Posted on 10/03/2012 4:02:11 AM PDT by massmike
A school board member in one New Hampshire city is looking to bring an end to the high school's football program.
In a meeting on Monday, Paul Butler, a retired physician and member of the Dover School Board, claimed that trying to stop football both at the high school and throughout Dover was the "moral" and "ethical" thing to do in light of recent studies on the sport's impact on overall health and well-being.
Butler reportedly cited literature that draws a connection between concussions incurred during football and long-term cognitive impacts in his argument.
The former physician also claims that young players will likely still lead with their heads even if coaches try to teach them how to properly tackle their opponent.
The subject was reportedly not discussed further during that meeting. There is currently no word on whether or not the board plans to discuss the subject at a meeting in the future .
Dover High School partnered with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Hospital in a brain concussion study, and as a result, has some of the stricter policies in the state regarding how long an athlete must sit out for after a concussion.
Full Statement from the Dover School Board Chair Rocky D'Andrea:
A story about dropping football from Dover High School has caused quite a stir in our community, and it seems the entire seacoast. We need to be clear that the comments from Dr. Butler were his reaction to various studies he has read not the opinion of the Dover School Board. Termination of the DHS football program has not come before the board and is not on any agenda at this time. Dr. Butler's opinion was brought as a matter of interest only during our Oct. 1st meeting.
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxboston.com ...
Liberals want to ban football because of the “danger”, but have no problem at all with abortion or death panels.
Sounds more like “selective breeding”, like herds of sheep, than freedom.
They may cut the funds and the football programs in schools, but boys are still going to play it in their backyards, in parks, etc...except then it will be WITHOUT an safety equipment.
Those “unintended consequences” again...
The other night he had a scare with a possible second concussion and as I listened to his parents getting really upset I thought 'you're sitting there watching your kid destroy his brain'!!
As muawiyah said above: Just not worth it.
I remember when NH was considered an independent/libertarian state.
“Now the country is going to hell in a handbasket because manly men are sitting on their couches losing brain cells watching football instead of doing things”
Correct, the sports programs are never cut when money gets tight. It’s the Roman Games all over again. Keep the rabble watching the Gladiators and they won’t notice were stealing their freedom. I was listening to a talk show once where the previous topic was vaccinations and the current topic was Bobby Hebert’s salary with the Saints. The caller asked to comment on the previous topic and said it was ridiculous what a Pediatrician was making from vaccinations but we should give Bobby whatever he wanted. Bobby was making more in one game than that Doc was making in a year. Priorities, the dad had to buy his season tickets or get the game plan on tv.
You and Rush are right. This is starting up in liberal, scum areas of the country and will eventually spread like a Type 4 cancer. Of course, the real cancer is the spread of liberalism. Based upon merit, toughness, and hard work, Football does not fit into the liberal vision of the world.
It still is. Really. But like the rest of the country, we've been invaded by too many metrosexual liberal wimps from states where male children are encouraged to dress and groom themselves like girls and one suspects, made to pee in a squating position.
Just for the record, high school football is still, by far and away the most popular sport in the state.
They don’t think of the longterm health and well being of kids when they hand them condoms and tell them to have fun
Yet another chapter in the battle to turn American boys into little wimps. Turn everyone into some passive, tolerant, easily-controlled drone.
For every football player. There are 100 Skateboarders and Snowboards doing somersaults and landing on their heads.
Costs? It is the bureaucrats that are costing schools money not the kids nor the sports programs. There is a lot to be gained from kids playing sports as well as other extra curricular activities.
And another thing, as far as costs go- Parents fund the bulk of school sports programs. My son is a student athlete, he plays baseball. I PAY for this uniform and his yearly player fee of $500.00. We also fund raise year round to pay for busing and umpires. BTW, the $500.00 I pay is cheap compared to some other schools in my area where the player fee is upwards of $1,000.00 per season.
You sound like one of my inlaws ~ about people letting their kids get multiple concusions!
Same thing here in GA!
They’re different? Seriously, with football you will eventually run into something.
We DO pay for their sports at school!!!
Yes,I've heard of Parkinson's.I worked for 20 years in a major hospital where I saw it pretty much every day.
Clay has parkinsons...had Clay never fought a day in his life he would look and sound exactly like he does now.
And you graduated from *which* medical school? You're board certified in *which* medical specialty? Neurology? Neurosurgery? Neuropathology?
“Live Free or Die” my arse.
Football, and sports in general, cause more harm to people than second hand tobacco smoke. Given the support of FReepers to disregard property rights and support smoking bans on private property, I expect to see a lot of FR support for banning the extremely dangerous activity that generally occurs on publicly owned property...
What? No support? Convenient conversatism abounds!
(You know who you are...)
My father categorically refused to let me play football, no matter how much I begged him. I had the size and speed, so instead, I joined the rugby club. I never let him come to any games, and made excuses as to why. He finally did, in my senior year, and was appalled, but since I had been fairly safe, most of the time, he let it go. I had to cover-up almost every time I’d get injured so he wouldn’t find out. I also played hockey (which for some unknown reason he allowed) and wrestled. Hockey is almost football’s equal in injury potential, and though wrestling injuries are less likely, they are still prevalent.
So, where there’s a will to play contact sports, there’s a way.
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