I’m Kaylie Brooks with a WBFH editorial.

1.1 million high schoolers play football, which makes football the top sport in the US. However, this number of athletes means there are more high schoolers at risk. These athletes’ bodies are being thrown around and beaten up, however, their brains are the ones feeling the effects. In a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina, it states that “two dozen high school football players died in recent years from traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries”. The study also announced that about a fifth of the high school football players with a fatal brain injury had suffered an earlier concussion, less than a month before the fatal injury. In other words, students playing football in high school are prone to concussions, that if not treated may be fatal. Even though it is a popular sport, the risks outweigh the rewards. Schools should not allow students to play football at such a young age, because of the risks involved.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of WBFH, its management, staff, or the Bloomfield Hills school district. I’m Kaylie Brooks and you’re listening to 88.1.