Playing a team sport can be a great experience for any child or teen. It teaches them how to stay physically fit, helps them learn how to take care of themselves, and allows them to develop lifelong friendships with their teammates. Unfortunately, there are some sports that are physically more demanding and require more physical contact with players than others, and football is one of them. Concussions, broken bones, and torn ligaments are just some of the common injuries sustained in football games. If you or your child plays football, you’ll want to make sure that you’re aware of the potential medical consequences so you can know how to protect yourself or your child. Let’s take a closer look at some of the long-term medical consequences of youth football.
Obesity
Some football players hold positions that require them to have a lot of mass. Some players end up putting on a lot of weight during the season. After their football career has ended, they may end up being overweight or obese if they don’t lose the weight. This excess weight can lead to things like high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and diabetes. It is important to develop a different lifestyle once you stop playing football and take good care of yourself during the regular season as well.
Long-term Brain Damage
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is something that can happen from repeated head injuries. The long-term effects include things like memory loss, early onset dementia and Alzheimer’s, seizures, etc. These long-term effects can happen even without a concussion at time of impact. Because football is such a high impact sport, players are in a much higher risk pool when it comes to brain-related conditions later on in life.
Wear and Tear
The physical nature of football causes a player’s body to undergo a lot of wear and tear over just a few seasons. This is from impact, but injuries can occur during many different points of a football game. Pushing off from your starting point, flexing throughout the game, making fast turns and movements can all lead to chronic pain and injuries.
While playing football can be a very exciting and rewarding hobby, proper care should be taken to ensure that your body stays healthy and safe. Proper equipment is key, but it is also a good idea to be educated on the safe way of playing football. Having a qualified and educated coach is a big part of the solution. A good coach can help ensure that players are not unnecessarily rough and stay safe during the season.
If you do get injured in football, you’ll want to get your mobility back. Check out this other article with tips on how to do that!
