Youth tackle football in Columbus is facing a crushing blow this year.
Many leagues are seeing a significant drop in participation because of parental concerns over concussions.
Worthington mom Jennifer Zalewski has a 10 year-old son who plays in a football league. She recalls his first game when he got benched after taking a hard hit.
"He said he had a headache and he was out for the rest of the game," said Zalewski. "He was bummed he couldn't play anymore, but you have to be careful and err on the side of caution.”
Concerns about concussions have resulted in a declining enrollment numbers in youth football programs around the country.
Enrollment has taken a hit locally with participation falling in Westerville, Hilliard, and Worthington.
Dave Richeson is the football director for the Worthington Youth Boosters. He believes the key to preventing head injuries on the field is to educate kids early about proper tackling technique.
"Most head injuries and neck injuries come at the crown of their head or at the top of their head when they're coming down into that situation and that's something we have to get away from, explained Richeson.
All the talk about concussions has resulted in big growth for flag football leagues, according to Steve Cox from i9 Sports who organizes leagues in Columbus.
“Our leagues have continued to grow year in and year out,” said Cox. “We’re seeing kids stay in our leagues longer and now we’re keeping kids into the third, fourth, and fifth grade.”
Worthington has seen a 15 percent drop in youth tackle football enrollment over the last few years and organizers hope to reverse that trend.
The league has taken extreme measure to ensure safety by hiring highly trained coaches and is working with OSU athletic trainers.
Richeson hopes these preventative steps will help ease parental concerns and give kids a safe and winning experience on the field.