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Youth football
Warbirds
Member Posts: 16,939 ✭✭✭✭
I do not let my boys play tackle football primarily due to the risk of concussion. A good friend thinks football is the last place boys can really be rough and tumble anymore. And he makes a really compelling argument on that side.
I think there are plenty of other sports out there, but football is a great sport. My middle boy specifically is becoming a stand out athlete and wants to play tackle football (he’s 10).
Am I am massive helicopter parent or is there something to be said for the massive amount of data that shows how damaging football can be?
Set me straight.
Comments
My son played football from when he six years old thru college. He was a QB. I worried about him every time he stepped on the field. We were lucky and although he was bruised and banged up some he never was seriously hurt. The worst he was ever hurt was playing in the yard with some friends when he was seven years old and tripped and broke his arm. Football is a rough and dangerous sport and as they get older it gets more physical but he wanted to play so we let him, you can't be shielded from everything in life. With that being said we have had two local players that had devastating spinal cord injuries and left both paralyzed from the neck down. It is a tough decision to make and I wish you the best and hope you make the right one.
It is a tough call. My grandsons played lacrosse, basketball, and wrestled. A decision my kids never had to make.
Today's kids are so large and fast compared to when I was in high school, being from a small town, I don't think we had more than 2 or 3 kids over 200lb and most schools in our conference were the same. Today high school kids closing in or at 300 lb aren't all that uncommon.
Back when my husband played it was all about hurting everyone you could. My son played and it was pretty much the same, but started changing almost suddenly...less outright horrific plays happening here and there. I used to cringe when I'd hear that loud crash that only helmet to helmet sounds like.
I watched one boy get hit, he was laying on the ground and his arms came straight up, hands dangling, like you see in a zombie movie. This is something you see when there is a spinal injury. The whistle blew, he was helped up by another player and he kind of staggered around. The stands were full and I was way up at the top....but I kept thinking someone saw this, but nobody did from what I could tell and they just got ready for the next play. It was nuts. I made my way down to the field and flagged someone down...."number (whatever) from the other team is hurt"......they look at you like you're nuts and say "we'll check it out"....nobody does. So, its all about watching your own, because nobody was looking out for that boy.
When my son was in the 10th grade the head coach told me Liam was a "next level" player and it actually made my heart sink a little. He was aggressive....VERY fast and just had a ton of natural talent, first string, on the field for every play. I just knew this was going to lead to something and I didn't know if it was a good thing or not. I stepped back at that point and just let Liam decide for himself what he was going to do with this talent he had. I still don't know if that was a good thing or not??? He decided he wasn't going to play any longer in the 11th grade. It was hard to just let it go because it was sure to open doors for him....but he said he didn't like playing.
So, I just let it go. Then, he started getting into trouble. I think this was coming no matter what, would football have been any help or would the pressure of it all make the trouble he was heading toward even worse? Who knows? He is 24 now, his friends that he played football with almost all went to college have graduated and are teachers, coaches, and other professional people. He is still sort of floating around in life and not really focused on anything much. He isn't in any trouble, but he isn't really trying either....just drifting through these days.
I think football was a great way to make friends....the kind of friends who have involved families and schedules are a great thing for any young person. I think once you get to a certain level....around high school.....its not a lot of fun and everything gets serious. So, if you want him to TRY football middle school is perfect for that kind of thing and I'd let him decide how far it goes after that. At some point, its totally out of your control and that is earlier than you think it is....so just be as supportive as you can with whatever path you guys end up on.
Teach him to play hockey instead. I played over 20 years and it never caused me any oh look a flutterby
I played Pop Warner football for 3 years, and played high school football for 4 years. I loved it and I got a lot out of it. Great experience.
....Im old school, its one of the "rights of passage"...I played all thru school...never saw being tough as a bad thing...
The risk of getting seriously hurt is exponentially higher when your son(s) are transported to practice/games in a car.
I played all through school. I enjoyed it up until the ninth grade, when some guys started to man out. I was tall and skinny, and when I got hit sometimes it felt like I broke every bone in my body. I stuck with it though, and it taught me a few life lessons.
