New report about concussions calls into question youth football

Young athletes who have suffered multiple concussions need significantly longer recovery periods than first-time sufferers, according to a new study that spent a year tracking youths following their head injuries, according to CBS News.

You have to wonder if any amount of contact football is appropriate for our kids.  This report has been published at the same time that yet another new youth football league is starting up in Santa Ana – the Sun Devils.  They accept kids as young as 5 years of age into their league. Santa Ana also has a Pop Warner league called the Monarchs.  Both leagues offer flag football too.

My 10 year old son wants to play football and while my wife prefers flag football I think I rather just keep him in Little League baseball.  After reading the new report about concussions I certainly will not let him play contact football – ever.

Is any amount of contact football safe for our kids?

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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