Local parents react to law limiting full-contact practices for youth football teams

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- 10-year-old KamaKana takes the game of football seriously.

This is him practicing one-on-one with his dad before practice starts with his team.

But a new state law will soon change how teams like KamaKana's play.

After Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law limiting full-contact practices for youth football teams.

The news does not sit well with some parents.

"I don't like when other people try to regulate what we try to do. We understand the risks as parents," says Kaulana Corpuz, a parent.

Dr. Jennifer Crocker at Valley Children's Hospital says she sees hundreds of athletes each year with brain injuries.

Many of them are dealing with learning disabilities, memory loss and light sensitivity because of repeated tackles.

"These children and teenagers are developing at a rate and a pace that should be fostered with the best neurological environment possible to make the best of their brains and contact impact, repeated impact does not do that," Crocker says.

And these two parents agree.

They spent nearly a month at Valley Children's with their then 16-year-old son who was in a five-day-long coma... after suffering a traumatic brain injury at football camp years ago.

"This drill is to protect kids youth football. They don't have to go four or five days a week hitting. The NFL doesn't do it and college football doesn't do it so they are doing an hour a week which is more than enough," says David Maronic.

That is what this league says they have been doing.

Working to reduce contact to decrease risk.

"We know Saturday's is a long day. They are out there battling it out on the football field and we want to limit any injuries out here," says Jake Jennings, the president of West Clovis Monsters.