(Boston Magazine) – When Sharon sophomore Rohan Shukla suffered a devastating brain injury during a Thanksgiving game, the small Massachusetts town had to confront a difficult question: How can we get the balance of sports culture and student safety right?

Due to dwindling interest, Sharon no longer has a Pop Warner feeder league to introduce tackle football to young players (although a new youth program is in the works for this fall). Elementary- and middle-school-age kids in town who want to play football can join leagues in nearby towns. As a result, most Sharon players don’t learn how to tackle—or be tackled—until ninth grade. Coach Shuffain acknowledged this lack of experience as a potential hurdle in a 2024 Boston Globe season preview, expressing concern with the depth at the high school level.

This raises a crucial question: Is it possible younger players, like Rohan, had to step into starting positions before they were ready? (Read More)