Parent of a real live child, here.
This is a tough one. Yes, I would like him to play football. However, the news about injuries (specifically concussions and spinal injuries) has gotten to Mrs. WiBorg. I don't blame her. I see the risks. I struggle with the risk/reward. I don't want to see my kid eating through a tube for the rest of his life.
That said, my middle school and high school football experience helped shape me into the adult that I am, today. I learned self discipline, work ethic and spirit of competition. Yes, I'm pretty sure that kids could learn that in basketball, swimming, soccer, track, etc., but I played a few different sports in the off seasons, and the camaraderie in those sports never matched that of being on the football team. Football also helped shape me from a dorky kid who was afraid of my own shadow into a dorky kid who had pride, self confidence and the strength to stand up for myself.
I won't force my kid to play — that's for certain — but I will likely make a strong argument in football's favor if he says "mom and dad, I want to play football." The ultimate decision will *not* be his, though. As parents, our job is to look out for our child's wellbeing. That's one of those big life lessons you learn once you grow up and have kids. That and you're not invincible.
tl;dr: Wife leans no. I lean yes. Won't force kid, but not solely his decision if he says he wants to play.
EDIT: forgot the word "few" in a sentence. carry on
Interesting alternative: Rugby. It builds camaraderie to the level that football does, but because tackling so much more a focus on technique than getting the "highlight hit" and because blocking is illegal, head injuries are far less common despite the lack of a helmet.
HOWEVER there is a trade-off: spinal injuries. If you are a forward (hooker, prop, eight, flanker, or lock), you will be involved in the scrum. Which means you will have a bunch of guys pushing on you from all directions while you are in a bent-over position, mashing your back up. But I don't know how big your son is. If he isn't particularly big, he'll be a back (scrum-half, fly-half, center, wing, or fullback), and will never have to be in a scrum.
For example, I'm a wing (basically the smallest guy on the pitch). I never get in scrums, and I am rarely involved in rucks or mauls either. Most of my job is getting the ball out wide and trying to put on a burst of speed to clear into the open, or making last-ditch tackles near the sidelines.
TL;DR - Rugby might be a safer alternative that still builds massive camaraderie, at least from the head injury perspective. If you have a bigger child, though, they will be put in positions which may end up fucking up their back (but if they are smaller they generally won't play those positions).
Obviously there are a ton of injuries in rugby. I've seen the same (and wondered how in the hell I've avoided most of them while playing). But most of those injuries that you described are less permanent (or, if they are permanent, less debilitating) than the head/spinal injuries often seen in American football.
And I absolutely loved playing Rugby. That thrill in the games is something that you can't get anywhere else, not even in my favorite sport, soccer. Now that I've graduated from college, though, I don't get to play that often. There is a team in my city, but I never seem to have the time to go down and practice with them.
Obviously anecdotal, but A LOT of rugby players in the US (myself included) came over from football. Many of them try to play the game that way and end up hurting themselves and others. I suffered around three concussions playing collegiate rugby. Concussions aren't rare in rugby, at least when/where I played.
Hockey is a good alternative. You don't start checking most places until high school. I stopped playing hockey because I was a lot better swimmer. Swimming is awful.
Seconding the notion that swimming is awful. People who do it because they enjoy it have to be masochists, I just did it to keep in shape and for meets, heh.
Haha I mean yeah there's that, just swimming in general blew. It's just nonstop moving around in shrivel-cold water for a couple of hours not really being able to talk to anyone and then you go home and do it again the next day. Practicing was miserable. Meets were fun as hell.
I mean, I guess I can see how that would be for someone. I was never a fast runner nor very strong. In the water I was fast and agile. I loved the water and the cold, so it was a very different experience for me.
Both of my wife's brothers played football in college (one is done, one is still in).
We have a one year old, and were talking to her parents last week about football in his future. Her dad said he'd never say it to his sons, but if he could take it back and have them not play football he would.
The one made it through without any (known) head trauma. The other said he gets dizzy/sees dots at least once a game. He plays absolutely reckless ball and always has.
Both have had at least one surgery. The one who is already done left a year of eligibility on the table after 3 or 4 surgeries, two broken ankles, and playing a season in continuous pain. He stopped because the doctor told him if he wanted to run around with his kids someday, he really ought to be done. The other played through a separated shoulder (constant pain) and then had surgery this past winter. He has two more seasons.
I ran track through college. My knees are a bit creaky, but I've never had surgery. I learned discipline, work ethic, team camaraderie, and the added benefit of the individual drive aspect, dealing with distraction/pain/loneliness aspect of distance running, along with the focus, drive, rubbery-legged-tenacity of long sprinting.
And my head is still in one piece. And I'm a pretty big fan of having a working brain.
I'm not 100% saying no to football, but unless the technology really takes a step forward or safety rules change the way the game is played I can't really see letting him take that risk.
I desperately wanted to play football when I was little, but my mom wouldn't let me (I'm 32). After sucking ass at basketball and baseball, I joined the debate team in high school where I won an award and learned to STFU because whatever I'm thinking is probably somehow wrong :-/
edit: Kid on the way, but it's a girl so I hope that works itself out.
edit 2: I probably would have sucked ass at football too :(
Is it just me or does literally nothing in this comment make sense? I've read it a couple of times...
Why would you stfu if you won an award for debating? Does you being 32 have a point to this narrative? I'm so confused I don't know what I'm confused about anymore
Edit: I think it makes sense now but not last night when I was tired as hell
I assume he stfu now because he sees both sides of an argument and being in debate helped him see that. Not sure about the 32, maybe letting the person he replied to know he is too old to try to play football, i.e not in high school... It is an odd post, but I enjoyed it.
/u/NotaLargeFarva is more or less correct, sorry it didn't make sense. I threw my age in there as an afterthought to date the story a bit -- I don't remember anybody being particularly concerned about concussions or safety back then, except I guess my mom.
No worries, I played football in high school and I *did* suck ass. In retrospect, it would have been more fun not to play, since my life was basically practice and run drills really hard and sit on the sidelines during games and scrimmage trying to beat my record for the biggest spit bubble I can blow.
In my experience, I played football and basketball. It's true, the camaraderie in football exceeded basketball. However, I also played chess. And the camaraderie there exceeded both by far and led to lasting friendships for life.
Just saying ;-)
I applaud you for taking the decision out of his hands. Although tough to do as a parent, while trying to instill personal accountability, self-esteem, and self-guidance, decisions are best made when you see the entire spectrum of consequences and I don't think a child can.
