Of the 89 players on Trinity High School's Varsity team, 18 of them weigh over 250 pounds. Football observers agree that on average, high school players' size, speed and strength have increased dramatically over the past five to 10 years. As the size of the players -- and the intensity of the sport -- grows, FRONTLINE investigates if enough is being done to keep kids safe. Watch "Football High," airing Tuesday, April 12 at 9 pm on PBS (check local listings).
High school football has never had a higher profile, with nationally-televised games, corporate sponsorships and minute-by-minute coverage on sports websites. In northwest Arkansas, FRONTLINE examines one ambitious high school team working its way towards national renown. With a superstar quarterback at the helm, tiny Shiloh Christian is striving to join the ranks of the country's best high school teams -- teams whose workout schedules, practices and styles of play increasingly imitate the pros. But as high school players grow bigger, faster and stronger, there are growing concerns about the health and safety of these young players, with rising rates of concussions and death from heat stroke. In Arkansas, FRONTLINE documents a tragic story of heatstroke injuries that reveal how weak regulation has created a crucial lack of athletic trainers at most high schools. It all raises a critical question: Has the amped-up culture of high school football outrun necessary protections for the boys who play the game?
