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Letter from AFMby: John GallupEditor and Publisher © More from this issue My teenage son was a hotshot linebacker on his freshman football squad a few years ago. He had the size, speed and athletic ability to have a nice high school football experience and I was anticipating three more years of proudly supporting him and his team. So, when he told me he was quitting football for rugby, I was naturally a little disappointed. More so, I was concerned that he would be playing a violent sport with bone-jarring tackling without any protective equipment. In particular, I was worried about head injuries and the possibility of concussions. His three seasons of rugby, which included a Florida state championship, were not injury-free. But I can’t recall ever seeing him or any of his teammates take or deliver a serious blow to the head. The rules of rugby, and the practical reality of playing without pads or helmets, force the players to tackle in a way that minimizes injury – especially to the head. The point is that rugby is a sport that’s tough and sometimes brutally physical but not necessarily violent. A high premium is placed on player safety. Football, rugby’s younger cousin, is headed in the same direction. With the massive amount of media attention devoted this year to head injuries at all levels of football, the changing landscape of rules regarding hits to the head and the growing awareness of the consequences of head trauma, we are seeing the game evolve. Especially at the youth level, greater emphasis is being placed on protecting young athletes from traumatic head injuries and erring on the side of caution if a player exhibits any sign of a possible concussion. At AFM, we have and will continue to cover issues related to player safety and how football is being affected. We believe it’s the responsibility of everyone involved in the game to focus on protecting athletes’ health and well-being. In that regard, there are some key areas where we will focus our attention: • Developing and teaching new, safer tackling techniques that protect both ball carriers and tacklers but are still effective. Football will never be injury-free. And the toughness and physicality of the game are its cornerstones. But, in the interest of the long-term survival of the sport and the health of its participants, we welcome changes that will make football safer and even more successful in future seasons and look forward to following these developments together with you. John Gallup |
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