The favorite pastime of many Americans -whether it be playing or watching- is American football. But, the chance of temporary or permanent physical and mental damage are to great of a cost to pay for this game. Roger Goodell said, “It has tremendous values that outway the risks”(Kindelan and Conway); however, the danger of this sport is too high of risk for our American athletes to risk their health and wellness. For example, the highest rate of head injuries found in high school students are in football athletes. These injuries are life altering changes that may not have ever come about if they had not played the sport. To illustrate these effects, Bryce Monti, an eighteen-year-old high school football player at Hortonville High School …show more content…
Goodell said, “There are risks in the lives of teenagers everyday, football is not one of them” (Kindelan and Conway). Supporters of football also claim “football really instill a sense of pride in kids who play in the community” (Tyler 16). However, the tough, manly persona that is “football culture” can lead to more problems. For instance players return to the field to quickly after sustaining injuries to appear tough. This increases their chance to sustain another injury or worsen the one they have. Additionally, the “big guy” feeling that many plays have also makes them act irrationally and irresponsibly. The behavioral habits associated with football are just another reason the the sport is too dangerous. Understanding the harmfulness of American football on athletes explains why the game is so dangerous. Doctors that performed a study in 2013 said, “We do not know how these injuries affect developing brains, and the risk that these athletes posed for us to find out was not worth taking”(“Dallas Researchers Seek Answers on Concussions in Kids”). The high level of danger found in this American tradition, is not worthy of the risks that its players take every time they step on the field. The consequences are too big and too costly to be payed for a