Football is America's favorite sport. It's a fast-paced, hard-hitting game. Every week, thousands of men and boys across the country participate in football and every week, these men and boys receive severe beatings during the game. Often, as a result of these violent blows, the player suffers a concussion. However, the long-term effects of concussions on players are not fully understood. New research shows that even a mild concussion during a football game can have lasting effects on a player. As a result of this research, children under the age of fourteen should not play football. Since the creation of football, it has been considered a virile sport. Young boys were encouraged by their parents to participate in the game. For many boys, it is considered a rite of passage. However, football is a dangerous sport. A study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy found that "approximately 5.25 million football-related injuries among children and adolescents ages 6 to 17 were treated in U.S. emergency departments between 1990 and 2007. The annual number of football-related injuries "related injuries increased 27 percent over the 18-year study period, from 274,094 in 1990 to 346,772 in 2007" (Nation 201 ). These reported injuries include sprains and strains, fractures, cracked ribs, torn ligaments and concussions. A concussion usually occurs when a player receives a strong blow to the head or loses consciousness on the playing field. If not diagnosed and treated promptly, a concussion can lead to death. Concussions occur regularly on the football field and have always been a problem. football-related injury. They perform at every level, from little league to the NFL. One of the first reported concussions... middle of paper ...... Down and thumbs: Concussions and footballs make or break the moment. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Group, 2013. Print. Mihoces, Gary. "Parents weigh risks of youth football amid concussion debate." The United States Today. USA Today, May 23, 2012. Web. April 11, 2014. Nation, AD, et al. “Soccer-related injuries among youth ages 6 to 17 treated in U.S. emergency departments, 1990-2007.” Clinical pediatrics. 50.3 (2010): 200-207. Internet. April 3, 2014. Vaughn, Christopher, Gerard Gioia and Maegan Sady. “Academic problems following a sports concussion. Which children are at greatest risk? British Journal of Sports Medicine. 47.5 (2012): 47-51 Web. April 11, 2014. Yates, Keith et al. “Longitudinal trajectories of postconcussive symptoms in children with mild traumatic brain injury and their relationship to acute clinical state.” Pediatrics. 123.3 (2009): 735-743. Internet. April 11. 2014.