Balancing Play and Protection: The Debate Over Children in Contact Sports

Kaitlyn Nielsen | Sports Editor

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The sports world is so deeply intertwined into our everyday lives. From star athletes on cereal boxes to clothing brands built around sports teams and competition, athletics has shaped our culture and our identities. However, when introducing young children into contact sports, many valuable questions begin to arise; at what point do safety concerns outweigh the potential benefits. How can these long term risks associated with sports challenge societal norms that enter young children into athletic participation that is consistently beneficial for their social and emotional growth?

Many will claim that during early childhood, children flourish from being entered in sports. Being on a team has a lot of potential benefits for them such as; improving their physical health and expanding their social skills. Sports offer opportunities for children to strengthen components of their gross motor skills like coordination. Furthermore, early exposure to team based sports help these children improve their communication skills prior to entering a classroom. They have the opportunity to socialize with children similar in age, while also working towards the same goal. As our world becomes more dependent on technology these early foundations of social interactions can be pivotal for the next generation, however there are still potential risks that need to be considered prior to children entering these sports. 

Children have remarkable resilience when it comes to illness or injury. However, is it worth putting young children into contact sports knowing the risk of injury? Youth sports such as soccer or T-ball can lead to concussions or fractures. From being hit in the head with a ball to colliding with a teammate, there are all sorts of ways children can sustain injuries while playing these sports. Furthermore, many youth sports are often volunteer based roles that are filled by a child's parents. They often don’t have a lot of experience coaching or lack first aid and safety training. Leaving 10+ children in the care of these individuals can increase the risk of injury tenfold. Many pediatricians advise parents to withhold their children from contact sports until they are older and can develop more. 

The issue of concussions is a big one. A singular concussion at a young age can cause long term neurological issues. Researchers report during 2001-2018 around 3.8 million emergency visits consisted of children between the ages of 0-17 coming in with concussions. Around 41% of those concussion based visits were due to contact sports. The concern here is that, even though children can recover from a concussion within 2-4 weeks, some experience prolonged symptoms. These prolonged experiences are often referred to as post-concussion syndrome. The risk with contact sports is that concussions are a repeated injury. Multiple head injuries impact children's memory, attention, and executive function. It’s considerably worse when children sustain multiple concussions in a small amount of time, never allowing the brain to fully recover. Research conducted by the NIH and CDC has found that kids who experience multiple head injuries like concussions are more likely to experience academic difficulties, decreased concentration and slower reaction time, even after symptoms from the concussion have subsided. Another risk linked to repeated concussion is the likelihood of emotional dysregulation and mental health symptoms. A study conducted by JAMA network open back in 2022 revealed that children who have experienced a concussion have started experiencing those symptoms months after the initial injury. 

Concussions aren’t the only injury experienced during contact sports. Fractures and Breaks can just be as damaging. Breaking bones during such a vital part of development can impact how children grow later down the road. Furthermore if fractures and bones aren’t properly healed they can lead to chronic pain or restricted mobility. 

The question that still remains regards the value of putting children in sports, and if the potential benefits can outway the health risks and dangers. Overall the rewards do outweigh the potential harms. However, only in situations where proper safety measures are enforced is the outcome positive. Children's sports teams should have well-trained coaches who have been trained in concussion protocols and other first aid safety training. Age-appropriate training and rules should also be taken into consideration for a youth team. When these steps are taken to ensure safety then youth sports can be both enriching and reasonably safe.