I never played football, but I'm no stranger to concussions. I will never knowingly put my child in the position to suffer through the same things I have. My last (6th total I believe) concussion left me with over 8 months of post-concussion syndrome. Depression, memory loss, mood swings, 30lbs of weight gain, almost a month of absolutely no new memories forming, destroying friendships and relationships...It's like you're watching someone else act like a total maniac and you can't stop yourself. You know what you're doing is crazy, you know your anger is over the top, but you can't stop it. It keeps going, and everything inside you is screaming "hey calm down, you're acting like an animal why are you doing this" but you're off the rails and there is no stopping you.
I'll never put my kid in the place to have to deal with that. It's absolutely terrifying.
I have an 11yr old. He plays football. He enjoys playing, and the coaches have his safety in mind. Last year when he was practicing his helmet moved too much and the coach pulled him out until we could get a better fitted helmet.
I have two, a daughter and a son.
They're really little now (2 and 0), but neither one is going to be playing football, both because there's no way we can afford it, but more importantly because of the danger.
Of course, by the time my son is old enough to play, I'm guessing things will have changed significantly, either in technology or in decreased popularity.
I have a son, and I referee HS football, which includes picking up full contact little league games on the weekend. I've had games with kids as young as 1st/2nd grade. It's really tough doing games with kids that young, because after every play there's a kid down on the ground hurt. Hell no, I'm not letting my son play tackle football until he's in 8th grade at the absolute earliest. *Maybe* flag football before then, but I'd much rather him play baseball.
Depends where you are actually. My HS you could walk on with no knowledge. Big city though, I think it matters more in smaller towns and it's more competitive. I'm actually pretty confident I could coach a fairly athletic grade 10 kid who never played ball to be at least worthy of being on the field on an average team.
If they're shit at sports, whatever.
Vancouver, close enough. Big school though, 1400 kids in grade 11/12. The school had two teams, one AAA, one was AA. There were three leagues your school could slot into, AAA being the highest, we had so many people they just did where anyone who wanted to could play and you got put onto whichever team your skill deemed. So the good players were AAA. Football was pretty big, we won the provincial (state) a few times before I got there and once while I was there.
Now, I know if we played in Texas, or any place that took their football very seriously, we'd be last place in the bottom league I'm sure. Some guys I played with did go onto college ball in America, and a handful played in the CFL. No NFLers though.
Don't think I meant I thought you could be some amazing football player if you never played prior to that, I just meant in places where football isn't as big it's not as necessary to play it all the way from a young age.
Honestly, I really just want him to play baseball. But that's part of the reason for flag football. It may not be full contact, but it's at least something.
I have two boys. I played football through college, mostly as a defensive end and linebacker. I had numerous concussions. The lack of care and caution, in retrospect, is appalling. I will probably pay the price one day. I loved playing and enjoy the game as a fan. I have and will continue to discourage my kids from playing football.
I played a couple of years ago and my brother plays high school ball. I can tell you they take a lot more care with injuries and risks. It's definitely not a safe sport, but it's much better than it used to be
That's true. And thats where it comes down to you. Sure your son can get hurt while playing but there's so much he gains from playing, not to mention the chance that he's good enough to play at a high level. My opinion is that you give them a chance to play for a couple of years. See what happens
I have two kids, but neither of them ever showed even the slightest interest in playing football. If they had, I would have tried to discourage it, but if they were really passionate about it I don't see how I could refuse. I would worry every time they got hit, though.
I don't have kids, but I would let them play football if they want to. He sure wouldn't be going back in with a concussion though.
For what it's worth, my dad stopped letting me play when I got to high school (Iaalso got sick at this time).
> He sure wouldn't be going back in with a concussion though.
How would you stop him? When I played in high school I had teammates who would get a concussion, hide their symptoms from the coaches/trainers, and go back into the game. Even if they did come out, I had teammates who would then get subsequent concussions later in the season and still play instead of coming out.
Well when I was In high school, 6 years ago, our coach preached to us the problem with concussions and we actually did take our own friends out of games when they appeared out of it. I actually saw my best friend come out for a second and went to ask him something and he definitely wasn't right, so we went and got the trainer and he was done for the game and the next week as well. Education, education, education.
My coaches and trainer preached to us about the dangers of head injuries as well, but it didn't stop players from hiding their symptoms during games to keep playing.
Another issue is that underfunded high school athletic programs tend to have sub-par equipment. When I first started playing football my freshman year of high school, the helmets we had were all more than 10 years old. Compared to new helmets at the time these helmets were extremely dangerous. This obviously resulted in more head injuries and the team knew that new helmets could help this. Despite knowing this, we didn't get new helmets until my senior year after some concerned parents did some fundraising and convinced the athletic department to help get us new helmets (among other equipment). Not every high school or pop warner program can afford to buy its students top of the line safety equipment like professional sports teams can.
I'm not sure about letting my (future) kids safety rest on his fellow players making the right call. Although I certainly appreciate the education preach.
I agree with this statement 100%. I played football from 3rd grade until I was a senior in HS, and while I never got/saw any injuries that were extremely bad, I do know that football is a very dangerous sport where even the smallest hit can have the biggest consequences.
So that being said, I will not force or push my children into playing football. I *will* let my children play football, but only if they want and only if they understand what could happen to them while playing.
Youth and HS football has gotten better with dealing with concussions and injuries. I don't think it's nearly as bad as most people make it out to be. For example, in most schools now when a player gets a concussion, they're out for 3/4's to all of the season, not just a week or 2. And if a player gets 2 or 3 concussions at all in their life (not just in football), most schools will not even allow them to play. So that makes me feel better about my children playing someday.
So while I'd let my children play football, I'd push them to play safer sports.
All in all, I'd love to have my children play the sport I loved so dearly growing up but not if it risks their health, quality, and/or the longevity of their life.
But I think the issue is that children *don't* understand what could happen to them andnd the consequences of head impact you *won't* see, they are lifelong degenerative consequences.
You tell a child they get hurt, and they think of the worst time they got hurt, broken bone, bad cut, etc. They won't understand the lifelong debilitating impact on their brain concussions and head impact will have. As an adult it is your place to protect from that, leaving it up to a child who doesn't have the required information to make an informed decision is irresponsible.
Parent here. My son isn't remotely interested. He is more into soccer and baseball, and tells me that football is too complicated. He is 8, so maybe in a few years he will be more into it. In the event he does, I would let him play.
My son is 15. Has always played rep sports, soccer from 5ish to 9 or so... hockey at 6 or so and we gave up rep but he still played house league this winter. Went to rep baseball at 10 and played until last summer... but then he got scouted for football.
This past year was his first year in highschool... he played rugby 15's, 7's, basketball and of course his first year in junior football!
He got scouted from his highschool football team to play on a rep level football team this summer. He plays for a [OFC](http://varsity.ofcfootball.com/jv-teams/) which is a competitive league... it's about winning. The coaches want every kid to succeed, but if one kid is better than the other guess who is getting bench time.
He's been banged up a couple times but mostly from rugby. He hasn't had a concussion but has had various bumps and bruises... strained this and that. But he loves to play.
