On It's Not the Girls Playing Football With the Boys That's the Issue: It's the football

After almost three decades middle school students in Tacoma are able to play football for their schools. What does this development do for ensuring their safety from injury?

http://www.thenewstribune.com//2013/03/24/2527750/football-back-for-tacomas-kids.html

...the chances of getting a concussion while playing high school football are approximately three times higher than the second most dangerous sport, which is girls' soccer.

 http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7443714/jonah-lehrer-concussions-adolescents-future-football

Playing sports can be dangerous, we should remind ourselves. Seeing girls suited up and playing with the boys at the football jamboree Saturday was not as surprising as the fact that football was being played again at the middle school level in Tacoma with the possibility of concussions extended to the 400 or so kids on the field. Of course, the crowd I've been running with lately -- junior youth group participants who also play recreational football -- seem to play football essentially year around, although the dangers of concussion come presumably during actual games and not during the months of pre-season practices. I care about brains, because of the nature of the professional work I do. Here is the best discussion I've found on the Internet about the brain injuries that football can cause. -gw