'It's un-American': will the government and CTE fears kill US youth football?

Youth tackle football is a sport in crisis. While participation rates in recent years have remained relatively steady, the broader culture has begun to move against the sport. In recent years, everyone from scientists to politicians and even NFL stars who have made millions from the game have publicly declared that they would not let their children play tackle football.

Now, four states – California, Illinois, Maryland, and New York – are weighing up legislation that would restrict or even outright ban youth tackle football for children under 14 years of age. While there’s no guarantee that any of these four bills will become law, they mark a new front in the battle over America’s most popular sport.

The legislation is at the heart of a conflict that pits the right of parents to decide what’s best for their children against the state and its mandate to protect the health and safety of the public.

In California the debate has taken center stage as opponents of the state’s proposed bill, the Safe Youth Football Act, have quickly mobilized to try and defeat the legislation, which they view as an existential threat not only to youth tackle football, but also to other contact sports.


Source : theguardian