Group Urges 'Hit Limit' In Youth Football

Group Urges 'Hit Limit' In Youth Football - Health News Story - WISC Madison: " The adolescent football player's brain is rattled an average of 650 times per season. That's just an average. There are positions on the football field where the numbers approach 1,000 hits to the head."

'via Blog this'

"We regulate a lot of things in kids' lives and brain trauma should be one of them," said Nowinski. "There are kids getting hit a thousand times a season. Is that good for children's development?"

"You've got the toughest men in the room [NFL players] saying there is no such thing as a tough brain," said Nowinski. "If the NFL is willing to do that, then we should do that for kids as well."

And while a small fraction of those hits actually lead to a diagnosable concussion, the concern is that sub-concussive damage - the menacing smaller blows that add up during practices and games - could be as bad, or worse, for the brain.

With those sobering stats in mind, the Sports Legacy Institute Friday called for the adoption of a "Hit Count" - similar to the "Pitch Count" system used in baseball - for youth athletes participating in contact sports.




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http://www.channel3000.com/health/30373852/detail.html