Efforts To Ban Tackle Football In Illinois For Kids Under 12 Falls Through

A proposal was made earlier this year to ban tackle football for kids 12 and under in Illinois; however, the idea ultimately fell through. These efforts were made to try and eliminate the risk of concussions for all young children. Lawmaker and state Representative Carol Sente was the main person behind the “Dave Duerson Act,” and acknowledged that there simply wasn’t enough support; however, she plans to change this in the near future. In an article written by Steve Sadin from The Chicago Tribune, Sente says that “Passing this bill is an extremely important goal to me. I don’t plan to call the bill for a vote this year, but I’m going to keep it open because every week there is new information.” With Sente not seeking a re-election this year, her departure from the General Assembly will require someone else to take charge. Even after she leaves the House, Sente still plans to continue her campaign. “To support the bill, Sente assembled scientists and former football players who were educated about the dangers of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a brain disease believed to be linked to repeated blows to the head. Her bill was named for the former Chicago Bears player who committed suicide at age 50 and was later found to have CTE,” says Sadin. He also says that youth football coaches were not in favor of such a ban as they have “made strides to make the game safer and that players who are ill-prepared to play tackle football when they’re older may be more susceptible to injury.” In my blog titled “Tackle Football; Why Children Under The Age of 13 Shouldn’t Participate,” my argument against children from ages 12 and under fully supports Sente’s position.