Chicago Bears: Olin Kreutz Explains Real Reason Youth Football Is Dying

Youth football across most of the country seems to be fading in recent years, even in the Chicago Bears own backyard of Illinois.

Recent news came out that a new bill spearheaded by former Bears Otis Wilson and Mike Adamle is aiming to have football eliminated from youth sports for kids under the age of 12. This in an effort prevent significant brain trauma that is said to be far more likely in children. This due both to their inability to protect themselves better but also given their brains have not yet fully matured.

There is plenty of merit to the idea. Given the increased understanding of the CTE illness often caused by repeated blows to the head, most often seen in football players, this would be a step in helping to prevent players from having significant long-term complications later in life. Some though fear this is the first step towards ruining the game. However, at least one person is trying to clarify the true reality. Football isn’t diminishing because of increased awareness about head injuries.

It’s more about the simple fact that new generations of kids have far more options these days.

Olin Kreutz believes “hard” sports are thinning out

No man understands what it truly means to live and breath the game of football more than former Bears center Olin Kreutz. The six-time Pro Bowler was a monster in his heydey and notorious for his nastiness and attitude. He is also a staunch defender of the game he loves. At the same time, he’s accepted the new reality that faces it. He spoke with Jack Silverstein of Windy City Gridiron about the state of the game and its new challenges. One of his most profound statements was how the head injury issue isn’t why it’s fading.

It’s the simple fact that youths don’t view the sport with the same aura of necessity as decades past.

"“People use the word ‘toughness’ the wrong way nowadays,” he says. “Toughness is getting up at six in the morning and going to school. That’s toughness. The game will teach you that. You have to do bear crawls. In football, I tell the kids this: do you know why people don’t play football anymore? It’s not because it’s dangerous. It’s not all the things people say. Kids want out of football because it’s hard. It’s hard. Football’s hard. Wrestling’s hard. These are the sports that are dying. There’s no other reason except for it’s hard. These are hard sports to do.”“You don’t think it’s because of a fear of head injuries?” I ask him.“No,” he says. “I think if you give people a way out of these hard sports, they’ll get out.”"

It’s an interesting point. Indeed the rise of the Digital Generation has changed things. Football isn’t just contending with its traditional opponents like basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer anymore. The rise of esports is a perfect example of how things have changed. Many youths have a greater array of opportunities outside physically demanding vocations like football. Why go get banged around on a field and torture the body when you can sit comfortably in a chair and play a game? That’s just one example too.

It may seem like Kreutz is offering up a convenient excuse to defend football, but he has a point. One of the biggest challenges for the NFL isn’t solving the crisis of head injuries. It’s convincing these new generations of kids that it’s worth their time and effort to play football.