Tag Archives: youth
Politician Moves to Ban Tackle Football for 11-and-under
When I was a kid, it was pretty common to get a bunch of guys together, find a field and play tackle football without pads or helmet.
Those days seem like centuries ago.
States are increasing legislative control over tackle football, especially with regard to concussions and the control over the policy and procedures that govern them. And then there are some state politicians that want to ban youth tackle football altogether.
Witness New York Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, who introduced legislation in recent days to prohibit children younger than 11 from playing organized tackle football anywhere in the state.
“I want to protect the children,” Benedetto, a Democrat, told the New York Daily News on Friday. “I want them to get an appreciation of the game but I also don’t want them to come out of this wonderful sport in a damaged condition.”
John Butler, executive director of Pop Warner Football, didn’t mince words in his reaction, telling the paper that—“Frankly, it is disturbing.”
Garvin Dublin, who helps run the New York City Youth Football League, added that the dangers are being exaggerated.
“Kids at that age don’t move as fast and they don’t collide as fast,” Dublin told the paper, claiming he has only seen two serious injuries in 27 years. Furthermore, “we teach kids how to protect themselves when they are on the field,” he said.
Boston’s New Concussion Ordinance Goes Live
Earlier this week, a new City of Boston ordinance designed to limit concussions in contact sports went live.
The new rule requires that all public and private school sports teams in Boston have concussion training and management procedures before kids under 18 can participate in athletics. Specifically, coaches and administrators must receive annual head injury training.
The ordinance also applies to any independent organization looking to use city-owned facilities: (http://concussionpolicyandthelaw.com/2012/08/28/city-requires-concussion-training-for-athletes-coaches-before-it-will-lease-fields/).
Some municipalities have taken things a step further. The City of Ashland has passed a law that, starting Jan. 1, requires all parents, coaches, and athletes over 10 to receive education in how to recognize and respond to a concussion. In addition, all athletes suspected of having a concussion cannot return to play without written medical clearance.
Proposal Calls for Eliminating Bodychecking in Peewee Hockey
Responding to the hue and cry for safer youth sports, the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) has weighed in with a proposed ban on bodychecking in youth hockey in Calgary.
Specifically, the CPS wants it eliminated from the peewee leagues, where in the past it had first been introduced.
The impetus for the policy change was a result of recently compared injury research data in peewee hockey between Calgary and Montreal, where more conservative measures are imposed. Calgary’s injury level was three times higher, according to Dr. Andrew Lynk, the President-elect of the CPS.
