A recent study conducted at Boston University concluded that children who participate in tackle football before the age of 12 suffer from a higher rate of behavioral and cognitive problem later in life.
This long-term study looked at 214 former football players over 51 years of age, 43 of whom played through high school, 103 who played through college, and 68 who played in the NFL. Through phone interviews and online surveys, the experts at Boston University found that those who played before the age of 12 had almost twice the “risk of problem with behavior regulation, apathy, and executive functions” as well as a threefold risk of depression scores.
Author of the study Robert Stern claims “the brain is going through this incredible time of growth between the years of 10 and 12, and if you subject that developing brain to repetitive hear impacts it may cause problems later in life.”
