The end of summer marks the start of football season, but many younger players won’t be taking the field this fall.
A new study suggests the draw of the Friday night lights is fading as concern over the risk of concussions grows.
Increased awareness of concussions is having an impact on and off the football field. While participation in high school sports overall is climbing, an increasing number of student-athletes are choosing not to play football.
Since 2009, the number of children playing high school football has fallen 7 percent and the decline has accelerated in the past two years.
Researchers point to a possible connection to increased media coverage of football-related brain injuries during the same time period.
Experts said concussion education and awareness is key.
„One of the biggest predictors of recovery is their ability to recognize the symptoms after the injury — rest, recover and then return,“ Dr. Richard Figler, of the Cleveland Clinic, said. „That return should be guided by a physician or a health care provide that’s well-versed in the management of concussions.“
Figler pointed out that concussions can happen in any sport. He said it’s important for parents to understand there is also a risk in not playing sports.
„The risk of not playing sports is probably a little bit higher with pediatric obesity on the rise,“ Figler said. „We also know that kids who play sports do better academically. They have better social engagement and they report better behavior, as well as health patters across the board, and they’re actually at decreased risk of depression and anxiety overall compared to their cohorts that don’t play sports.“
Experts said concussion concerns are likely not the only reason for the drop in football participation. While many children used to play three or four sports in a year, more are specializing in just one sport and playing it year-round.
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