HBO’s Real Sports is providing evidence that families with money are taking their children out of tackle football because of worries about concussions. These families are also increasingly putting their children in sports such as soccer, lacrosse, hockey and rugby — which also have high rates of concussions.
The report misses where these children of wealthier families are going, because it’s not just to flag football. They’re going to fast-growing sports such as lacrosse and rugby, which depending on the study are right behind or even ahead of football in terms of the rate of concussions among its participants. Or they’re continuing to sign up for soccer and hockey, which also have relatively high concussion rates, especially for girls, who studies have said are twice as likely to get concussions as boys.