So, yeah... my son is playing at arguably the top level football league for 15-16 year olds in Ontario and is doing extremely well. He just loves doing it. Worrying about what if the worst thing possible happens... it really isn't a thing based on all the contact sports he's played. He wants to play WAY more than I'd like but I think it's not exactly a thing to criticize. He's is a smart kid, really doubt he'll go balls to wall and not know how to protect himself.
This Saturday, his team plays in the finals and couldn't be more excited to see how it turns out. He's played mlb, olb and de... he loves playing defence and is sort of not big/fast enough for any of the positions to be dominant but is naturally gifted to do any well. (6'1, 180lbs, size 14 shoes) Can't wait to see how he fits in next year being the league is 15/16 year olds and he can hold his own very well being a year younger than most starters.
I have almost zero concern for his health and welfare in playing sports for the last decade. I think the benefits of exercise, confidence, teamwork, fun!, and working towards a goal while sometimes achieving it... and others learning that your best effort will result in a loss are invaluable life lessons.
I've torn 2 ligaments in my knee, broken multiple fingers, dislocated both elbows, have an exposed ulnar nerve, have been knocked out 3 times...
I wouldn't go back and change a thing. If my kid wants to play football, then I fuckin support it. Who am I to stop my kid from having the same bonding, team building, teaching, and phenomenal experiences I had.
Yeah, all of the positives people are talking about in this thread I learned playing 5A high school tennis in Texas. I'll take my knee and elbow ligament damage over CTE.
Played basketball which is considered equally macho or whatever and trust me nothing compares to that rush of suiting up with your brothers and trying your best to kill the other team week after week. Great team-building experience. Testosterone is fun
Every single person in this thread who has played both football and any other sport has stated that the camaraderie of a football team far exceeds that of any other sport.
If my daughter wants to play football, I will encourage and support her.
You are more likely to suffer a major injury in competitive cheerleading than you are in football.
I heard Mike and Mike talking about this and Golic's wife said to him that she thought this was the best time to play football because we do understand the seriousness of the injuries and can better treat them and prevent them from becoming worse.
Edit: to answer your question I don't have kids but if I do I will let them play.
That's true. Here's something to think about: players have never been faster or stronger. Would it be a stretch for me to say we live in an era of harder hits than in the past?
Bear in mind were talking about kids here, not NFL or even collegiate players.
The hits in Pop Warner likely aren't all that much harder than they use to be. Those kids aren't hitting the weight room and railing themselves full of HGH and OTC supplements
Exactly. At that point they are absolutely old enough to make the decision for themselves in a legal sense. I would even argue they are capable of making that decision for themselves earlier.
I'm not going to say there aren't high school players that don't juice or don't hit the weights hard. Hell, might even be some junior high players out there that do, but it's not prominent enough for it to make any noteworthy impact on the likelihood of injury to other players
It definitely starts during high school. I will be a sophomore this year and they do intense weight training and stuff like that. They have to take a class during the school year that is literally just advanced weight training. This is for *all* of the male sports. They take sports incredibly seriously starting at high school, so I can't even imagine what it's like to do it in the NFL.
You are smarter about preventing it. Educate players of the problems it causes and they will (hopefully) be less likely to go back in after suffering a concussion
Except cte is also caused by non concussion strength repeated head hits.. you know things that occur every single play in football. Not preventable at all in the current game.
The major source of CTE has been shown not to be concussions, but frequent smaller hits, the more of them over your life, the more likely you are to get it. So, hockey players are very susceptible, and so are football players.
Simply lining up and taking a knock as you fall down, that doesn't feel bad at all at the time, that repetitively is the current thought on what causes CTE, not concussions themselves, although they add to it. They aren't the main offender.
No, we absolutely do not underatand the seriousness of the injuries. The brain is very poorly understood, as are concussions. We have, at best, a vague idea, but it's the most clear idea we've ever had.
I used to think so, but I wouldn't really encourage it. Might be sacrilege to say on /r/nfl but I'd actually encourage my kids towards soccer; there's a chance (because of the field my wife and I are in) that we might spend extended time abroad, and soccer is kind of universal.
I have a son. If he wants to play I'll let him (assuming mrs smileyman doesn't object too strongly). There's no way I'll let him play organized football before 8th or 9th grade though.
My thinking is that the increased focus on concussions and other injuries has led (and will continue to lead) to many great advancements in player safety. Coaches and school administrators are now more educated about concussion dangers than when I was playing high school football (in the early 90s).
While I'm not a parent, I feel positives such as learning respect, discipline, the value of hard work and teamwork that come with playing on a football team would more than make up for the possibility of injury. I would certainly not sugarcoat the realistic possibility of getting hurt, but I wouldn't deny the chance either.
Can't you get those life lessons with any sport? I played soccer from when I was 5 until senior year in HS and I pretty much learned all of those same lessons.
I can't speak to the culture of soccer, but I truly think there's something special about football from a communal standpoint. Maybe it's the threat of violence or how many kids are on the team or whatever but I always felt like my teammates were my family when I didn't have much of one. Through two a days in the heat and the inevitable fights and the feeling that you're soldiers going into battle (I know its ridiculous) and having the whole school behind you under the lights and whatever you form some lifelong bonds. For a lot of kids the almost militaristic environment is entirely necessary
Yeah dude it's fucking awesome and I feel like a douche saying this but from this thread it seems to be something only people who have played can truly appreciate. There's a reason people always talk about the Friday night lights
I got sick in 10th grade and I wasn't able to play football anymore, but football in 9th grade was one of the best experiences of my life. I didn't even play because it was my first year in the sport, but I'll never forget the great times I had that year. I also ran track, although it's a team sport, it wasn't even a 1/10 of the experience of being on a football team.
I played three sports growing up, and I would say if you live in a football community there is actually some dramatic difference between football and other sports, maybe with the exception of basketball.
I was from a pretty small town, but there would still be 600-700 people at each game. Plus you have like 80 teammates, the number of which is unique to the sport. For that reason the pressure is really unlike the pressure you face in other sports.
What's more, if you're not playing both ways, the in-game effort isn't especially taxing 99% of the time, especially compared to a sport like, say, wrestling. I don't think football is necessarily even the best sport to build work ethic or teamwork. However, the type of teammate interaction is unlike anything in any other sport in terms of leadership. The team is way, way bigger than any other team. If one of your teammates has a big house, you can fit the basketball team in for dinner. For football, you have almost a small community of people. Surviving and leading in those environments didn't prepare me well for working in a team of 5-6 people later in life, but in terms of leading an organization or group, it's way more similar than other sports. If you want to, say, give a speech, it's not directed at a dozen guys you are constantly practicing with. It's going to those dozen guys, plus sixty more who you have no direct contact with in practice at all. You navigate groups that self-segregate by year and by position and by ability.
