Get Your Head in the Game (But Don't Cause it Trauma) - Cal Thompson, 1st period

(Please excuse my abhorrent spelling; my right index finger bears a rather painful burn, so I am refraining from employing it in this task. My remaining fingers are rather strained due to prolonged typing, and I now realize that energy expended in typing this could have been otherwise applied, but I just really don't wish to use the mouse as would be near-required for the task of nitpicking through each mistake.)
This article explains research showing brain injury caused by children engaging in football at a young age (around 8-12). Although measures are taken when visible signs of concussion are shown, brain damage can occur without being immediately evident. Children aged 8-12 are especially succeptible to brain injury from football, having weak necks and much of their weiht in their head. It was found that brain alterations due to football were more common in players who began before the age of 13.

I've never understood American football. It's crass and violent. It can cause brain trauma. The team names are generally tacky. The helmets aren't even that well-designed. The list goes on, but this has got to be the topper. It's not even like all these children wholeheartedly threw themselves into the sport; many were likely coerced into participation by overenthusiastic patriarchal family members. Football generally carries a strong stench of man-sweat and hypermasculinized pride alongside the garish, uncomfortable attire, and this can be irritating to an extent. However, this sport taking toll on children in turn takes the cake, chews it up, spits upon it, and throws it through a glorified two-pronged fork while shouting and running into a teammate. I don't understand football, but it's far easier to comprehend than the disregard for safety and consideration concerning literal children. I now bid you adieu, with one last thing: what other often gender-stereotyped activities can you think of that take toll on the participant? (Hint: Ballet, although it's often less taxing on youth, but still, I took it for five years and my knees will never be the same, and my hand is really hurting now and I'm exhausted but hopefully this post is still reasonably coherent, despite my digressions, typos, and obnoxiously superfluous diction.)

Article:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/10/football-kids-heads/504863/