By: Scott Huntington – Special Contributor – GridironStuds Blog
Twitter: @SMHuntington

The number of concussion-related incidents in professional and youth football alike in the past decade has prompted ample concern. The media spotlight has been prominent as well. The discovery of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the concussion-related ailment that many football players suffer from without notable symptoms, was chronicled in the relatively recent film “Concussion,” starring Will Smith.

The possibility of severe injury has always hung over youth football. Still, recent incidents, such as the CTE-related death of 25-year-old former youth football player Joseph Chernach, whose family was awarded just under $2 million by Pop Warner as a settlement, have given the discussion more fervor than ever. It prompts the question: Is youth football in danger?

A Decline in Youth Football Participants?

A statistical example of CTE’s stigma in youth football today is the decline in participants seen in the early 2010s. ESPN reported that Pop Warner saw a 9.5% drop in participation from 2010 to 2012. This comes on the heels of ample CTE-related media attention prompting medical professionals such as Dr. Robert Cantu to severely warn against anyone under the age of 14 being involved in collision sports.

Since then, Pop Warner participation has crept up very slightly, despite continued parental concerns. A 2015 survey by Harris Poll for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center found a third of parents worry their kid will get a concussion, and 1 in 4 bar their children from contact sports because of concussion fears. This data lines up with ESPN’s report from 2013.

With all the public CTE-related incidents in mind, it’s difficult to blame parents for their hesitation when signing their children up for football. Although CTE-related injuries are far from guaranteed, the risk of contact sports is certainly heightened more than ever despite increasing safety initiatives.

The Lingering Popularity of Football Remains

Football remains popular compared to most other sports in the United States. The 2016 NFL season averaged 17.6 million viewers per game, a slight decline from 19.6 million a year earlier but impressive nonetheless. On a per-game basis, no other sport compares. The end-of-week emphasis and party-like atmosphere of NFL Sunday is still very much alive in American culture, as millions tune in each week. This prompts many youngsters to continue to have dreams of playing in the NFL.

In addition to the NFL’s continuing popularity, some children today are likely to have parents who played in Pop Warner themselves and experienced no major concussion-related symptoms.

Parents who incorrectly believe CTE is limited to harder-hitting football in the professional ranks are mistaken. More parents are apprehensive than ever, though it’s doubtful Pop Warner will be in serious danger anytime soon despite escalating pressure.

While there may be fewer kids playing youth football, the game’s general popularity and the belief of some parents that CTE symptoms are limited to professional leagues should help youth football remain very relevant for years to come.