“With a racing heart but steady nerves, he crouches in his stance 3 yards behind the quarterback. The play is set in motion, and he takes the handoff. He sprints through a hole in the line and into the open field. He is running free, until a shadow out of the corner of his eye emerges.
The classic sound of crashing shoulder pads can be heard across the field as the safety tackles him with a crushing blow. The hit, led by the shoulder and without helmet-to-helmet contact, was perfectly legal. Yet the runner doesn’t get up. Coaches run on to the field to check on him and find him confused and dizzy, his head aching. He has a concussion. He is 8 years old.” 
In this article, Dr. Julie Stamm explores the dangers of routine hits in youth football, and the life-long impact of brain trauma, “Football has a strong culture steeped in traditions of heroism and grit. But you don’t have to hit your head repeatedly to learn toughness, teamwork, determination or accountability. We need to ensure kids can reap all of the benefits without sustaining needless damage to their brain. Much more research is needed, but are you willing to risk your child’s brain function for youth tackle football?”
Read the full article here.
Dr. Julie Stamm| Twitter/Insta/Facebook: @JulieStammPhD