Purpose
This website is for students, parents/guardians, principals, athletic directors, coaches, superintendents, trustees, school boards, medical officials, and politicians.
Our position is simple
What We Are Asking Schools To Do
End school-sponsored tackle football for students under 18.
Replace it with flag football — the same sport, without the collisions.
Why Schools Are Different
Adults can choose risky activities for themselves. Schools are different because:
The Core Concern
Tackle football is a collision sport with repetitive impacts. Those impacts can lead to:
02 — The Story
The question that started it all
“This sport has obvious benefits, but can we really say that these benefits outweigh the risk of death, serious injury, and brain disease?”
On October 13, 2013, I was reading the sports section of the Toronto Star and saw this shocking headline—"Football Kills, but Nobody Really Cares." The article is about the PBS documentary League of Denial. As an educator at a school that promoted tackle football, I took this headline as a challenge. Football kills, and nobody really cares. This cannot be true.
It Started with a Question
On October 13, 2013, I was reading the sports section of the Toronto Star and saw this shocking headline: "Football kills but nobody really cares".
The article is about the PBS documentary League of Denial. The documentary is about the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy by Dr. Bennet Omalu and the NFL's obstinate denial and callous refusal to act.
As an educator at a school that promoted tackle football, I took this headline as a challenge. Football kills and nobody really cares. This cannot be true. It is not true of our coaches and administrators who organize and encourage it, or of the parents and kids. Perhaps they don't really realize the dangers. Or perhaps it is denial. Denial is a very powerful force.
The Death of Gene Odulio
I had already been thinking along these lines for some time, ever since the death of 17-year-old Gene Odulio, a grade twelve student who collapsed on the field at St. Thomas Aquinas School in Brampton and died soon after on September 9, 2012. I was at the school covering classes while teachers were at the funeral. The question just arose in me: "A football death. That doesn't seem right. Does this happen often?"
I found out that in the United States, where the game is more part of the culture and many more play, teen football deaths are quite common. I have seen headlines about three teen deaths in one week and seven in one month! Another young person in Canada, Darius Hartshorne of Winnipeg, died recently after suffering a football injury in the fall of 2025. One person said to me that "If we thought there would be one more death, it would not be worth it." I agree.
So ever since that death of Gene Odulio in 2012, I began to question the validity of organizing this sport in our schools. I did some reading and thinking. This was not a kneejerk reaction.
The School Board Journey
It was over a year later, on October 10th, 2013, I presented to a high-ranking member of the school board where I worked. He listened and was sympathetic, but nothing came of it. He also said later in an email that, "Time is on your side."
It was also October of 2013 that PBS released the documentary called League of Denial. Here is a short one-minute clip from the beginning of that documentary: Watch clip
In 2015 the movie Concussion came out. Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu. Here is a fantastic six-minute scene from the movie that is really worth watching: Watch scene
Suffice it to say. This issue was very much in the news. Our society and culture are very disrespectful of life. That is a sad truth that is reflected in that startling headline. I cannot stop this deadly sport in society, and adults should be free to do what they want. But my point was and is that we should not be organizing and encouraging it to fourteen-year-olds in school.
I believe with Dr. Omalu that the age of consent should be eighteen when they become an adult. We wait for this age for other dangerous things like drinking and smoking. He argues this very compellingly in his New York Times opinion piece, Don't Let Kids Play Football.
Five Delegations, No Action
Over a ten-year period, I did five delegations to the school board where I worked and had many meetings, all to no avail. Five separate times I was told that concerns about enrollment were the main reason. The Toronto Catholic School Board said the same.
One person I discussed this with told me that he considers that response "reprehensible," and he said he would not believe that was said unless he had video evidence. Well, I do not have video evidence of it, but I can tell you specific details of where I was and who said it. I will spare those details here.
There is video evidence of the board meeting where a trustee said to me, "If you stop football here, what's to stop a child from going to the coterminous board?" (Meaning the public board.) Imagine that. It may be wrong and it may be hurting young people (these things were not denied) but it won't make any difference if we stop promoting it because they will just go to the public board.
There was a complete lack of willingness to take a stand. The fear of being different and perhaps losing customers outweighed concern for student well-being and doing what is right.