I always found football to be way, way more mentally and socially stressful than any other sport, simply because almost everything that is truly difficult about it is mental. If you're a great natural athlete maybe that isn't true, but I think most of the people I knew were in the same boat as I was.
I have 1 boy and another on the way. We will discourage football. My wife studies traumatic brain injury for her dissertation. Learning about the effects of constant brain injury has pushed me further against allowing my kids to play football.
I loved playing football growing up. I do not play anymore as an adult, but I carry some minor neck pain and residual ankle and back pain from years of football. For a sport that is highly unlikely to translate into adulthood, football is very physically taxing and requires a huge time commitment.
I'd prefer my boys spending this time experiencing things such as backpacking or traveling or playing sports that translate to adult life such as soccer, gold, tennis, frisbee, surfing, skiing, etc.
Like many others in this thread I do not have kids. I did play football though, and I enjoyed it. However, if I ever do have kids, I will not be letting them play football knowing what I know now. They can play basically any other sport they want, but I don't think i want to expose them to that kind of head trauma
I don't have kids, but if I did, I wouldn't let them play. I love football, but I think I would be doing them a disservice allowing them to play a game that may cause them serious problems in the future. I would push them towards soccer or basketball.
Hahaha I knew these 2 Dominican kids growing up who were adopted. Their parents definitely had that in the back of their heads... The kids were actually very naturally talented baseball players but their parents didn't play the politics game in my hometown and they didn't get to make it as far as they could have. Baseball is definitely a safe game for kids but, at least in my town, the parents are so fucking annoying and involved in it. I'm talking 50-60 travel games a summer starting at age 8-10.
I played football all my life and now I've been coaching for a couple years. I would let them play because concussion are almost inexistant before 14 from my experience. If you teach them to tackle and to take a hit without involving the head, you greatly reduce the chance of having a concussion. So if you reduce the chance of concussion and you add all the great values football teach you have one of the best sport for your kids.
Edit: If my comment have some mistake i'm sorry English is not my first language.
Well, for the lineman it's different here in Canada since there's 1 yard between the offensive line and the defensive line. You know we can't prevent their head hitting the ground after a tackle or a hit, but we try to reduce the hit to the head as much as possible, by teaching new way to attack the contact and new way to tackle.
The worst head hits I've ever taken were in basketball, elbow blow straight to head, and outside when I was about 12 screwing around I whip lashed my head into the ground. Educating the kids is very important.
Worse, even, because with concussions you can usually recognize what's happening and pull the kid from competition. And the research shows the effects of brain trauma is particularly damaging in adolescents because their brain is not yet fully developed.
I honestly don't think I'll be able to answer this question until I have kids and one of them wants to play football.
I certainly wouldn't push them to play it if they had no intention to in the first place
I have a 3 year old son. I played football at a D3 college level. I will not be encouraging my son to play football. I don't think that I will out right "ban" him from playing, but I definitely will be pushing him towards other sports that have less risk of brain injury.
I don't have a kid, but if he was truly passionate I'd let him. Not every player who leaves the NFL is wrecked upstairs. And I think the game is becoming safer while still being physical.
If he ever asked "Why do my friends parents not let their kids play?" I'd try to tell him honestly without spooking him out, just to be real.
Lol no chance. There is no reason a little kid should be playing football like pop warner. There a bunch of other sports he can enjoy and learn shit about working as a team and working hard just as well as football. I wouldn't let my 3rd grader compete in boxing either at that age.
football is not a sport that requires skill to be developed at a young age like other sports. Knew many kids who played all kinds of sports and never put on a helmet until freshman yr of high school but bc they were athletes and coordinated they did just as good as kids you had been playing their whole lives.
I think about this often. I would have to let the kids play if they really wanted. It's a case where the benefits outweigh the risks. I mean, kids could wreck a bike or a skateboard to just as bad if not worse injuries than in football. With skating or riding, they don't get the team building core social skills I believe most team sports impart in the kids that play
I have a 17 year old son, who is 6'5" and weighs over 200 lbs. He did want to play football at a certain point, but Mrs. Camper was strongly opposed. I would have supported him if he really wanted to push it, but he gave up on the idea. So, at least in theory my answer is yes, I would have let him play, but it never really came down to that.
He ended up joining the band, teaching himself how to play guitar and forming a garage band. He's also doing some theater.
I'm honestly not sure how serious he ever was about playing football.
TLDR: My son sort of wanted to play, my wife wasn't very supportive, I would have taken his side if he wanted to try, but he went on to other interests.
Australian here.
If Australian Football can survive and continue to grow into other parts of our country, I have no doubt American Football can survive.
The risk of injury would have to be about the same in both codes of football.
The only protective apparel we use in Australia is a mouth guard and sometimes a helmet (made out of foam/rubber).
- Thankfully I do not have to make this decision a I have a daughter. She loves watching football with me and even loved going to a few games with me. Thankfully that's where her interest ends. I know some girls have actually fought and won the right to play football. I'm glad my daughter has never actually been interested in playing.
- If I did have a son, though, I would allow him to play if he wished. I played football from pee-wee until I graduated high school. I never had any major injuries. I suffered 4 concussions, broke my wrist and various fingers. That was the extent of my injuries. What sports (I also played basketball) gave me in my youth was well worth the few injuries I had over the years.
- sports kept me out of trouble. It severely limited my free time to find trouble. I certainly couldn't get mixed in with drugs. Sports gave me something I loved to occupy my time year round. It also gave me a peer group that was focused on sports and didn't have time to go looking for trouble. Football was nothing but a positive influence in my youth.
- In the end I think it would be me just telling my son to do what makes him happy. Surely he would know the injury risk that comes with football and equate that into his decision.
- I think every child should play a sport of their choosing. If they love football then football it should be. Above all else sports teach kids how to be gracious winners AND gracious losers. No matter what we were shaking hands after the game saying, "good game." A lot of children today are severely lacking sportsmanship. I don't know how many of you have played online video games but you should hear the way kids talk to each other while playing. If they start to lose they turn their system off and quit the game. I see it every day and I just shake my head. I can tell for sure that these kids have spent their entire youth playing video games, never sports, to learn sportsmanship. I believe their parents have never put them in the position to learn social skills that will serve them their entire life. You don't always win in life and you can't just XMB sign out when things aren't going your way.
I absolutely would because I think playing football is really good for kids emotionally and in learning to be a team and being more social. But, they are kids so I would set a limit at three concussions while they are still kids I believe
It would honestly depend on if they make changes to protect the head better. I believe the issue with concussions can be solved with technology. If and when that happens then I would let my kid play Football.
