JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Sports provide lessons in teamwork, discipline and fun, but when it comes to football, there continues to be some real-life lessons in brain injuries.
There now appears to be a growing shift on the grid iron, as parents are leaving traditional tackle football for safer alternatives, like flag football.
Cameron Gibson, a father of two, said he didn't want to leave his children's health and safety to chance. Gibson said he believes his kids get just as much out of flag football as tackle football. The only difference is the fear factor.
"It was just the violent hits he was getting during the season," Gibson said. "I would take concern about that and we started looking at flag football."
Gibson moved his son Tyler from tackle football to flag football several years ago. His 8-year-old daughter, Sierra, has even embraced the sport thanks to Jacksonville's i9 sports, which is co-ed.
It's a small change that Gibson said makes a big difference.
"Taking the hits, the day after the game he'd be in pain a little bit, that sort of the thing with tackle football. With flag football, after the game, it's a smile on his face, a good time with his friends and stuff like that," Gibson said.
Pop Warner, the nation's largest youth football program, saw participation drop nine-and-a-half percent between 2010 and 2012. Over that same period, i9 sports saw an 18-percent increase in sign-ups.
Doug Ramsey, Executive Director of i9 Sports, said the non-contact aspect of flag football is what makes the difference.
"That's really the bottom line. It is a non-contact activity," Ramsey said. "There's always the incidental things with the kids running around but we really stress non-contact."
Officials with the Pop Warner organization released the following statement to Channel 4:
"While many youth sports have seen fluctuations, there is no hard data that links participation numbers with the fear of concussions. We believe athletes choose to play or not play specific sports based on a number of reasons."
As more parents continue to reassess the risks associated with traditional football and it's long-term health effects, Gibson said he will always support the life lessons it teaches head-on.