Dr. Bennet Omalu — A Courageous Voice
Thank God for people who do not think like that. Dr. Bennet Omalu is one of those people. Here is a YouTube clip of Dr. Omalu in 2016 getting the highest award the American Medical Association gives, the Meritorious Service Award. His speech is incredibly powerful and shows the opposite of the "What about other boards?" mentality. Watch speech (accessed March 26, 2026)
I wish Bennet Omalu was at the school board meeting I spoke of above to say, "Do not conform. The fact that other people are doing it does not mean you must join them. Seek the truth and stand with the truth. Do not be afraid."
A Shift in Position
In my delegation I insisted that I am seeking dialogue, but now I have shifted my position. It is obvious that this is seriously wrong and something must be done. If football kills (See the Scientific evidence tab below) then why would we encourage young people to play? Perhaps I should have taken this approach all along.
No benefit of tackle football outweighs the irrefutable evidence that it is destroying brains. I would have stopped it because of deaths and serious injuries, as others have done in the past. But now that we know about CTE, it's a no brainer.
Government Inaction
After the board meeting in 2023 by me, a psychotherapist, a priest and three concerned teachers, the trustees sent a letter to the Ministry of Education. They wrote in their letter that the ministry provides guidance on concussions, but not on CTE. You do not require a concussion to get CTE.
The Ministry of Education passed it on to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sport, and it went nowhere. Everybody is passing the buck, and nobody is doing anything. Deny, delay, do nothing!
Our schools are meant to be places that develop the brain and body, not destroy it. Please help me influence government and school officials who are responsible for decisions to promote this deadly game in schools.
I believe that there are people out there who care.
Related Organizations
In the United States there is an organization called The Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation. Their website is stopCTE.org. It was started by the family of a young person named Patrick Risha, who died by suicide in 2013.
The president is Patrick Risha's mother, Karen Kinzle Zegal. Here is a quote from the web page:
"As Patrick's mother, Karen is beyond heartbroken by his loss and for years prior was saddened by his struggle. She hopes this Foundation will help others impacted by CTE and educate parents on the dangers of activities which involve head traumas to prevent others from suffering the same loss."
When I asked if we could use his picture here, she said she would be honoured.
Another site is the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which has chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Their site is very thorough, and they do a lot to educate on this issue and help people suffering from CTE.
Why Schools Are Different
This web site you are reading now has a similar concern but has one particular focus that is different. I will argue that tackle football should not be promoted in schools. I wish no one played it because it is violent and hurts kids, but especially not in schools. It is one thing if a young person and parents go looking for the game and find a league to play in. It is altogether another thing if a young person goes to school for an education and then is tapped on the shoulder and is encouraged to play. It easily becomes all about school spirit and peer pressure. They have an opportunity to make friends and impress their peers. It is inclusive of all body types, and the game is extremely exciting. The problem is, they are often not warned about CTE, and they can acquire this brain disease before they know what hit them.
The fact that it is in schools was the focus of an article in the American Journal of Bioethics written by two doctors from the University of Minnesota, January 6, 2016, entitled Medical Ethics and School Football (accessed March 21, 2016)
The University of Rochester publishes a report each year about tackle football and catastrophic injuries and deaths. Most teen deaths are from school football rather than league. (accessed March 30, 2026)
All five of the Canadian deaths that I told the school board about in 2023 (from rugby and football) took place in schools.
"13-year-old dies from football injury, the 7th young player to die this month"
— Kathryn Mannie, Global News, August 29, 2024
According to the annual football fatalities report there have been 1,966 deaths (1,075 direct and 891 indirect) in the United States from football over the nearly one hundred years it has been around. (accessed March 31, 2026)
I wonder how many catastrophic injuries there have been. God only knows how many more have had their lives ruined and ended by CTE, an invisible killer!
A Moral Duty
It is wrong to promote an activity that kills, especially in schools. I was a Catholic educator and expected the "pro-life" Catholics to be different. Now I am turning my attention to everyone and anyone who might want to listen and help change this situation where young people are being encouraged in schools to play a game that kills.
When we see young people being harmed there is a moral duty to speak up and act. Surely there is some teacher, principal, trustee, director, superintendent, politician, parent, student leader, lawyer, ethicist, or ANYONE out there who is willing to take a stand. Is there anyone who:
- Sees that it is very seriously wrong to encourage this deadly sport in schools.
