Singer and New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi paid an emotional tribute to a high school football player who died in Washington Township.
Advertisement
Around the country, the number of high school students playing football has dropped by more than 25,000 over the past five years, and a few school districts have dropped the sport because of safety and liability concerns.
“High school football is the most unsafe level of the game because it is the least regulated”, O’Neil told Agence France-Presse. In fact, it’s not even a record. This left the team with only the younger players, who could be at risk of getting injured as well, said school principal Nick Ithomitis. Exposure to head trauma is too risky.
Maplewood isn’t alone. Schools in Maine and New Jersey have canceled or cut short their seasons this year due to injuries or low student interest.
A string of disturbing videos showing high school football players taking matters into their own hands and retaliating against other players and officials, have gone viral in recent weeks. CNN reported this summer that new research shows significant concussion incidence in high school soccer, though the figures are roughly half those of football. A torn ACL knee injury sidelined him last year but this year he’s back on the roster.
“Once we started looking into it, we found that participation numbers had declined to the point where there was not sufficient interest to field a team”, he added.
MaryBeth Horodyski, of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, believes the priority is for more athletic trainers – healthcare professionals trained in sports medicine – in schools.
Advertisement
“Not just at games, but also at all practices …”
