Should American Football be banned from Highschool Research Paper

Should American Football be banned from Highschool - Research Paper Example The issue has been met with opposing opinions from those who support the sport and want such an activity to continue, while there are those that strongly oppose the same. In this section, I shall discuss why school administration boards across the country have been considering the prohibition of the sport on their grounds. Unsurprisingly, supporters of the stand that American football should be banned come from adults who are mostly parents of the students. American Football as a Discriminating Sport According to David (105), American football is a gender discriminating sport. The parties particularly interested in playing the sport and those who enjoy the same the most are the males. The sport has been described as a â€Å"masculine† activity and female students are not likely to benefit from the sport in the same way that their male counterparts can. It is also thought that female students are not likely to benefit from the sport. They are not likely to hone any beneficial s kills from playing the game, at least not physically. The Injuries Suffered by Football Players One of the obvious injuries that may be suffered by American footballers would be head injuries. The seriousness of the risk faced by these players has lead the District of Columbia to ban sports that result in concussions, or at the very least, expose the youth to such threats (between 2009 and 2011). While suffering concussions may not seem to be that serious to some, because head bumps can be helped with a pack of ice, the threat of head injuries can definitely lead to really serious health conditions that can affect a player for life. The trauma however, can manifest later on in the life of the injured player and can be the explanation of â€Å"neurodegenerative disease similar to Alzheimer’s† (Trotta and Ingles). Health conditions related to head injuries include dementia and Alzheimer’s itself. Problems such as fractures to the skull are also highly likely and t he presence of the skull itself and its ability to cushion the brain from injury is not enough. Serious brain damage is possible (Reed). There has also been research to suggest that the more concussions a player suffers, the more likely would depression kick in. Other injuries to be suffered by such football players include â€Å"cervical spinal cord injuries.† It has been known that in the United States, players from Louisiana suffer mainly from this kind of injury (Lawrence et al) Because of the alarming health risks that football may bring, fifteen states have issued laws banning such dangerous sports (Trotta and Ingles). It has been suggested that the best way to deal with preventing such serious injuries would be to invest in the sports equipment. Supporters of the sport should look into providing improved designs of head and mouth gear for the players, to ensure that the players’ gear could withstand injuries to be encountered on the field (Trotta and Ingles). An other solution to the problem would be to educate the players themselves on â€Å"safe tackling† methods in order to prevent injury and how these players can best use their head gear in the safest way possible. Unfortunately, according to a study by Lawrence et al., a significant number of players use the top of their helmets in tackling their opponents. This is one of the most dangerous tackling methods, and is actually illegal. However, an alarming majority of player participants in the