A single season playing football might be all it takes to cahnge a young athlete's brain. That are resrults of a research presented in Chicago at thanksgiving weekend.
Researchers looked at nerve bundles in the brain of 26 young male fotball players, average age 12, before and after the season. Also they looked at a group of kids who didn't play football. They found out that in the football player's brains some nerve bundles grew longer and other bundles became shorter, or contracted. He says they saw no changes in the integrity of the bundles.
These results suggest that repeated blows to the head could lead to changes in the shape of the motor and sensory functions between the two hemispheres of the brain.
The leaders of the study said those are preliminary results from a single study with a relatively small number of participants. They will continue their research and find out if these changes presist over time and if they have any relevance to long-term health.
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Do you think some people change their mind about football in young age because of this study?
I think not now because the study is new and they are still researching, but if there will be long-term effects and the results would be published then I'm sure some people would change their mind.
Would you let your children play football at this age?
I think if mine really wanted to play football, I would let them because there are things way worse they could do. At least they are outside and having fun. Maybe I would try to buy better protectors so that not so much can happen.
Replies
Well done Sina! You could have replied a few more times but this week has tons of activity so you did well.
They may not change their mind about football at a young age because of this study specifically, but in general, yes I feel like people change their mind about playing football at a young age due to the long term affects in can have on your brain and mental health. I would probably wait until my children were a little older to let them play tackle football, but maybe flag football is acceptable at that age.
I think that children at a young age would think about it but I don't think that it would change their minds. I think that it would definately change the minds of parents and then they wouldn't let their children play football any more.
I don't think children at that age actually understand what the studies show, but the results could make their parents realize all the dangers associated with the sport. If the parents are against it, their children will likely be influenced by their outlook on it and agree with them. Even though there are a lot of dangers, I would still allow my child to play because it helps them with their social skills.
I doubt that children at that age would change their mind because they wouldn't know what the study means, but their parents would likely realize the dangers the sport could propose.
If they wanted to, absoulutely. I love the sport, I hope my child will too.
I think that as new studies come out, more people are aware of the things that may be happeneing to their children as they play this high compact sport. I would still let my children play because it helps them learn responsibility and to build up their team bonding skills.
No I do not most boys do it for something to do for the school year. There are some boys that decide to do it for a job in the future. Some of them already got too many blows to the head and are told they can't play anymore. Think this study shouldn't chang how boy's or men think about this sport. Yes I would just because of a study doesn't mean I wouldn't let my kids play football. If it's something they want to do they can. I'm not going to stop them from playing the sport there boy's let them be boy's. There's nothing wrong with boy's wanting to be boy's. There going to want to play football and things like that so let them.
I think young children dont really think much about studies like that and just do what they want to do and what they like because they dont think so uch about consequences.
Yes I woud definitely let my children play football if that would be what they want to do because it is a sport activity and they would learn better to work in a team and get to know new people.
I think some may change their minds, but in reality there isn't enough information to know the actual effect it has on the brain. If my child really wanted to I probably would let them. It would keep them active and having fun, if they get injured that's just a part of life.
I agree, I think that there isn't enough information of the effects it has to the brain to completly change someones mind. I also think it's all about having fun and just being a kid and if they get hurt in the process, like you said, it's life. Everyone gets hurt.
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