To Tackle Or Not To Tackle
Recently the American Academy of Pediatrics addressed the issue of tackling in youth football. As a result of some serious injuries, there have been calls to ban tackling in youth football. The Academy recommended instruction of proper tackling techniques rather than banning contact.
Although a delay in the age of children allowed to tackle would likely reduce the risk of serious injury, the opinion of the Academy physicians is that the absence of previous tackling experience and instruction would potentially increase the risk of more severe injuries at a later age. With increased awareness and proper instruction on tackling techniques, there will hopefully be a continued reduction in serious injuries in football. It should be noted however that catastrophic injury rates in gymnastics and wrestling are actually higher than reported rates in football.
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