Youth participation in tackle football has been declining for years as medical studies have linked the sport with brain injury and long-term behavioral issues. But not all parents balance risks versus rewards the same way.
Povich Center and Howard Center
When families’ love of the game conflicts with the science
Tackle football offers children as young as 5 the chance to make friends, learn teamwork, maybe attract a college scholarship. It also can lead to injuries that can damage developing brains.
Poll: Black, Hispanic parents nearly twice as likely as white parents to see youth football as a path to college scholarships, NFL
Black and Hispanic parents are nearly twice as likely as white parents to see youth football as a path to college scholarships and even to the NFL, a new poll shows.
With few other options, football is hope for families in rural Mississippi
Tackle football is among the only recreational activities available to kids in Lexington and surrounding Holmes County, the second-poorest county in the nation’s poorest state, Mississippi.
As health concerns rise, safety efforts focus on improving helmets, detecting head injury
The risk of head injury in youth tackle football can never be eliminated. But around the country, changes in rules and standards are being introduced to try to reduce those risks.
In an Atlanta suburb, youth football is a way of life
Football remains a thriving and cherished tradition in Georgia’s Buford and Gwinnett counties.
Some ex-NFL players are cautious about starting their children in tackle football
Domonique Foxworth played his first organized tackle football game at 10 years old. Now Foxworth has a son who turns 11 on Super Bowl Sunday who wants to play tackle. Foxworth won’t allow it. His son is playing flag football instead.
Video: Why Lexington, Mississippi embraces youth tackle football
Lexington, Mississippi (population: 1,154) is one of the most fertile places for football talent. The small town, located in the second poorest county in the nation’s poorest state, is near the top per capita in producing college football players at Power 5 schools.
Gambling on Campus
As sports betting in the U.S. soars, universities have been slow to recognize a potential problem. Only about one in five major public universities has policies in place to restrict sports betting or educate students about potential perils. A handful have sports betting platforms as corporate sponsors. Those companies have purchased the right to promote their brands at stadia and on university sports websites to students, many of whom are under age for legal betting. That’s a growing concern for betting-addiction experts who cite years of research showing that college students are among the highest risk group for gambling addiction.
New investigation shows few campuses have rules restricting sports betting
Amid aggressive sports gambling expansion and abundant advertising on college campuses, betting bans are rare.