Concussion Dangers: City Eliminates Tackle Football For Kids

SOMERVILLE, MA - A heightened awareness of concussion dangers and traumatic injuries on football fields have led many across the country to consider whether they want their children to play a sport ingrained in the American culture.

Here in Somerville, just a short drive down I-93 to Boston — where the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots loom as gods with kids treating their Tom Brady jersey almost as religious garments — the city this week took among the boldest stances in the country: The recreation department will no longer provide city-sponsored tackle football for kids.

Instead, Director of Recreation and Youth Jill Lathan told Patch, the city will fund flag football, a much less violent game in which players ”tackle” each other by yanking strips of material that flap from a runner’s hips.

“The recent national discussions around concussions and football have definitely played a large role in my decision to make this recommendation to the mayor’s office,” Lathan said.

The threat of serious injury is also leading some communities to re-evaluate their youth contact football programs. In Somerville, Massachusetts, that means no more funding for a kids tackle football program.

Lathan recommended the move, which was approved by the mayor’s office and the city’s recreation department.

Forty percent of sports-related concussions affect children between the ages of 8 to 13, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, the academy reports, 50 percent of all “second impact syndrome” cases — injuries when someone returns to activity too quickly — result in death.

The dangers have sent parents scrambling away from the game not just in Somerville but across the country.

“We had not only declining enrollment in that [youth contact football] program but also this national discussion about concussions and how they affect the youth,” Lathan said. “We had some discussions around that and did our due diligence.”

Tackle football in Somerville will still be available through a Pop Warner-sponsored program, and Somerville’s equipment rental program will continue to support all community athletics, including youth football leagues. While Lathan wasn’t sure if there would be significant pushback from residents on the decision, she reiterated that there are still options for those seeking youth tackle football.

Participation in Pop Warner — the nation’s largest youth football program — decreased by 9.5 percent or by 23,612 players from 2010 to 2012, according to a report by ESPN. The report stated that it was Pop Warner’s largest decline since the organization began keeping statistics.

The NFL Players Union estimates that 60 to 70 percent of players started their careers in Pop Warner’s youth programs.

Pop Warner employed rule changes in 2012 aimed to make youth football safer. The rules attempt to eliminate full-speed and head-to-head contact and limit the number of contact drills performed during practices.

“We have our Pop Warner league and there has been expressed interest in a private group taking over youth football in Somerville,” Lathan said. “If that occurs, then we will continue to support them as we do our other leagues... If there is an interest, there is definitely opportunities for families to pursue contact football.”

Flag football is on the rise around the country as athletes seek a safer version of the game so many love. The Boston Globe reported in October that NFL Flag — an organization sponsored by USA Football — has nearly 265,000 participants and is growing 10 percent each year.

The Somerville Recreation Department has held leagues associated with NFL Flag as well as standard intramural leagues. Lathan said that this summer’s upcoming flag football leagues would not run through NFL Flag.

“Our youth football program that will be held in the summer will not be a part of the NFL Flag football league,” Lathan said. “It’s going to be the same concept with the same skill development, games and scrimmages. Kids will have great opportunities to have fun and be apart of a team. It’s the same program...it’s still the game of flag football.”

Lathan added that her decision to move away from tackle football would remain the same regardless of whether there were other options for people wishing to pursue the sport.

“I met with some youth parents to let them know of our thought process of leaning towards flag football,” Lathan said. “I had some great discussions with parents in the community. Some of those parents still want their kids to play contact football, and there are great options for them to do so.”