- Feels that we can and must do all that we can to stop it.
I expect I will offend some. I may offend those who organize and encourage this sport, and those who believe tackle football is good for young people. They love the game passionately. I have listened to all the arguments and have not heard a sound one yet. If you believe the benefits outweigh these dangers, please try to convince me. I would love to talk!
A Final Thought
In an interview with The New Republic in 2013, Barack Obama said, "If I had a son, I'd have to think long and hard before I let him play football." Please read the information below with an open mind, and even if you do not agree as you begin reading, consider the possibility. Aristotle said that "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." I commit to doing the same.
Allow the question to arise in you as it did in me in September of 2012, in kind of a detached way. Is this right? Be open to changing the script of that headline that says Football kills and nobody really cares. If it is true, and if we really cared, we would stop football in schools.
We can do this.
These are the headlines I dream of.
Why do we have to wait for another young person to die from CTE before we pass a law? Patrick Risha's story, and many others, is already known. Read Patrick's story
Please read the Information for Parents and educational leaders tab below and ask this question: This sport has obvious benefits, but can we really say that these benefits outweigh the risk of death, serious injury and brain disease?
2/3
of players showed brain changes after just one season
03 — For Parents
Information for Parents & Educational Leaders
Before you let your child play tackle football, you should know that the following are possible consequences. Click each card to read the full evidence.
These deaths almost always happen in school football as opposed to league football.
Here is a headline from August of 2024 that is hard to believe:
"13-year-old dies from football injury, the 7th young player to die this month"
By Kathryn Mannie — Global News, Posted August 29, 2024
In the United States where the game is more popular there have been 1,966 deaths since the game began almost a hundred years ago (1,075 direct, 891 indirect). The majority of deaths are teens in school football rather than league play.
Annual Football Fatalities Report(accessed March 30, 2026)
Tackle football is very destructive to the body. Dan Meggysey, a football player who left the NFL and wrote a book entitled Out of their League, wrote the following:
"One of the justifications for college football is that it is not only a character builder, but a bodybuilder as well. That is nonsense. Young men are having their bodies destroyed, not developed. As a matter of fact, few players can escape from college football without some form of permanent disability. During my four years I accumulated a broken wrist, separations of both shoulders, an ankle that was torn up so badly it broke the arch of my foot, three major brain concussions, and an arm that almost had to be amputated because of improper treatment. And I was one of the lucky ones." (p. 82)
My question is, if we know that there will be these injuries, why not play sports that are less dangerous?
Rugby is equally dangerous to life and limb. It causes many deaths and numerous injuries and concussions but does not have the same research about CTE that football does.
Why no mother should let her son play rugby — Professor Allyson Pollock(accessed March 30, 2026)
There has been a lot of talk about concussions, but did you know that a person can acquire the brain disease CTE without getting a concussion? Scientists believe it is caused by repetitive sub concussions caused by minor hits that occur on almost every play in football.
Dr. Bennet Omalu
New York Times, Dec. 7, 2015 — Don't Let Kids Play Football
If a child who plays football is subjected to advanced radiological and neurocognitive studies during the season and several months after the season, there can be evidence of brain damage at the cellular level of brain functioning, even if there were no documented concussions or reported symptoms. If that child continues to play over many seasons, these cellular injuries accumulate to cause irreversible brain damage, which we know now by the name Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or C.T.E., a disease that I first diagnosed in 2002.
Depending on the severity of the condition, the child now has a risk of manifesting symptoms of C.T.E. like major depression, memory loss, suicidal thought and actions, loss of intelligence as well as dementia later in life. C.T.E. has also been linked to drug and alcohol abuse as the child enters his 20s, 30s and 40s.
Our children are minors who have not reached the age of consent. It is our moral duty as a society to protect the most vulnerable of us. The human brain becomes fully developed at about 18 to 25 years old. We should at least wait for our children to grow up, be provided with the information and education on the risk of play and let them make their own decisions.
University of Rochester, 2019:
Researchers followed 38 football players with helmet accelerometers. Although only 2 of the 38 players received a concussion, more than two-thirds showed changes to the integrity of the white matter of their midbrains after just one season.
