Massachusetts Youth Football Ban Opposed By Parents, Players

BOSTON — Parents, coaches, players and a former New England Patriot on Tuesday rallied on the steps of the State House to oppose a bill that would ban tackle football for children in Massachusetts. Rep. Paul A. Schmid III and Rep. Bradley H. Jones co-sponsored a bill that seeks to ban tackle football until children reach the eighth grade. If the bill becomes law, any league or school that doesn't follow the rule could face a fine of $2,000 to start. The fine increases for repeat violations.

The Massachusetts Youth Football Alliance organized Tuesday's demonstration over the April vacation break to give parents and young players the opportunity to show their support for youth football. Former Patriot and NFL Hall of Famer Andre Tippett also spoke out, arguing youth football taught him important values that helped make him into the person he is today.

"As a lifelong participant and fan of the game of football, I've seen firsthand how the values of character, leadership, discipline, resilience and teamwork can play an immeasurable role in the development of young boys and girls that participate in youth tackle football,"Tippett said in a statement. "One of the greatest football joys of my life came in the form of having the opportunity to coach my son in the Sharon, Massachusetts Pop Warner program and pass on to him the values that the game instilled in me as a youth football player in Newark, New Jersey."

Proponents of the bill argue the risks of concussions is too big a risk to justify allowing tackle football. Rep. Jim Hawkins told Boston 25 that when young people suffer head injuries, the damage can be irreversible.

“The damage that it does to young people is much worse, it’s much longer lasting, worse than what would happen to someone who is older, maybe in their mid-teens," Hawkins told Boston 25.

The bill is in the Legislature's Public Health Committee currently and no public hearing has been scheduled.

Related

• Massachusetts Could Ban Tackle Football For Young Children