The bill Illinois Senator Carol Sente proposed to ban kids under the age of 12 from playing football has been agreed upon and passed by the house committee.

 

Yesterday, I wrote a blog that Senator Carol Sente of Illinois proposed a bill to set the minimum age for tackle football to the age of 12.

Her reasoning was "to eliminate head trauma at an early age."

Studies have shown that "Repeated blows to the head have been linked to the degenerative brain condition chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)."

Well today, NBC Chicago reported that "lawmakers on the Illinois House's mental health committee have passed a measure to ban children under 12 years old from playing tackle football."

So what happens next?

This bill, deemed the "Dave Duerson Act after the late Chicago Bears player (who suffered from CTE), passed the committee on an 11-9 vote, and will head to the House for a full debate."

If passed the "House Bill 4341 would prevent children under the age of 12 from playing tackle football."

Several other states including California and New York are looking into similar bills to pass for protecting our kids from CTE. However, there is opposition to this.

Many say, including Schaumburg Athletic Association Commissioner John Calabria, that “the sport is now safer than it’s ever been,”... “We have new techniques, new helmets, and all new safety precautions all around. There are some dangers, but the benefits outweigh those dangers.”

Yet with mounting data proving the effects of head trauma leading to CTE and other damaging neurological disorders the argument is, according to Senator Carol Sente, "Why wouldn’t we error on the side of science, and not allow children under the age of 12 to play tackle football until we can prove 100 percent that it’s safe?” 

I can see both sides of the issue, but personally I tend to side with the ban.

Children's brains are still developing and why would we put them at risk of brain trauma and neurological issues?

My gut feeling is this will pass through the house.

What do you think? Is this bill a good idea to ban kids under 12 from playing?

 

 

 

 

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