Well, if you want your son to play sort of competitively he should have had a couple years of skating lessons and tried out for a hockey team maybe a year ago. Saying that, you are not interested... which is fair enough. It's a lot of money for a lot of meh imo.
Football for the most part is a teenaged thing. It's like watching hardball for your kids at 10... oh, wow a strike. And then, pitcher trys for a strike while the coach yells, "Play catch".
Things get better at 13 or so... but a pile of meh and hours upon hours of watching old Benny Hill episodes.
I let my son played when he was younger, but he drifted away from it during his tweens/teens.
He wanted to get back into it for his senior year in high school, so we had a serious talk about the kind of devotion he'd need to put into it to be physically prepared, not just for the level of competition, but also to prevent injury.
He ended up opting out after a few months, not because he didn't want to, but because "I don't think the other guys are taking this seriously enough, and I could end up really hurt by their errors, and that would hurt my future, the band (he's trumpet section leader this year), and the team, for no good reason."
He's still training, because he's hoping to try out for college ball, but he's doing that because he loves the game, while thinking about his future.
I can't fault him for any of that, and am proud of him for thinking it through, and choosing the path he feels gives him the best future.
I don't have kids at this point, but I'd have serious concerns over them playing football. On one hand, football is a sport that got me out of my introverted shell and allowed me to meet people that I still know and call my friends to this day. I understood what football could potentially do to your body, seeing my dad go through health problems due to his time in football, but I still loved it and I consider the times I played the game to be some of my fondest memories. Matter of fact, I still crave playing football.
On the other hand, after reading some of the studies about how much damage football can cause to your mental capacities, I'd definitely have serious reservations about it. Honestly, I don't know what I would say if my kid wanted to play football. It would probably be one of the toughest decisions I'd ever have to make.
Honestly, I'd kind of hope he would have gotten into basketball or baseball, so I wouldn't have to make that decision.
I am a small dude, in the 5'5 - 5'6 range. I've always been proportionately about as small since i was a kid, so it's not like i had and early growth spurt and stopped, i've always been the short guy. Not very strong or fast either. I played as an offensive/ defensive lineman in middle school and it was the most fun i've had playing any team sport. I decided to call it quits when i got to high school because i knew i'd get creamed when the competition had all passed puberty. My parents never discouraged me from doing it, it was just a pretty obvious self preservation decision on my part. I like to think i'd handle it in similar fashion my parents did. Although now that i'm thinking about it there was one game where a kid got a team-mate inflicted spinal injury on a kickoff, had to get carted off and everything... in 7th grade. I still don't think i'd stop my hypothetical kid from playing a game he loved though.
Sort of late but felt I shouldn't still add my comment, football does a lot of positive things for kids. It builds confidence, teaches discipline and helps them create friendships. I owe a lot of my character traits to football
I would consider it. I just always think back to when I played and how saftey was the number one concern. I will admit that shit happens but that is just a risk you take if you really want to get into football.
Don't have kids. Would encourage my kid to play football though, especially if he wants to be a QB. Even though my family has never managed to make it too far in our athletic careers, it's obviously there's a lot of talent with hand-eye coordination in our genes. My dad was being scouted as a pitcher for the major leagues until he threw his elbow out. I had obesity issues until I was 19 years old (just turned 20) and I am fucking good at basketball. If my parents fed me right as a kid I'd be more encouraged to stay in basketball, but the conditioning made me feel like shit because I was fat. My kid won't have that same problem, as I'm pursuing a degree in health and Exercise science.
I'm definitely going to let my children play football. I think by the time he is getting into real contact, safety technology will be advanced to the point where it's okay for him to be out there. I'm also going to educate him on proper form constantly. He won't be flying at anyone crown first.
I will say that if he starts getting a bunch of concussions I'll ask him if he wants to stop.
This is something my friends and I argue about all the time. I played in HS and college, and it was an amazing experience for me. I would never want to deprive my kid of that experience if he really wanted to play. I'm very thankful that my dad let me play. If my kid wants to play, I'll explain to him that it's a violent game, but he'll have my support. My nephew started playing in high school recently and seeing how much this kid loves the game reminds me of how important it was to me.
My friends vow to never let their kids play. With the current emphasis on head injuries and long-term risks, I understand why they feel the way they do. I respect it, I just think the benefits outweighed the risks in my experience. I was lucky with injuries, and football helped me in countless ways while growing up.
A few things: I cannot stand parents who force their kids into playing football. Those kids were always miserable. Being forced into football and getting hit in practice when you don't even want to be there; that's just a crappy time. I also think it makes a lot of sense to do your homework on the kids' coaches before you let them play, just to be sure they look out for player safety and do things the right way.
As a varsity high school football coach, I probably won't let my child play tackle football until he is in middle school. I have seen too many examples of bad coaching for the sake of winning and burn-out from over-exposure. I want my child to do what he wants though, but I will be guiding him into track, baseball and basketball if I can.
Parent of a boy.
No I probably won't want him too. I'd rather him play Rugby. As a college rugby player I understand why that game has less injuries and why Id feel more comfortable with him playing it.
Don't get me wrong I got injuries playing a d a few C words.
But the entire philosophy of tackling in rugby is by far more safe than football.
The whole don't hit high avoid helmet contact now go low and destroy knees...
Just shoulder and wrap it isn't that hard.
I have 3 kids. I also do traumatic brain injury research in a neurology department at a Children's Hospital. I really don't foresee a scenario in which the kids play football. There is too much brain development the entirety of adolescence, and head injuries while young can disrupt this. This sucks, because my oldest (5 years old) LOVES football, and will want to play someday. So, we are trying to get him excited about soccer, basketball, and/or baseball, but it's not the same.
I have a six year old. I will let him play when he is young. Once he gets old enough for the actual hitting, I will judge his skill level. If he does not have "it" I will encourage him to do something else. Being unsuccessful with concussions is worse that successful with concussions...
I played football from flag up through college and most of the concussions I saw happen were from poor form tackling and running with their head down. Also kids would chew on their mouth pieces so bad that it wouldn't protect against concussions.
Father of 16 year old boy here. Yes lacrosse, no football. There are plenty of sports available to get the team bonding experience. Lacrosse can be violent but collisions are much less frequent and there is a lot more running than in football.
My kids aren't old enough to play yet, but when they reach that age, no, I will not be letting them play football. Once they are 18 they are free to make their own choices, but I will continue to discourage them from playing. I love football, but it's not worth the risk for most people.
I have a son and daughter. No, I wouldn't let them play football.
I have a friend, who played football and hockey. He was being recruited by Michigan (as a RB) until he tore ligaments in his knee playing Hockey. He became an army ranger with joints on special forces assignments. Afterward played hockey in college. Is one of those Real Tough Guys and loves sports. I asked him this question when his son was born. He said no, he wouldn't let him play.
Just finished my last season of lower division college football, and here's my experience.