Read the study — ScienceMag(accessed May 7, 2020)
Dr. Ann McKee / JAMA — Boston University:
Dr. Ann McKee examined 202 donated brains from deceased football players. Of those, 177 — 87% — showed signs of CTE. 110 of the 111 brains from ex-NFL players were diagnosed with CTE.
"Linemen knock heads on most plays, and those who study brain trauma say the accumulation of seemingly benign, non-violent blows — rather than head-jarring concussions alone — probably causes C.T.E. Data compiled by researchers at Stanford showed that one college offensive lineman sustained 62 of these hits in a single game. Each one came with an average force on the player's head equivalent to what you would see if he had driven his car into a brick wall at a speed of 30 m.p.h."
"The study found that the high school players had mild cases, while college and professional players showed more severe effects. But even those with mild cases exhibited cognitive, mood and behavioral symptoms."
Read the full NYT report(accessed Dec. 9, 2020)
Recommended viewing & reading:
🎬 Movie: Concussion with Will Smith
📺 Documentary: League of Denial on PBS
📖 Book: Brain Damage in Contact Sports — What Parents Should Know Before Letting Their Children Play by Dr. Bennet Omalu
📰 Opinion: Don't Let Kids Play Football by Dr. Bennet Omalu, New York Times
04 — GOING DEEPER INTO THE SCIENCE
Featured
Bryan Roach did the following brilliant presentation about CTE to DPCDSB
on January 31, 2023.
“For every 2.6 additional years of football played, the odds of
developing CTE doubled.”
McGee A. and Mez J., Duration of American Football Play and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
Published in Annals of Neurology (2019)
05 — Why Schools
Why Schools Must End Tackle Football
A School’s Mission Is Education and Student Well-Being
Schools exist to develop students’ minds and bodies—not to expose minors to avoidable risk of catastrophic injury and repeated head impacts.
Consent Is Not Simple for Minors in School Programs
Even when parents sign forms, school sponsorship adds:
Institutional encouragement
Peer pressure & status incentives
Incomplete disclosure on brain risks
Marginalized students more at risk
What Boards Can Do
Adopt a board policy ending school-sponsored tackle football for those under 18 and replacing it with flag football and other safer alternatives.
“Effective [date], the Board will begin phasing out tackle football programs for students under 18 and will no longer organize, sponsor, or fund these programs, while continuing to support flag football and other non-collision sports as alternatives.”
06 — Government
Government & School Board Correspondence
In 2023, DPCDSB trustees wrote to the Ministry of Education asking for guidance on CTE (not just concussions). The ministry's response emphasized concussion protocols—missing the point about CTE—and referred the issue onward. Three years later, the follow-up went unanswered.
Prior to 2023 Delegations & Meetings with DPCDSB Trustees
Delegations & Meetings with DPCDSB Trustees
Years of advocacy asking trustees to address CTE
Over a period of years, delegations and meetings were made asking trustees to address CTE and school tackle football. These efforts culminated in the formal letter below.
February 15, 2023 DPCDSB Trustees → Minister of Education
DPCDSB Trustees → Minister of Education
Requesting province-wide CTE guidance for schools
From: DPCDSB Board of Trustees to Hon. Stephen Lecce
The DPCDSB Board of Trustees wrote to the Minister of Education after hearing delegations about contact sports and CTE. The letter noted that "CTE is not mentioned in concussion policy or resource documents from the Ministry of Education or OPHEA" and requested the Ministry conduct a review of the emerging evidence on CTE and provide direction for school boards.
DPCDSB Letter to Minister of Education
February 15, 2023
From: Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board of Trustees
To: Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education
Dear Minister Lecce:
At a recent meeting of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board's (DPCDSB) Faith and Program Committee, the Board of Trustees heard several delegations regarding contact sports in schools; namely football and rugby. The delegates expressed their concern regarding injury to students, both immediate and long term. Of particular note was a focus on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and emerging research identifying the long term hazards of hits to the head as a result of playing contact sports. In an attempt to better understand the impact of CTE, DPCDSB staff have undergone a preliminary scan of medical research studying the impact of recurrent concussions and sub-concussive blows on neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric functioning.
