfinger was paid $500 to participate on the AAA team, thus birthing Professional Football. As the years passed, American Football has seen an exponential progression, including the introduction of children’s football associations. While there is a numerous group of parents who have no problem with their child being involved in football, recent revelations would begin to grow concern in some. It is because of this we must ask, should parents disallow their children from participating in football, or should they focus on the more positive benefits that the organized sport could have?

Football is America’s most popular sport; however, recently controversy has been arising pertaining to the injuries and violence connected to football. Within the last five years the topic of allowing youth to play football has blown up. Though the injuries vary dramatically, what has really been the key subject is head related injuries, typically concussions. Parents around the country are debating whether or not their children should play the sport, specifically contact football. Although football and most sports in general have injury related risks attached with it, there are still arguments why kids around the country should be able to enjoy one of the most liked sports. Reasons such as building teamwork, physical activity and free will can lead to why many believe that there should not be a dispute regarding football.

Students learn about the importance of sports and how it has a positive effect in their lives. Sports also help teach children about teamwork and sportsmanship and how it will help them in the future. Although some people might argue that sports are making children stressed out and distracting them from learning, it actually helps raise their grades and help them become more focused. Paying high school sports not only allows students to handle pressure, but to also gain leadership

Millions of American children and teenagers are overweight. Over past three decades the incidence of obesity in children has tripled. Abundance of time spent in front of screens and limited access to recess, physical education, and afterschool programs. Sports can help promote physical fitness, health, and even nutrition among our children. Children who are obese often experience a diminished quality of life, learning difficulties, decreased self-confidence, and social discrimination. Participating in competitive youth sports burns calories, controls weight, reduces fat, prevent or delays the development of high blood pressure and helps to prevent adult obesity. Children who are active in sports are motivated to eat healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Youth sports have been shown to break the vicious cycle of inactivity and unhealthy lifestyles by improving caloric expenditure, increasing time spent away from entertainment media, and minimizing unnecessary snacking.