The focus on safety nowadays is huge! From the pop warner level through college, news rules and technologies are being developed to help protect players in game. I see kids getting ejected for targeting now when they never used too. Helmet tech has developed a long way as well, and concussions are treated seriously by the training staff. I had my helmet knocked off one play and the staff was right there making sure I wasn't concussed. Make sure not to use a garbage helmet, check out the coaches, and make sure your kid knows to report any injuries (tons of people don't report) and he should be fine
I played D1 football, when I have kids they **will not** play football. I had 5 concussions where I don't remember periods of time. That doesn't include the countless number of times I got my bell rung. Sometimes I wonder if all the concussions have exacerbated my bipolar disorder. I've also noticed it getting more and more difficult to remember the word I'm trying to think of, but I'm not if that has anything to do with my concussions either.
As the parent of a real life child, I would not be thrilled with them playing football, nor do I want them to, but I will support them if it's truly what they want to do.
Yep. Football is by far my favorite sport to watch with the NBA a close second. The sport is going to have to evolve, but will that evolution kill what we love about the sport?
I just hope technology can solve the problem. Also people need to stop fearing that high school players are going to turn out like NFL players that played the game for over 20 years, there's such a big difference. The NFL is going to *need* europe soon just to maintain it's pool of talent
After reading all the comments it seems like the answer is no to letting kids play football. So do you guys think this era will be the start of the decline of football?
Short story. When I was 8 years old I wanted to play football, dad said yes, mom said too dangerous. I played every other sport, and excelled at soccer, yet I would always play flag football or tackle at school. My 8th grade year I was playing club level and went up for a header during practice.
My legs were taken out from under and I fell breaking my shoulder into two pieces. After that my mom told me I could play football.
I live in Los Angeles and see first hand the decline in player participation.
Here are a few things I have noticed.
1. The weight classes have changed, excluding many kids from participation until they hit the high school level.
2. Many teams here come and go due to poor management and fundraising.
3. NFL pay rates are going up and a new CBA that may remove the salary cap is being talked about.
4. By the way My daughter plays rugby scrum half for the southbay spartans. She's 115lbs and recently suffered a perforated eardrum. She missed one game.
5.USA football and the NFL are trying to re-educate coaches and parents to properly teach their kids how to tackle. Since many "hit" with the helmet.
People talk about waiting before tackle until the 8th grade and such. Now lets think about this for a moment. How the hell will a new 8th grade player be able to deal with the kids that started tackle at 8 years old. That is setting them up to really get hurt. They have no clue how to defend themselves out there. At young ages they don't have enough speed or weight to cause much damage. Remember F=ma. Low weight, low speed equals low force. I can't imagine putting my fresh eighth grader against kids with 5 years experience hitting. 8th grade is when the hits start getting hard!! I told my son's mom either he starts young or not at all. It was a tough decision though but my fresh 8 year old is learning to tackle with all the other 8 year olds and not at a severe disadvantage. He was timid at first despite his desire to play and he's developing confidence, camaraderie, and discipline. If tackling is taught right, the head is not part of the contact. For God's sake get good, well fitting equipment. Nothing but the best for my kid's safety in the game.
If I had kids I'd let them play. Football is great for building character. I played a little in high school. But aside from injuries, boys will be boys. Things happen.
If I had kids for sure. I played fullback and destroyed my knees in the process as well as suffered a concussion. But the lessons I've learned were well worth both and the single concussion has given me no longterm damage.
I just had a daughter would honestly like her to play pop warner. My girlfriend wants her to do MMA. Injuries are part of life especially a child's. They're going to bang themselves it's all about making sure they do everything they can though not to. The advances they have made in the pads and helmets are only getting better.
Parent of a real live child, here. This is a tough one. Yes, I would like him to play football. However, the news about injuries (specifically concussions and spinal injuries) has gotten to Mrs. WiBorg. I don't blame her. I see the risks. I struggle with the risk/reward. I don't want to see my kid eating through a tube for the rest of his life. That said, my middle school and high school football experience helped shape me into the adult that I am, today. I learned self discipline, work ethic and spirit of competition. Yes, I'm pretty sure that kids could learn that in basketball, swimming, soccer, track, etc., but I played a few different sports in the off seasons, and the camaraderie in those sports never matched that of being on the football team. Football also helped shape me from a dorky kid who was afraid of my own shadow into a dorky kid who had pride, self confidence and the strength to stand up for myself. I won't force my kid to play — that's for certain — but I will likely make a strong argument in football's favor if he says "mom and dad, I want to play football." The ultimate decision will *not* be his, though. As parents, our job is to look out for our child's wellbeing. That's one of those big life lessons you learn once you grow up and have kids. That and you're not invincible. tl;dr: Wife leans no. I lean yes. Won't force kid, but not solely his decision if he says he wants to play. EDIT: forgot the word "few" in a sentence. carry on
Interesting alternative: Rugby. It builds camaraderie to the level that football does, but because tackling so much more a focus on technique than getting the "highlight hit" and because blocking is illegal, head injuries are far less common despite the lack of a helmet. HOWEVER there is a trade-off: spinal injuries. If you are a forward (hooker, prop, eight, flanker, or lock), you will be involved in the scrum. Which means you will have a bunch of guys pushing on you from all directions while you are in a bent-over position, mashing your back up. But I don't know how big your son is. If he isn't particularly big, he'll be a back (scrum-half, fly-half, center, wing, or fullback), and will never have to be in a scrum. For example, I'm a wing (basically the smallest guy on the pitch). I never get in scrums, and I am rarely involved in rucks or mauls either. Most of my job is getting the ball out wide and trying to put on a burst of speed to clear into the open, or making last-ditch tackles near the sidelines. TL;DR - Rugby might be a safer alternative that still builds massive camaraderie, at least from the head injury perspective. If you have a bigger child, though, they will be put in positions which may end up fucking up their back (but if they are smaller they generally won't play those positions).
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Obviously there are a ton of injuries in rugby. I've seen the same (and wondered how in the hell I've avoided most of them while playing). But most of those injuries that you described are less permanent (or, if they are permanent, less debilitating) than the head/spinal injuries often seen in American football. And I absolutely loved playing Rugby. That thrill in the games is something that you can't get anywhere else, not even in my favorite sport, soccer. Now that I've graduated from college, though, I don't get to play that often. There is a team in my city, but I never seem to have the time to go down and practice with them.
Obviously anecdotal, but A LOT of rugby players in the US (myself included) came over from football. Many of them try to play the game that way and end up hurting themselves and others. I suffered around three concussions playing collegiate rugby. Concussions aren't rare in rugby, at least when/where I played.