The understanding among researchers about the causes of CTE is currently limited. Most studies of CTE have focused on the brains of a small group of people after death, such as professional football players, from which high rates of CTE have been reported. Research has not addressed the possibility that biological, environmental, or lifestyle factors could also contribute to the brain changes found in people with CTE diagnosed after death (Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Answering Questions about CTE, January 2019).
To date, epidemiological studies of children and youth who participate in contact and collision sports have not identified long-term neurological or psychiatric consequences (Canadian Pediatric Society – Position Statement on Sport Related Concussion and Bodychecking in Children, January 2023).
There is still much to learn concerning the relationship between head injuries and development of CTE. CTE is not mentioned in concussion policy or resource documents from the Ministry of Education or OPHEA.
To that end, the DPCDSB Board of Trustees is respectfully requesting that the Ministry of Education support school boards by conducting a review of the emerging evidence and research on CTE and provide direction for school boards regarding preventative actions for contact sports in schools.
We thank you for your continued support and cooperation and look forward to a response identifying next steps.
Sincerely,
Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board of Trustees
Signatories:
Luz del Rosario (Chair) — Mississauga Wards 6 & 11 · Thomas Thomas (Vice Chair) — Mississauga Wards 2 & 8 · Brea Corbet — Mississauga Wards 9 & 10 · Paula Dametto-Giovannozzi — Caledon/Dufferin · Darryl D'Souza — Brampton Wards 2, 5 & 6 · Bruno Iannicca — Mississauga Ward 7 · Mario Pascucci — Mississauga Wards 1 & 3 · Stefano Pascucci — Mississauga Ward 4 · Anisha Thomas — Brampton Wards 1, 3 & 4 · Herman Viloria — Mississauga Wards 2 & 8 · Shawn Xaviour — Brampton Wards 7-10 · Leroy Onuoha (Student Trustee) · Dea Sokoli (Student Trustee)
Copy: Ontario Catholic School Trustees' Association
March 16, 2023 Ministry of Education → DPCDSB
Ministry of Education → DPCDSB
Passed the buck
Response emphasized concussions — missing the point about CTE
From: Suzanne Gordon, Assistant Deputy Minister
The Ministry responded by emphasizing existing concussion protocols — using the word "concussion" five times — while failing to address CTE at all. They then referred the issue onward to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
They did not seem to understand that CTE does not require a concussion.
Ministry of Education Response
March 16, 2023
From: Suzanne Gordon, Assistant Deputy Minister, Indigenous Education and Well-Being Division
To: Luz del Rosario, Chair of the Board of Trustees, DPCDSB
Dear Ms. del Rosario,
Thank you for your letter on behalf of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board's Trustees regarding concerns about contact sports and the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
The ministry is committed to helping all students succeed and lead safe, healthy and productive lives. As part of this commitment, the ministry has taken steps to promote concussion awareness, prevention, detection and management in the education system. This work also serves to protect students against head trauma and the potential risk of CTE.
Following the enactment of Rowan's Law (Concussion Safety) in 2018, the ministry introduced Policy/Program Memorandum (PPM) 158: School Board Policies on Concussion, which came into effect in January 2020, to protect amateur athletes and students by improving concussion safety on the field and at school.
The ministry also continues to support Ophea annually to review and update the Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education (OPASSE), which includes concussion protocols, information and tools for school boards and educators. Ophea engages with a wide selection of leading subject-matter experts and organizations in the fields of physical health and education to review and update OPASSE each year.
In addition, the ministry supports the annual International Concussion Summit (ICS) hosted by the District School Board of Niagara in partnership with Ophea. The ICS brings together specialists from across Canada and beyond, including experts in multiple forms of head trauma and CTE. Over the last nine years, the ICS has reached over 2,500 attendees from the education and health care sectors across Ontario and New York State. You can find more information about the ICS at www.icsniagara.com.
As CTE is an emerging field of research that has impacts beyond the education system, we will share your concerns with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, which leads the work on concussions on behalf of the Government of Ontario.
Thank you again for writing and for your dedication to the safety of our students in Ontario.
Suzanne Gordon
Assistant Deputy Minister
Note: The Ministry used the word "concussion" five times in this response. They did not address CTE as a distinct issue — they did not seem to understand that CTE does not require a concussion.
