New York lawmaker says bill banning kids under 12 from playing tackle football is gaining support
NEW YORK -- For the last decade, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, from the Bronx, has been pushing a bill to prohibit kids under 12 from playing organized tackle football to protect their brains.
Benedetto is trying again this year and hopes to finally score a legislative win.
One look in his office and you can tell Benedetto is a big supporter of youth sports. But he draws the line at tackle football programs that allow kids under 12 to play.
"All I'm trying to do is have kids play safely. Don't enter tackle football until the body is better prepared for it, until the brain grows to a substantial degree," said Benedetto.
Benedetto's bill to prohibit kids under 12 from organized tackle programs was sidelined in Albany for 10 years.
This year, for the first time, he has a cosponsor in the senate: Luis Sepulveda from the Bronx.
A doctor, who in 2019 testified that more research was needed, now favors the bill too, given recent research on contact injuries to the developing adolescent brain.
"I think they can play contact sports when they get to high school. I don't see a reason not to do that. I think to do it at a younger age puts them at a much greater risk for lifelong cognitive, physical and emotional challenges post-injury," said Dr. Mark Herceg, a sports neuropsychologist.
Pop Warner football has been pushing back, pointing to multiple rule changes to reduce head contact.
"We have banned kickoffs for our youngest age groups because an inordinate amount of injuries occur on kickoffs," said Pop Warner Executive Director Jon Butler.
Some opponents say participation in youth football should be up to parents.
"Now we're gonna tell parents and teams that kids under a certain age can no longer play tackle football. I don't think that that's government's job," said Assemblyman Chris Tague.
Benedetto believes this will be the year his bill crosses the goal line.
"The movement is growing," he said. "The safety of the kids is paramount."