Football High: Bigger and Faster, But Safer?

Filmmaker Rachel Dretzin's Football High: Bigger and Faster, But Safer?—aired on PBS's Frontline series—takes the viewer into the frenzied world of high school “football factories,” which attract national attention from fans, the press, colleges, and pro teams, while also pressuring players to win at all costs (the motto is often “if it ain't rough, it ain't right”). The documentary focuses on a large Christian institution in northwest Arkansas, which serves as a contemporary lens for examining broader changes over the years. Football was once viewed as a macho training field in which young men stood their ground and sucked up the pain, hoping to win glory, a college scholarship, and perhaps even a shot at the pro leagues. Today's new recruits are bigger, stronger, and faster, while increased research has brought awareness of the devastating effects of head injuries on the still developing brains of these youthful athletes, who can suffer in later years from dementia and depression (which can lead to suicide). Another concern is the increasing incidence of heatstroke as teams work out during the summer. Players, coaches, sportswriters, and doctors are interviewed, and some suggest that near-term solutions might include having medical personnel observing on the field at all times. But as this thoughtful and topical program suggests, long-term answers will require a broader cultural shift. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)