League of Fans Co-Sponsors Panel Discussion on the Legal Impact of Brain Trauma On High School and Youth Football
By Ken Reed
League of Fans and the American Museum of Tort Law are presenting a panel discussion on the legal aspects of brain trauma and how it might change high school and youth football as we know it.
The panel of experts includes: Patrick Hruby, a journalist who has written extensively about brain trauma in sports; Chris Nowinski, one of the foremost educators, advocates, and researchers in the field of sports concussions and brain trauma; Jason Luckasevic, an attorney and consultant on sports brain injuries who filed the first two CTE lawsuits against the NFL; and Mary Alexander, an attorney who specializes in personal injury and consumer rights. The panel is moderated by Joanne Doroshow, a civil justice expert.
While a few thousand adults play in the NFL, hundreds of thousands of young people play football at the high school and youth levels. Brain trauma at these levels is very concerning due to the fact that most high school and youth games and practices don’t have a trained medical professional on site. Moreover, in most cases, the coaches at these levels lack adequate training in concussion identification and safety protocols.
There’s a real threat that lawsuits brought against schools, school districts and youth football programs (in most cases by parents of young athletes suffering various brain trauma injuries) could result in many schools/school districts dropping the sport due to rising insurance premium costs related to an increasing number of lawsuits.
The panel discussion can be viewed at the American Museum of Tort Law site and on YouTube.
Please feel free to share this panel discussion on this important sports issue widely.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans

Sports Forum Podcast
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Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- Reed Appears on Ralph Nader Radio Hour League of Fans’ sports policy director, Ken Reed, Ralph Nader and the New York Times’ Tyler Kepner discussed a variety of sports issues on Nader’s radio show as well as Reed’s updated book, How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan. Reed's book was released in paperback in February, and has a new introduction and several updated sections.
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Vanderbilt Sport & Society - On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss with guest Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director for League of Fans and author of How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
Books