WASHINGTON — The fear and concern over concussions among athletes has become a growing national trend. Even Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III left Thursday night’s exhibition game against the Detroit Lions with one. So how is the concern about concussions affecting the number of kids who are signing up for football?
Forty-four percent of parents surveyed say they are worried about concussions and the long-term effects, according to an Associated Press-GFK poll. But it’s not stopping them from letting their kids play on the gridiron, or compete in other high-impact sports such as ice hockey and wrestling. But only 5 percent of parents have stopped their children from playing these sports over the last two years.
The National Federation of State High School Associations says statistics show only a slight decline in the number of high school football players.
The poll also shows that most parents are comfortable with their kids competing in sports, such as swimming, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer and track and field.
In response to the attention surrounding concussions, more is being done to protect against them, such as training for coaches and parents and new helmet designs that could reduce the force of an impact, although the science is not yet sure about that.
Just about a year ago, officials with Loudoun County Public Schools and some high school parents were in a battle over concussion sensors on helmets. The school system ruled against their use, saying they were not sure the sensors were effective and that concussion precautions were in place.
The AP-GFK poll of 1,044 adults was taken last month and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
