Cathleen Healy's, a marketing and communication professional, response to Daniel Flynn's In Defense of Football appeared in the NY Post.
As I read Daniel Flynn’s “In Defense of Football” (PostScript, Aug. 18), I recalled the wise words of the late Jack Kemp, who once wrote in The Wall Street Journal: “President Theodore Roosevelt recognized the benefits gained and values learned by participating in the great sport of football. By convincing colleges to institute rules to make the sport safer for players nearly 100 years ago, the president not only allowed football to flourish, but he paved the way for many young people to excel in life.”
Team sports like football are invaluable. USA Football promotes the safety of young players through its FUNdamentals and Heads Up Football programs. Despite what critics say, a new report by Safe Kids Worldwide shows that the chance of a concussion from playing football is no greater than in soccer and far less than hockey.
Kemp was a great quarterback and a national leader. I’m sure he would’ve agreed that youth football is definitely worth saving.
Cathleen Healy
Washington, DC