I gotta call BS on that claim.
Kids sports are a full-time job now, some year round. Different then when I was a kid and even different from when my older boys played.
One thing you want to do is make sure the kid doesn't have every minute of every day scheduled. Kids need time to be kids.
Call it anything you want ,,,,,,,,
https://www.codot.gov/news/2021/september-2021/car-crashes-leading-cause-of-death-for-kids
‘Denver - According to national data, two kids under 13 were killed every day, on average, in car crashes in 2019.’
My 11 year old grandson played on the 6th. grade team this year.
My brother has 2 boys that play hockey, and head trauma is beginning to become a concern as they get older, and game gets more physical.
He has been researching sensors for the helmet.
I remember one product is called Shockbox.
That MIGHT be the only thing coming from CDC in the past 2 years that I'd give any credence to! It actually seems logical and doesn't fly in the face other scientific data. That said, the nanny state (including CDC) would like to see an end to any activity that promotes "toxic masculinity".
I played football though high school and did end up with a concussion from a collision helmet to helmet with another 215 lb player both running full out. Knocked both of us out cold....As it was 1975 they just propped us up against the team benches and once we came to, the team trainers checked us out.. Both of us were back on the field within a few minutes...
I missed a couple days practice the following week after seeing my family Doc. Back in the game the next Friday night.
The good news is they do a much better job now then in those days. Equipment is better not too. I still have not figured out how they expect a guy to tackle another without leading with the head..
I will warn you that if you let him play and he enjoys it, nothing will stop him.
#4 played from the time he was about 10. He's 26 now and plays for a semi-pro team in Little Rock. He just can't seem to hang up the cleats.
Advice: Yoga.
Seriously. Males typically have tight tendons and muscles without much stretch which will lead to torn ligaments and tendons. Yoga will help tremendously with elasticity as well as honing awareness of movement.
#4 did Yoga at home. We had it on a DVD set. His buddies would join him. They laughed at first until they tried it and saw how hard it was.
When I was 10, I wanted so bad to play football like my Dad had. After two practices of the coaches yelling at us all to “Hit him harder. HURT him!! HURT him!!” and stuff like that, my Dad pulled me out, took off my pads/Helmet, threw them on the sidelines, and said, “We are done with this. This is not the football I grew up with.” One of the best things he ever did for me. I went on to play basketball, baseball, and run cross country and track. Never got hurt, had great experiences, and got more opportunities for scholarships, etc.
In my opinion, football just isn’t worth the risk.
Started playing "Texas Schoolboy Football" in the 7th grade. Starting center in 8th grade and JV as a freshman, then got switched to tackle my sophomore year.
Small school, (Class A, 250 total enrollment) and I ended up starting tackle both ways at 152 pounds. All-district as a Junior (180 lbs) and Hon Mention AD as 225 lb Senior (ClassAA)
Could have played college ball but no one told me they could fix my torn rotator cuff.
Now I have a replacement right shoulder and both knees.
Went to my 50th class reunion and learned 5 of my best friends had died. One had brain problems, got to where he had to be led everywhere and told what to do. I believe it was from concussions -- he played flat out. Met the guy who played guard beside me my senior year. He had coached a state champion team, but I could tell he was slipping. He too played flat out and I know of at least one concussion -- I had to tell him who to block for several plays.
I know I had one concussion. Woke up in middle of play trying to figure what was going on.
I was not disappointed when my sons chose to play soccer.
Was that in the days of the leather helmets?
Son played Rugby at Buffalo. That is another really rough sport. He chased too many girls, and drank too much beer. When team walked in bar they though they owned it. Got hit in head with beer bottle and while he was in ER his car vanished from front of bar. Got let out of School of Engineering but welcomed him back otherwise. Took a semester off and made three trips to UWVA. Begged Dean to take him in Engineering and he did. Graduated in top 1% as a ME. I tell you kids will drive you crazy.----------------------------Ray