‘Let These Families Grieve in Private’

It seems Diane Pucin has erected a shrine for those unfortunate youths who died on the football field this year [“Death of Teenager Isn’t Talk of the (Small) Town,” Dec. 22]. My heart goes out to the families of these players, but everybody who follows the game knows these types of death occur every year, many of them due to the same physical maladies Ms. Pucin mentions (rare heart defect, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, etc.) This is not news. Let these families grieve in private.

I don’t understand, though, Ms. Pucin’s motivation for writing this article. Does she hope to abolish football? Does she intend to root out the coaches who push too hard? Does she want regimented water breaks enforced? What?

Peter Hrisko

Los Angeles