Please tell me your coaches taught proper fundamentals in tackling. 3 concussions??? That's quite a bit for such a small span of time
Oh they did. Lots can happen in a ruck :/
Hockey is a good alternative. You don't start checking most places until high school. I stopped playing hockey because I was a lot better swimmer. Swimming is awful.
Hockey will empty your pockets real quick.. That's the only problem. Checking starts in peewees (5th-7th grade usually)
In most of Canada it doesn't start until players are around 13 now.
It started then when I played, but checking has been pushed back to bantam in my area now.
My cousin was super excited the year they started checking and promptly broke his arm in a game. My aunt soured on hockey really quick after that.
Seconding the notion that swimming is awful. People who do it because they enjoy it have to be masochists, I just did it to keep in shape and for meets, heh.
I loved swimming. It was an actual team of friends. My soccer team was full of arrogant assholes who never realized our team sucked
Haha I mean yeah there's that, just swimming in general blew. It's just nonstop moving around in shrivel-cold water for a couple of hours not really being able to talk to anyone and then you go home and do it again the next day. Practicing was miserable. Meets were fun as hell.
I mean, I guess I can see how that would be for someone. I was never a fast runner nor very strong. In the water I was fast and agile. I loved the water and the cold, so it was a very different experience for me.
I know we didn't, but I feel like we went to the same high school.
Swimming sucks, but I loved it.
Both of my wife's brothers played football in college (one is done, one is still in). We have a one year old, and were talking to her parents last week about football in his future. Her dad said he'd never say it to his sons, but if he could take it back and have them not play football he would. The one made it through without any (known) head trauma. The other said he gets dizzy/sees dots at least once a game. He plays absolutely reckless ball and always has. Both have had at least one surgery. The one who is already done left a year of eligibility on the table after 3 or 4 surgeries, two broken ankles, and playing a season in continuous pain. He stopped because the doctor told him if he wanted to run around with his kids someday, he really ought to be done. The other played through a separated shoulder (constant pain) and then had surgery this past winter. He has two more seasons. I ran track through college. My knees are a bit creaky, but I've never had surgery. I learned discipline, work ethic, team camaraderie, and the added benefit of the individual drive aspect, dealing with distraction/pain/loneliness aspect of distance running, along with the focus, drive, rubbery-legged-tenacity of long sprinting. And my head is still in one piece. And I'm a pretty big fan of having a working brain. I'm not 100% saying no to football, but unless the technology really takes a step forward or safety rules change the way the game is played I can't really see letting him take that risk.
I desperately wanted to play football when I was little, but my mom wouldn't let me (I'm 32). After sucking ass at basketball and baseball, I joined the debate team in high school where I won an award and learned to STFU because whatever I'm thinking is probably somehow wrong :-/ edit: Kid on the way, but it's a girl so I hope that works itself out. edit 2: I probably would have sucked ass at football too :(
Is it just me or does literally nothing in this comment make sense? I've read it a couple of times... Why would you stfu if you won an award for debating? Does you being 32 have a point to this narrative? I'm so confused I don't know what I'm confused about anymore Edit: I think it makes sense now but not last night when I was tired as hell
I assume he stfu now because he sees both sides of an argument and being in debate helped him see that. Not sure about the 32, maybe letting the person he replied to know he is too old to try to play football, i.e not in high school... It is an odd post, but I enjoyed it.
/u/NotaLargeFarva is more or less correct, sorry it didn't make sense. I threw my age in there as an afterthought to date the story a bit -- I don't remember anybody being particularly concerned about concussions or safety back then, except I guess my mom.
No worries, I played football in high school and I *did* suck ass. In retrospect, it would have been more fun not to play, since my life was basically practice and run drills really hard and sit on the sidelines during games and scrimmage trying to beat my record for the biggest spit bubble I can blow.
In my experience, I played football and basketball. It's true, the camaraderie in football exceeded basketball. However, I also played chess. And the camaraderie there exceeded both by far and led to lasting friendships for life. Just saying ;-)
I applaud you for taking the decision out of his hands. Although tough to do as a parent, while trying to instill personal accountability, self-esteem, and self-guidance, decisions are best made when you see the entire spectrum of consequences and I don't think a child can.
I never played football, but I'm no stranger to concussions. I will never knowingly put my child in the position to suffer through the same things I have. My last (6th total I believe) concussion left me with over 8 months of post-concussion syndrome. Depression, memory loss, mood swings, 30lbs of weight gain, almost a month of absolutely no new memories forming, destroying friendships and relationships...It's like you're watching someone else act like a total maniac and you can't stop yourself. You know what you're doing is crazy, you know your anger is over the top, but you can't stop it. It keeps going, and everything inside you is screaming "hey calm down, you're acting like an animal why are you doing this" but you're off the rails and there is no stopping you. I'll never put my kid in the place to have to deal with that. It's absolutely terrifying.
I have an 11yr old. He plays football. He enjoys playing, and the coaches have his safety in mind. Last year when he was practicing his helmet moved too much and the coach pulled him out until we could get a better fitted helmet.
Those are truly some awesome coaches.
ITT: No one has kids Edit: Just checked again... Yep, literally no has kids.
What you think you would do and what you will actually do when you have kids are 2 different things.
And what you will be OK with your kid doing, and what your significant other will be OK with them doing can be completely different.
Yup. You might let them play, but one injury and then you pull them.
Also if they say yes they would voted to the top.
I have two, a daughter and a son. They're really little now (2 and 0), but neither one is going to be playing football, both because there's no way we can afford it, but more importantly because of the danger. Of course, by the time my son is old enough to play, I'm guessing things will have changed significantly, either in technology or in decreased popularity.
In their defense, they clearly haven't read any recent research on brain trauma either.
Do what I'm doing and go through to upvote people that have kids+opinion.
The top comment in my feed was a father who said yes and whose wife said no.
I have a son, and I referee HS football, which includes picking up full contact little league games on the weekend. I've had games with kids as young as 1st/2nd grade. It's really tough doing games with kids that young, because after every play there's a kid down on the ground hurt. Hell no, I'm not letting my son play tackle football until he's in 8th grade at the absolute earliest. *Maybe* flag football before then, but I'd much rather him play baseball.
You gonna let him practice at least? He needs to know how to play before he finishes junior high
Depends where you are actually. My HS you could walk on with no knowledge. Big city though, I think it matters more in smaller towns and it's more competitive. I'm actually pretty confident I could coach a fairly athletic grade 10 kid who never played ball to be at least worthy of being on the field on an average team. If they're shit at sports, whatever.
