I just got done reading the new issue of Rolling Stone, and “The Deadliest Game” (sorry, not available yet on their site) has me convinced that letting a kid play contact sports is just plain crazy — that is, if you value the health of their brains. I don’t care how much of your suburb’s social network is based on sports, or how much your kid enjoys them.
Especially girls. They’re a lot more susceptible than boys to concussions (weaker neck muscles) and they take twice as long to recover.
The thing I learned: Not every concussion will cause long-term damage, but there’s no way of knowing in advance. So parents are playing Russian roulette with their kids’ brains.
ITA – And especially if your son is really good at it! Pray he doesn’t want a scholarship or career in football. It’s not only the physical danger but the entire culture of the profession from college to major league – a misogynist rape culture of entitlement.
What if the concussions have something to do with the rape culture? They can cause serious impulse disorders and anger issues.