As evidence of head injuries grows, football players weigh pros and cons of continuing to play

Photo by William Norwood

On a game against Prospect High School, players get ready to advance.

Football has a well-deserved reputation of being one of the most dangerous high school sports. Injuries can range from concussions to fractures, and a growing body of evidence links the sport to brain diseases like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which results in a progressive decline in memory and increase in depression and aggression.

A recent story by The New York Times documented how more than 40% of high school and college football players were diagnosed with CTE. These players started at a young age, and a few featured in the paper’s coverage ended up dying by 18. 

As a result of this growing concern over head injuries, many parents struggle with deciding whether to let their children play football, with many pitting the benefits against the increasingly clear risks.

Varsity captain Keion Ashjaee-Marshall, a junior who plays running back and linebacker, has seen participation in the sport decline over the years locally.

“We haven’t had a supportive culture, especially from parents,” he said of the general reputation of the sport these days. “A lot of people believe in the stereotype about football getting you injured. [This year] we had to forfeit our game against South San Francisco because we had too many players that were injured on concussion protocol.”

This season, football had 46 varsity and JV players combined; last year, the program had 53 players.

Athletic trainer Caitlin Steiding said this year’s football season resulted in 10 documented head injuries between the two teams. 

Because of the dangers associated with playing football, players are educated on how to stay safe on the field. For example, tackling with the head and not the shoulders is a common yet dangerous mistake that leads to serious injury, Steiding said. 

“There’s no way to actually prevent everything unless you put everybody in a bubble,” Steiding said. “But teaching kids the proper mechanics of tackling really helps minimize injuries.”

Other safety measures include the use of Guardian Caps, a foam cover worn over traditional helmets to reduce impacts from hits. Guardian Caps are now quite a common measure taken during practices and sometimes games, and studies have shown that wearing them reduces concussion rates by 52%. 

Even with such precautions, injuries are still bound to happen and have a “high risk” all football players must take, Steiding said. 

Steiding primarily helps guide players through the concussion protocol, which involves first assessing the injury’s severity, then referring athletes to the correct doctor to guide their recovery. She also administers a baseline impact test for all players playing sports, so she has historical data to refer to in the case of a head injury.

Junior Doug Bettinger, who plays tight end and safety, had two concussions this football season, both from getting hit in the head while making a tackle.

“It was hard to focus,” Bettinger said of the injury. “I was dizzy, lost my balance and had a lot of motion sickness, so it really affected my life.” 

With Steiding’s help, Bettinger was redirected to doctors outside of school and recovered quickly from the motion sickness he initially felt. After passing the baseline test two weeks later, Bettinger was able to play again. 

Bettinger said he fully knows the consequences of a concussion and now tries his best to protect himself by wearing a Guardian Cap both during practices and games; he was the only player to choose to wear one during games. 

“People just don’t enjoy wearing it. They want to look cool,” Bettinger said.

Sophomore Anthony Tran, who also suffered a concussion this year, chose not to wear a Guardian Cap during games.

“We have numerous stickers on our helmets to represent our schools as well as to honor Saratoga’s greatest head coach, Benny Pierce,” Tran said. “I think that some players don’t like the look of the guardian cap on a helmet in game as well.” 

Although playing football comes with a variety of risks, many players still elect to continue playing the sport for its many rewards. 

“The bond that I have with other players makes me love football more,” Bettinger said. “I like being with them every day, and it makes me keep playing football.”