March 22, 2026 Tony Whelan → Ministers of Health & Sport
Tony Whelan → Ministers of Health & Sport
After three years with no action, this follow-up letter reattached the original DPCDSB correspondence and asked the ministers to respond. It included comprehensive scientific evidence about CTE and posed the question:
"Don't you think we want to prevent students in our schools from getting CTE? The only way to prevent it is for students not to play tackle football."
Letter to Ministers of Health & Sport
March 22, 2026 — Tony Whelan
To: Minister Lumsden (Sport), Minister Sylvia Jones (Health)
cc: Suzanne Gordon, Assistant Deputy Minister of Education
Dear Minister Lumsden, Minister of Sport and Minister Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health,
Below is a letter that the trustees of DPCDSB wrote to the minister of education in February of 2023. You will also find the response from the Ministry of Education, which was to pass it on to the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The letter said that while we have concussion protocols in our schools, "CTE is not mentioned in concussion policy or resource documents from the Ministry of Education or OPHEA. To that end, the DPCDSB Board of Trustees is respectfully requesting that the Ministry of Education support school boards by conducting a review of the emerging evidence and research on CTE and provide direction for school boards regarding preventative actions for contact sports in schools."
CTE is a serious problem. It is a silent killer. Have you seen the PBS documentary League of Denial? After this documentary, Kalum Kelly had an article in the Star (Oct 13, 2013). The headline of the second part of the article was: "Football kills and nobody really cares."
The documentary and articles were about the NFL. But what about high school students? Don't you think we want to prevent students in our schools from getting CTE? The only way to prevent it is for students not to play tackle football. Many doctors are telling us that you do not need to have a concussion to get CTE. It is acquired through build-up of many sub concussions. Football is unique in that there is rattling of the brain inside the skull on most every play, at least for the linemen.
The letter continued with comprehensive scientific evidence about CTE from the Information for Parents section.
Feel free to send your own letter to your local representatives in your jurisdiction.
A note on the Minister of Sport: There is a Facebook post by CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Sept 18, 2024) saying that the minister of sport, who played in the CFL, has donated his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada for research on brain injuries. One wonders how he feels about preventing CTE by not encouraging football in schools.
The pattern: Deny, delay, do nothing. The board passed it to the Ministry. The Ministry passed it to Health & Sport. Three years later — still no action on CTE in schools.
Can anyone help me get a response? Perhaps you can take similar action where you live.
07 — Liability
Liability & Lawsuits
Lawsuits don't prove what is right — but they force institutions to act.
New York Times, Oct 14, 2021
A Loyal Catholic's Mission to Protect the Church from Youth Football
Denny Doyle saw a bigger problem: the Roman Catholic Church was putting tens of thousands of boys at risk by sponsoring CYO tackle football leagues around the country. To his relief, his grandson opted for flag football. But Doyle, his eyes opened, saw the liability exposure for the church he loved.
Precedent — Ontario
$12.6M
Settlement — TCDSB
Paid by the Toronto Catholic District School Board after Wesley Jurich suffered a serious brain injury from playing rugby.
1994 — Ontario
A sixteen-year-old student tried to sue after becoming a quadriplegic from a football accident. The court ruled: “Football is commonly known to be a dangerous sport that results in many injuries.”
To those who have an opportunity to sue: Please consider it. It seems money is a main motivator. It can change things.
08 — Common Arguments
Common Arguments - The Dirty 30
"Intelligence is the child of intuition, often a very unruly child."
"They need it for their well-being"
It is very harmful to physical and mental well-being. The Vatican published a document on sports in 2018 which quotes Dan Meggysey: "Young men are having their bodies destroyed, not developed."
"It builds character"
Many players and coaches are admirable people. But schools can build teamwork, discipline, courage, and belonging through sports that do not require tackling and repeated collisions. Does it not compromise the fundamental value of reverence for life?
"They get scholarships"
If it's bad for their health, more football is the last thing we would want. The system that gives free education that has to be paid for by sacrificing your health is corrupt and we do not have to comply with it.
"It would hurt enrollment"
Maybe more will come because they see we stand for life. Even if it did hurt enrollment, are we willing to pay that price of kids getting hurt so we can have more customers? Would we pay the price of compromising our values?
