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
Episode #21 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Chatting About a Broken Game With Baseball Writer Pedro Moura – Moura is a national baseball writer for Fox Sports. He previously covered the Los Angeles Dodgers for The Athletic. His new book is titled “How to Beat a Broken Game: The Rise of the Dodgers in a League on the Brink.” We discuss how and why the game of baseball is broken, what factors caused it, and offer a few thoughts on how to “fix” a great game.
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Episode #20 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Coaching Youth and High School Sports Based On What’s Best for the Athlete’s Holistic Development – We chat with long-time youth, high school and college basketball coach Jim Huber.
Episode #19 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Capturing the Spirit of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League with Anika Orrock – We discuss the hoops AAGPFL women had to jump through to play the game they loved as well as the long-term impact and legacy they have in advancing sports opportunities for girls and women.
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Episode #16 – League of Fans’ Sports Forum podcast: Andrew Maraniss: Outstanding Author of Books That Focus On the Intersection of Sports, History and Social Justice.
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.
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
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.
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