Sports in the U.S. has been historically unique. Previous generations of kids grew up playing baseball, basketball and football. We have American symbols of baseball, apple pie, peanuts and cracker jacks with a whole host of famous broadcasters many of whom are now gone.
But cracker jacks and apple pie cause obesity, parents don’t like the violence of football, kids teams don’t keep score, everyone gets a trophy at the end and kids soccer teams often have the same number of girls as boys. Sports in the U.S. in the past has been about competition and being the best. Not so much with the new generation.
The children of immigrants play soccer. Baseball, football and basketball are too American for them.
I have found the turning away from football by the young has less to do with injuries, than the inherent daddy balling on the youth level. What usually happens on the youth level is that the head and assistant coaches kids get to play QB, RB, and WR while the rest of the kids get to block or not play at all. It is cronyism at its finest.