"It helps the marginalized"
It hurts them if they are getting CTE. More affluent and educated parents protect their children while low-income communities risk their health for the possibility of a scholarship. "Nobody advises them as to the long-term medical risks. They are out of the loop." — Harry Edwards
The White Flight From Football by Alana Samuels, The Atlantic, Feb. 1, 2019
"They pray before they go out there"
It is still harmful. This does not make it right.
"They will do it anyway — better under our auspices"
Even under our auspices, they are still getting serious injuries and CTE.
"It builds courage"
We need moral courage more than physical courage — courage to stand up for your principles and reverence for life, even if there is a price.
"If they don't do this, they'll be doing worse things"
We do not know this. It may be that if we do violent sports for excitement, we send a message that life is not sacred and doing violence for fun is OK — leading to more.
"Students need to let out their aggression"
We need to find a way to deal with our aggression that does not involve hurting others.
"People die driving cars — should we stop driving?"
We drive with the intent of avoiding accidents. In violent sports your intent is to hit your opponent as hard as you can.
"You would have to get rid of all sports"
Football is special because of the rattling of the brain inside the skull on most every play. Of course there are other sports that rattle the brain and we should be more careful. Dr. Omalu deals with this thoroughly in his book, Brain Damage in Contact Sports.
"There are more concussions in other sports"
You do not need a concussion to get CTE. Let's do our best to avoid concussions in other sports as well. Why not non-contact rugby and hockey? Why not no heading in soccer?
"Our kids have to be tough to defend themselves"
Let's teach self-defence and non-violent conflict resolution. The "might makes right" culture needs re-evaluation.
"We don't want to bubble wrap the kids"
This is the black and white fallacy — reasonable risk is OK, but this is not reasonable risk.
"It builds character"
Many players and coaches are admirable people. But schools can build teamwork, discipline, courage, and belonging through sports that do not require tackling and repeated collisions. Does it not compromise the fundamental value of reverence for life?
"We have to feed the system"
No, we don't. We could opt out if it is wrong. The sport exists for the kids - not the kids for the sport.
"The legal age of consent is 16 — they can choose"
Many immoral things have been legal. The age should be 18 or 19 like it is for drinking and tobacco. We should not organize and encourage something that is harmful.
"Parents should have a right to choose"
We are not being neutral in the decision. We are organizing and encouraging it. Many trust our judgement and think that if we encourage it, it must be good for kids.
"You can't change it — it's been around a long time"
Yes we can. Because something has been around for a long time is not a good reason to keep doing it.
"The other boards are doing it"
Someone has to be first. There was a first to end corporal punishment in Canada (Toronto in 1970). The rest caught up 35 years later.
"Coaches' intentions are to help kids"
True, but it is still bad for them.
"It is dying out anyway"
It will not die out without courageous leaders willing to lead. We call our students to be agents of change.
"What about your trips to Nicaragua?"
If our trips were that dangerous, they would be ended without argument.
"Common Arguments - The Dirty 30"
Parents should have a right to choose" to: "We are not being neutral in the decision. We are organizing and encouraging it in schools. Many trust our judgement and think that if we encourage it, it must be good for kids.
"Football is the most meaningful experience some students have"
There is obviously good done. But now we know that besides a memorable experience, many are also having their bodies and brains ruined.
"There would be push-back from students and parents"
Change comes with a price. It will not be easy, but that does not mean it is not right. Should we make decisions based on how much push-back there will be?
"We need something to replace these sports"
OK fine — let's do that. Flag football is one option. Maybe outdoor education. If we get our heads together, we can find alternatives. The issue here is ending sports that kill and cause brain damage.
"It's a dog-eat-dog world"
Of course it is. But that's the problem with the world, and that's the mindset we are trying to change. The "might makes right" culture needs re-evaluation. It's working for some — but not for many, and not for the planet.
"One teacher told me that our kids are too soft these days and if our country were invaded, we wouldn't have a chance."
So, is football meant to train for war? Is war a given? Must we train for it? I agree with Walter Wink, who said that "The myth of redemptive violence is the dominant religion in our society." Maybe we should not be encouraging that mindset. We need warriors ready to fight to protect life, not people who value life so little they will risk it for sport.
Reflection
The Truth About Football
Perhaps there is some truth in each statement above, but not one outweighs the problem that football causes the horrific disease of CTE that leads to anxiety, depression,, and suicide.
