Considering all the sports that exist, and all the drama that occurs within those sports, American football is perhaps the most tumultuous. From the current interplay of politics and the NFL, largely with the protests spearheaded by Colin Kapernick, to crimes committed by professional players, there are rarely calm moments. Just when New England thought the dust had finally settled after years of scandal from Aaron Hernandez, a revelation came that touched the Wellesley community. Upon closely scanning Aaron Hernandez’s brain, doctors discovered that Hernandez had CTE.

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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, has become increasingly common among professional football players. However, among all the problems that this disease brings, one overshadows the rest: CTE can only be discovered posthumously.

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According to a study by Boston University, doctors have discovered CTE in the brains of 99% of 111 N.F.L. players who have passed away, many of whom committed suicide. The study also showed that CTE was present in the brains of 91% of college football players and 21% of high school football players. However, it is important to acknowledge that families of the players donated these brains, likely due to suspicion that something regarding football had changed their family member’s behavior. Despite the appalling nature of the statistics, this apparent bias is important to recognize.

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While statistics for CTE in high school football players are not nearly as shocking as those for more advanced football players, the research should not be taken lightly.

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CTE leads to behavioral changes and cannot be discovered before death, so what does this mean for high school students playing football?

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Both the town and high school football programs in Wellesley are obviously not expected to dissolve based on this study. However, they should consider how to safely coach the children in youth leagues to avoid greater risk for CTE in high school, where the risk of head trauma is much greater.

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If a student has even mild pathology due to CTE, they can still suffer from CTE symptoms as serious as those with severe pathology. According to the same Boston University study, these symptoms can impact decision making tendencies.

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High school is a time of immense growth and development in a person’s life. In Wellesley, where many students attend college after graduation, making smart choices is vital to a student’s future. Not only will their poor decisions begin to have consequences, but their smart choices inside school will start to show benefits outside of school. While everyone has room to make mistakes and learn from them, CTE might take this to a new level.

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As repeated head trauma causes CTE, a possible solution is to reduce when the consistent head trauma begins. If changes were made to youth football leagues in Wellesley, the risk of behavioral changes in high school due to CTE could be diminished.

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According to another study by Boston University, children who began playing tackle football before the age of 12 suffered from cognitive and behavioral problems later in life. The subjects of this study are still living, so they cannot be diagnosed with CTE, but they still suffer from symptoms similar to those who have CTE.

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Wellesley football teams shouldn’t allow members to play tackle football until the age of 12, and instead switch to playing flag football, or some other variation. The risk of CTE is too large, and the symptoms of CTE can cripple the future of anyone. The risks are clearly not worth the reward when it comes to this disease, so youth football leagues need to make a change.

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Football is a huge part of the Wellesley sports community, and many kids under the age of 12 play football. Not everyone might accept this change if it is put in place, and many might be angry. In fact, some will dismiss this request and say it will only decrease how many children play football.

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However, there are also many parents are already worried about the safety of football. Many do not allow their children play due to the rough nature of the game. Perhaps this change could lead to the attraction of a whole new crop of parents willing to sign their kids up to play.

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But the reality is, the safety and long term health of student athletes are the most important factors to consider, especially in light of this new research. And through this lens, the obvious solution is to protect our athletes.