Student Sample #4 for NWPs C3WP Using Sources Tool: Should High School Football Be Banned? (Grade 9)

Author: Anonymous Ninth Grader

There have been ongoing arguments about whether high school football should be banned or not. High school football should, in fact, be banned. The sport is very dangerous, and the effects of multiple blows to the head may not show up until later. Also, some schools that do not participate in athletics do well in academics. Why take the health risk when there are benefits of not playing football?

First of all, playing high school football is extremely dangerous. Even small blows to the head can eventually cause major problems if they are done enough. Thomas McAllister, a psychiatrist at Indiana University, said results suggest that “repetitive blows to the head can cause major problems, even when an athlete is able to get up and keep playing.” McAllister’s point is that, even when an athlete seems to be alright after getting tackled and knocked down multiple times, their brain could still be hurt. Just because the damage to the brain cannot be seen does not mean it is not there. It is not worth taking the risk of playing football when there is a major consequence.

Also, some athletes may have smaller changes to the brain structure but may have larger side effects. Those effects might not show up until later. Thomas McAllister stated, “Blows to the head change the brain’s structure and the way it works, at least temporarily. This happens a long time before the hits cause a concussion. And there’s growing evidence that a succession of those smaller hits puts players at higher risks for the one that finally leads to a concussion.” The effects of blows to the head may not show up until it is too late. Even small blows can cause negative changes to the brain structure. Do not think that just because someone gets small blows to the head that there will not be consequences. After all, it is the smaller hits that lead to concussions.

Another thing is that some schools that do not participate in sports do exceptionally well in academics. Jay P. Greene, the 21 st century professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas, stated in an article, “…Certain high- achieving countries, such as South Korea and Finland, do not have athletics in schools.” A school system does not have to have sports in order to do well in academics. Do not forget that sports can cause some athletes to get a big head about their skills and start bullying people. This can cause disruption at school…which means less learning and less academic success.

Supporters of high school football claim that the brain “bounces back” after a season of getting hit in the head over and over. Although it is true that a brain may heal during the off-season, it is also true that the brain may not. According to Eric Nauman of Purdue University, who has spent five years tracking the effects of small and large hits to the brain in high school football, “We know some of them heal. But some of them don’t.” Nauman’s point is that it is not worth playing high school football if there is a chance of a person’s brain not healing. A brain is one of the most needed organs in the human body. If the brain does not work properly, there is not much a person can do with their life. Do not take the chance of a brain not healing from injuries sustained in high school football.

In conclusion, high school football should be banned because it is just too dangerous and risky. Even if brain damage is not seen right away, it could show up later. Also, certain sports, like high school football, are not needed for a school to excel in academics. After all, elementary schools teach “Safety first!”

DMU Timestamp: January 28, 2024 04:34