sportstyle

N ot to put too fine a point on it, but the sport of football in America is, in many respects, at a crossroads. It's an incredibly popular sport, yet it's played by a relatively small segment of the overall population – 99 percent of its participants are male and the overwhelming majority are under the age of 18 – and it has been beset by safety concerns at all levels for years now. Yet, despite these demographics and head- winds, it continues to capture the attention of all age groups and remains, arguably, America's New Pastime (Historical note: For a sport that is so strongly associated with the U.S., the roots of its existence actually trace back to the sport of rugby, to the 1830s at Rugby School in England when William Webb Ellis picked up a soccer ball with his hands and started running with it. It's fair to say that if young William had not broken one of soccer's golden rules, then American football fans probably would have never heard of Tom Brady.) Fast forward to today. Football's unique appeal and attraction have made it the cor- nerstone of team sports in the U.S. Look no further than how important is was this past fall for football to return to play at many levels under COVID-19 restrictions: When football is played safely in the U.S., it sends a strong signal that other sports can be played safely, too. Despite all odds, football managed to bring people and communities together in the face of the pandemic. Yet significant issues remain and team dealers are bearing the brunt of the challenges headed into 2021. FOURTH &LONG? Already dealing with participation issues, football looks to rebound from pandemic challenges in 2021. By Mike May TEAM / FOOTBALL 42 • January 2021 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com Despite all odds, football managedto bring peopleand communities together in the face of the pandemic.

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