Superbowl is this Sunday. As the 100 million viewers tuning in to this Sunday’s Super Bowl can attest, Americans adore football. And for many, the love affair begins in childhood.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine found that former National Football League (NFL) players who participated in tackle football before the age of 12 are more likely to have memory and thinking problems as adults. In the latest study, published in the journal Neurology, scientists examined test scores of 42 former NFL players, with an average age of 52, all of whom had experienced memory and thinking problems for at least six months.
Key Takeaway:
Kids who are hitting their heads over and over during this important time of brain development may have consequences later in life.
If you must play, play only flag football. Don’t play tackle football. And for heaven’s sake, wear a helmet to protect your coconuts J