For Educators

Is Playing Football Safe for Kids’ Brains?

  • Published6 Jul 2026
  • Source PBS

American football and other contact sports carry inherent risks of injury, including head trauma. With repeated head trauma can come a heightened risk of diseases like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

Access League of Denial: Is Football Safe for Kids? from PBS. In this lesson, obtain educator materials, explore the symptoms, causes, and prevalence of CTE, and review evidence for whether football is safe for young children.

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