U.S. needs to prevent football-related violence, deaths
Autumn is known for many things, including the arrival of football season.
The USD football team is already proving its skills through a streak of recent wins, and the support for all football games – whether it’s watching NFL teams or local high school teams play – is widespread nationwide.
One problem that accompanies the American love for this aggressive sport is its negative health side-effects.
Throughout the season, the news has been brimming with accounts of football-related injuries and, too frequently, deaths. To prevent further cases of football-related injury death, the U.S. needs to take preventive action at all levels.
Injuries and deaths in football stem from multiple sources.
Since football is such an aggressive tackle sport, especially in younger age groups, the question arises of whether to stop funding high school programs of the sport altogether or not.
Instead, administrators need to place funding for athletics toward a better quality education for students. Those who still want to play football can form private leagues and still compete.
When only a miniscule fraction of players are making a career out of the sport, the emphasis placed on football in middle and high school is appalling. When football is taken out of the equation in public education, we can then begin to focus on improving the sport at the collegiate and professional levels.
Players of all ages suffer from the consequences of football. Studies show that the long-term effects of playing football, especially for many years, are anything but positive.
The sport is hard on both the body and mind, and these injuries endure for the rest of players’ lives. Untreated injuries lead to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, memory loss, depression, arthritis and sleep apnea.
To improve the game and the livelihoods of its players, we must recognize and diagnose any conditions players already have and take appropriate action in treating those, even if that means ending a football career.
We should be making game regulations stricter when it comes to aggressive plays and tackling, using technology and gear that is more protective to avoid preventable damages, treating any injuries immediately when they occur and provide counseling for those suffering psychological effects from the sport.
All of these steps will help ease the many ailments affecting novice and veteran players alike.
Another question that arises from football is its potential connection to more violence on and off the field.
The NFL is full of domestic violence and assault cases, perpetuating a culture of violence that rewards aggressive behavior.
The values football promotes create a distorted idea of masculinity, which tend to include homophobia, disrespect of women and violence in general. These values begin at an early age of playing football, famously shown in cases of high school hazing rituals.
Famous incidents such as the OJ Simpson case and, more recently, Adrian Peterson’s child-abuse case, all illustrate the negative mentalities that can stem from being in that environment.
All football organizations, with the NFL setting the example, need to stress a strict moral code and justly convict those who break it.
Also, society needs to stop glamorizing this violence, which can often become as exciting as talking about who won the big Sunday night game. Pretending this violence is OK will only allow it to continue indefinitely.
When football is such a classic American pastime, it is instilled in us to support it.
Making any changes to the game and its rules and regulations evokes such strong opposition, no change can ever occur. When we are so passionate about the game, the teams and the players, we can be blind to the seemingly obvious effects it is having in all aspects of life.
We must use logical reasoning to view this situation with a clear head and protect more players from enduring the same tragic fate too many have already faced.
