Reasons For Banning High School Football

Although there are many reasons to support banning high school football, there are also reasons to keep it. One reason for keeping high school football is the physical health benefits students gain from football. Along with most sports, football requires the players to be very active. According to Steve Silverman, an award-winning writer who has covered sports since 1980, football players work on improving their cardiovascular condition throughout the season. One of the ways this is done is with interval sprint training. Coaches tell their players to run different lengths of the field during practice in order to improve their endurance. The practices are full of running and the games are just as tiring. The players have run up and down the

In the book, Football for Player and Spectator, by Fielding Yost, it explains how football requires keen-minded people to play it, but it also sharpens the mind of the players. The regular exercise helps the player keep a clear head for studying (Yost 21). Yost further explained how football makes one quick in thought because the sport requires players to react quickly on each play (21). If one doesn’t react quickly in football, then it may lead to someone getting hurt. The physicality of football combined with the required strategic game play makes the sport both physically and mentally challenging. Dick Freier, former Anacortes High School football coach for five years, stated in a phone interview May 4, 2018, “Players learn how to deal with adversity. Something like a come-from-behind win can really help build a person’s mental drive and confidence.” They know what is like to lose and they know what it takes to win.” There may be some mental health benefits of football; however, the support came from a very old book and likely contains bias because it was written by an ex-football player. Also, football can cause psychological problems that can damage one’s mental

There are many sports that require teamwork, but in football working as a team is a must. According to Jon Butler, the executive director of Pop Warner (a non-profit organization that promotes youth football and cheer & dance programs for participants in several states and countries around the world), football is a sport in which teamwork is essential to success. If all eleven players don’t do their jobs on every play, the game becomes difficult. A football team must work as a sync unit. Each player has his own role and must remember that role for each play. The combined efforts from each player determines the success of the team. There are many opportunities in football that can teach players how to lead and how to work with others. Dick Freier stated in a personal interview, “Football teaches players what working hard for something is like. The sport requires dedication and commitment, which are great traits to develop.” Freier also said, “The development of character is often overlooked in football. Not everyone is a leader, but everyone has a role. Knowing your role and not trying to do too much in that role are very important in football and also important life skills.” Football can teach life lessons; however, there are still extreme risks that come with playing football and the same lessons can be learned in safier sports. Also, Jon Butler and Dick