Book excerpt: Playing team sports has many benefits, and yet high-contact sports such as football and rugby have also been linked to serious injuries, including concussions, and a higher risk of dementia, depression, and Parkinson’s disease. How can we weigh the potential benefits of contact sports with their potentially serious risks? This text provides primary source evidence from doctors, scientists, and experts in the field of sports medicine, as well as ordinary people’s viewpoints, in order to help students reach their own conclusions about the risks related to high-contact sports.