When people give these short answers that show very little thought, what is really behind that? Maybe there is some denial going on. Perhaps an addiction?
Here is a five-minute satire of the situation that sums it up very well. In the end, the defender of football just moans, "I like it OK!!" It seems like an addiction to me — when you know something is bad for you and keep doing it anyway.
09 — Burden of Proof
Burden of Proof
We can think more deeply. The podcast below is an example of Malcolm Gladwell dealing with an important nuance regarding this issue. Where should the burden of proof be?
Are the benefits of these games worth the cost of teens' lives? The chance of losing teens' lives?
From my second delegation to DPCDSB
The question is this: are the benefits of these games worth the cost of teens' lives? Are they worth the chance of losing teen lives? Are the benefits worth the cost of many teens developing a chronic brain disease? The chance of many having CTE? The topic of taking the chance is important here.
The question was never answered.
Malcolm Gladwell's Argument
This podcast by Malcolm Gladwell asks the question in another way. He argues that we have much evidence that football causes CTE. We do not have definite proof. Should there have to be? Where should the burden of proof be? Shouldn't you have to show that the game is reasonably safe and good for our students' health?
The Tobacco Parallel
He compares the issue to the denial of the tobacco companies that smoking causes cancer. They put profit before well-being. The football establishment is doing the same—deny, delay, do nothing.
10 — Faith
Faith, Ethics & Moral Leadership
Football is bad for kids in body, mind and spirit. The first two are obvious; the spiritual cost is not. Below is a gathering of voices from the perspective of faith and ethics.
"Religion has always suffered from the tendency to become an end in itself… as if the task of religion were not to ennoble human nature but to enhance the power and beauty of its institutions."
— Abraham Joshua Heschel
A Personal Note
Deep spirituality that makes a difference in the world is my passion and was my life's work for forty years as a Catholic educator. My personal experience is that good education can change lives and even shift a culture.
Many parents say, “Well, my kid is not playing, and that's what I'm responsible for.” According to a Bloomberg poll, 62% of educated parents would not let their kids play. But I think we need to do more.
DPCDSB Delegation — January 31, 2023
I delegated to DPCDSB with a priest, a psychotherapist, and three concerned teachers. One science teacher prepared an excellent video on CTE. One thing repeated twice that night: “What about other boards?” We are responsible for our students — we should make our decisions based on what we think is right.
Dr. Bennet Omalu — AMA Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Omalu's four-minute acceptance speech (begins about 2½ minutes into the clip) speaks of a kind of faith that is very real — and his words answer perfectly some of the questions I was given that night. He is Catholic. He does not talk about it — he just lives the faith with courage and passion.
Buddhist Mirror
Thich Nhat Hanh — A Revolution in Education
I sometimes think about what a Buddhist school would look. Their blessing is always, “May you be well; may you be free of harm.” I could not imagine them organizing violent games for their students.
"Young people harm themselves and others because life has no meaning for them… When we know how to transform ourselves and our society, our children will transform also.
Our children learn reading, writing, math, science… But very few school programs teach young people how to live — how to deal with anger, how to reconcile conflicts, how to breathe, smile, and transform internal formations. There needs to be a revolution in education. We must encourage schools to train our students in the art of living in peace and harmony."
— The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, p. 150
Catholic voices: resources for school boards
Following are voices from Catholic sources that Catholic school boards may want to consider putting into practice.
Help End Tackle Football in Schools
If you believe this is wrong and want to act — reach out. Teachers, coaches, principals, trustees, parents, lawyers, politicians, medical officials and anyone responsible for school policy.
There are many schools and school boards across North America. Perhaps you can raise this issue within your sphere of influence. You could talk to anyone from your parent council to the public health official in your area. The possibilities are endless.
Your light will be your guide.
Drop an email below to let us know what efforts you are making and if we can be of any assistance.
Email directly
info@footballkills.com
When young people are being harmed, we have an obligation to speak up. Please take a stand as you are able and let us know here what you are doing. If you have a comment or insight you would like to share, email me and I will share it here.
Related Organizations
Stop CTE — stopcte.org
Concussion Legacy Foundation — concussionfoundation.ca
One Last Goal — onelastgoal.com