I recently read the editorial piece published in your paper (“Develop Minds, then Smash Them?”

December 29, 2015) regarding your opinions on youth football and the football program at George Mason High School. I am writing to express how strongly I disagree with your opinion.

I am a sophomore at George Mason High School. I am also a student athlete.  I participate on  both the swim team and the track and field team. Last year I played varsity football, however my season was cut short after a broken arm in the first game. I decided to not play football this year for a variety of reasons, the arm being one of them. The key words here being “I decided.” It was not my parents’, coach’s, doctor’s, or school’s choice. It was my choice.

One of the things I think you left out in the editorial was how efficient our athletic department is in teaching athletes the risk of all sports. There are numerous videos and assemblies that athletes have to watch about concussions and other brain related injuries. The physical trainers at Mason do an outstanding job of not only helping athletes through injury, but teaching athletes the risks of all sports and how to prevent injury. I think it is fair to say that every youth athlete and parent know the risks of all sports at Mason. If one is informed of every risk and he or she still give his or her final consent to compete, I do not see a problem.

If football is suspended from the Mason athletic program a new question is formed as to where the line is drawn. If you cancel the football program, why not cancel girls’ field hockey? Someone might get hit in the head, yet only the goalies wear helmets. Football is not the only sport exposed to concussions, and has pads and helmets to protect, while some other sports do not. It is impossible to draw a line that applies to only one sport without drawing that same line elsewhere.

Yes, football is high risk sport, but so is every activity in some light. According to the Sports Concussion Institute and the Center for Disease Control, other sports including girls soccer and boys ice hockey also rank high and close to football on concussion rates. The only way to combat the growing threat of head related trauma in any sport is to make sure that every player knows all the risks of his or her sport. Our athletic department is doing just that.