A study, with some limitations, sees link between youth football and emotional issues in adulthood
The study has “tons of limitations,” one of the authors said, but provides further reason to question whether younger children should be playing the sport.
Youth football participation in the U.S. has dropped in recent years as parents have grown more concerned about concussions. A new study could accelerate that trend.
The research, by noted brain trauma scientists, found that those who play youth tackle football before age 12 are more likely to suffer from depression, apathy, and other behavioral issues later in life.
The study has “tons of limitations,” said Robert Stern, one of the authors, and the data are not strong enough to suggest that football was the cause of behavioral abnormalities. But Stern said
