My son Ryan began playing youth tackle football at the age of eight and continued every year through high school. For four years, he was the celebrated dual quarterback and running back for the Mount Saint Michael varsity football team in New York City.
There is no way to document the number of concussions Ryan sustained, as there were simply too many to count. Players were encouraged to “man up” and get back out there no matter how badly they were hurt. All I know is he suffered a decade of brain trauma, from when he started playing up until the age of 18.
In the book Concussions and our Kids by Dr. Robert Cantu, the doctor explains that helmets offer no protection to a child, since their brain shakes inside the skull with every hit, disturbing the connections inside of a growing brain.
As young parents, we were under the impression our children were protected by their padding and helmets. It appeared the coaches had faith in the equipment as well, since they were enthusiastic in telling their players to make aggressive tackles.
Ryan began showing symptoms of aggressive behavior during his senior year of high school. He was argumentative and excitable, not like himself at all. Then in March of 2004, Ryan suffered a breakdown in his college dorm room. The next six years were a blur of frightening hospitalizations, doctors’ visits, medication trials, and despair for our entire family.
Our lives were consumed with finding the right treatment for Ryan. It turned our household upside down and is something from which we haven’t yet recovered. In 2010, Ryan admitted himself to Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Doctors there were concerned since many of his symptoms were related to frontal lobe damage. Ryan was transferred to a traumatic brain injury (TBI) program.
That same year, I reached out to our local Senator and Assemblyman with Ryan’s story. I also traveled to Albany with Assemblyman Michael Benedetto of the Bronx to speak about youth tackle football and its risks to a young child’s developing brain, hoping to spark interest in a bill to ban tackle football for children under 14 years of age.
In 2013, I contacted and met with Harry Carson, the celebrated Hall of Fame captain of the NY Giants. He has been an inspiration and mentor to Ryan. I joined Mr. Carson on a panel at NYU Langone Medical Center where we discussed the dangers of concussions, football, and the devastating symptoms connected with repetitive head impacts.
I continued doing my own research and discovered the Concussion Legacy Foundation in 2023. With the help of their HelpLine, we were able to find a good medical professional who prescribed a combination of medications along with vitamins and talk therapy. We also sought out and discussed our story with other parents who were struggling. Having a support group was and is such a crucial part of the healing process.
With treatment and time, Ryan began to show signs of improvement. Through New York State’s TBI Waiver program, our son was fortunate enough to meet a life skills coach, who encouraged him to exercise and helped him create inspirational videos. These served as therapeutic tools which gave Ryan the confidence to discuss his journey publicly. In one exceptional video, the coach brought Ryan to visit his high school coaches and talk about his experience.
These all proved to be a lifesaver for Ryan, who is now 39 years old and doing much better.
We know Ryan is one of the lucky ones. He lives with us and has the support of extended family, friends, and mentors. He exercises almost daily, including playing sports like basketball and golf, and loves to create rap songs as a hobby. He earned his certification from the Academy of Peer Services and has been working as a Peer Counselor with the ACMH Organization in Manhattan for almost three years. He has true empathy for the residents and is often asked to represent his division at staff meetings.
Ryan agrees with us that parents should think twice about tackle football for young children. He believes his story could be an eye-opener for parents who believe, as we did, that their children are being protected by their helmets. Even though coaches are more aware these days and practice safer techniques, parents need to know all the facts. We are strong advocates for CLF’s Flag Football Under 14 program and encourage all parents to understand the risks when considering enrolling their children in youth tackle sports.