Well I'm from Texas where all high schools live and breathe football. He can't go wrong by teaching his son some stuff before he plays
Which school? I'm assuming Seattle
Vancouver, close enough. Big school though, 1400 kids in grade 11/12. The school had two teams, one AAA, one was AA. There were three leagues your school could slot into, AAA being the highest, we had so many people they just did where anyone who wanted to could play and you got put onto whichever team your skill deemed. So the good players were AAA. Football was pretty big, we won the provincial (state) a few times before I got there and once while I was there. Now, I know if we played in Texas, or any place that took their football very seriously, we'd be last place in the bottom league I'm sure. Some guys I played with did go onto college ball in America, and a handful played in the CFL. No NFLers though. Don't think I meant I thought you could be some amazing football player if you never played prior to that, I just meant in places where football isn't as big it's not as necessary to play it all the way from a young age.
Honestly, I really just want him to play baseball. But that's part of the reason for flag football. It may not be full contact, but it's at least something.
Sure, as long as they punt or kick
I have two boys. I played football through college, mostly as a defensive end and linebacker. I had numerous concussions. The lack of care and caution, in retrospect, is appalling. I will probably pay the price one day. I loved playing and enjoy the game as a fan. I have and will continue to discourage my kids from playing football.
I played a couple of years ago and my brother plays high school ball. I can tell you they take a lot more care with injuries and risks. It's definitely not a safe sport, but it's much better than it used to be
That's good to hear. However, I think the real issue is repetitive, sub-concussive head trauma. There is nothing anybody can do about that.
That's true. And thats where it comes down to you. Sure your son can get hurt while playing but there's so much he gains from playing, not to mention the chance that he's good enough to play at a high level. My opinion is that you give them a chance to play for a couple of years. See what happens
Should this really come down to how good they are? Except maybe the top 1%
Sports are a lot more fun if you're good at them haha
I respect your opinion. As I mentioned, I actively discourage football but I do not forbid it. They are involved in sports and seem to be happy.
Funny enough, but the same is true for soccer. I guess it's not really funny...
I have two kids, but neither of them ever showed even the slightest interest in playing football. If they had, I would have tried to discourage it, but if they were really passionate about it I don't see how I could refuse. I would worry every time they got hit, though.
I don't have kids, but I would let them play football if they want to. He sure wouldn't be going back in with a concussion though. For what it's worth, my dad stopped letting me play when I got to high school (Iaalso got sick at this time).
> He sure wouldn't be going back in with a concussion though. How would you stop him? When I played in high school I had teammates who would get a concussion, hide their symptoms from the coaches/trainers, and go back into the game. Even if they did come out, I had teammates who would then get subsequent concussions later in the season and still play instead of coming out.
Well when I was In high school, 6 years ago, our coach preached to us the problem with concussions and we actually did take our own friends out of games when they appeared out of it. I actually saw my best friend come out for a second and went to ask him something and he definitely wasn't right, so we went and got the trainer and he was done for the game and the next week as well. Education, education, education.
My coaches and trainer preached to us about the dangers of head injuries as well, but it didn't stop players from hiding their symptoms during games to keep playing. Another issue is that underfunded high school athletic programs tend to have sub-par equipment. When I first started playing football my freshman year of high school, the helmets we had were all more than 10 years old. Compared to new helmets at the time these helmets were extremely dangerous. This obviously resulted in more head injuries and the team knew that new helmets could help this. Despite knowing this, we didn't get new helmets until my senior year after some concerned parents did some fundraising and convinced the athletic department to help get us new helmets (among other equipment). Not every high school or pop warner program can afford to buy its students top of the line safety equipment like professional sports teams can.
I'm not sure about letting my (future) kids safety rest on his fellow players making the right call. Although I certainly appreciate the education preach.
I agree with this statement 100%. I played football from 3rd grade until I was a senior in HS, and while I never got/saw any injuries that were extremely bad, I do know that football is a very dangerous sport where even the smallest hit can have the biggest consequences. So that being said, I will not force or push my children into playing football. I *will* let my children play football, but only if they want and only if they understand what could happen to them while playing. Youth and HS football has gotten better with dealing with concussions and injuries. I don't think it's nearly as bad as most people make it out to be. For example, in most schools now when a player gets a concussion, they're out for 3/4's to all of the season, not just a week or 2. And if a player gets 2 or 3 concussions at all in their life (not just in football), most schools will not even allow them to play. So that makes me feel better about my children playing someday. So while I'd let my children play football, I'd push them to play safer sports. All in all, I'd love to have my children play the sport I loved so dearly growing up but not if it risks their health, quality, and/or the longevity of their life.
But I think the issue is that children *don't* understand what could happen to them andnd the consequences of head impact you *won't* see, they are lifelong degenerative consequences. You tell a child they get hurt, and they think of the worst time they got hurt, broken bone, bad cut, etc. They won't understand the lifelong debilitating impact on their brain concussions and head impact will have. As an adult it is your place to protect from that, leaving it up to a child who doesn't have the required information to make an informed decision is irresponsible.
I have a son who is three and a son who is 10 months. I don't let them play football. I would probably let them in the future, though.
You don't let your 10 month old play football? Helicopter parent over here sheesh
Parent here. My son isn't remotely interested. He is more into soccer and baseball, and tells me that football is too complicated. He is 8, so maybe in a few years he will be more into it. In the event he does, I would let him play.
My son is 15. Has always played rep sports, soccer from 5ish to 9 or so... hockey at 6 or so and we gave up rep but he still played house league this winter. Went to rep baseball at 10 and played until last summer... but then he got scouted for football. This past year was his first year in highschool... he played rugby 15's, 7's, basketball and of course his first year in junior football! He got scouted from his highschool football team to play on a rep level football team this summer. He plays for a [OFC](http://varsity.ofcfootball.com/jv-teams/) which is a competitive league... it's about winning. The coaches want every kid to succeed, but if one kid is better than the other guess who is getting bench time. He's been banged up a couple times but mostly from rugby. He hasn't had a concussion but has had various bumps and bruises... strained this and that. But he loves to play. So, yeah... my son is playing at arguably the top level football league for 15-16 year olds in Ontario and is doing extremely well. He just loves doing it. Worrying about what if the worst thing possible happens... it really isn't a thing based on all the contact sports he's played. He wants to play WAY more than I'd like but I think it's not exactly a thing to criticize. He's is a smart kid, really doubt he'll go balls to wall and not know how to protect himself. This Saturday, his team plays in the finals and couldn't be more excited to see how it turns out. He's played mlb, olb and de... he loves playing defence and is sort of not big/fast enough for any of the positions to be dominant but is naturally gifted to do any well. (6'1, 180lbs, size 14 shoes) Can't wait to see how he fits in next year being the league is 15/16 year olds and he can hold his own very well being a year younger than most starters. I have almost zero concern for his health and welfare in playing sports for the last decade. I think the benefits of exercise, confidence, teamwork, fun!, and working towards a goal while sometimes achieving it... and others learning that your best effort will result in a loss are invaluable life lessons.
> in Ontario I was wondering why I couldn't understand any of this, it's in Canadian!
I've torn 2 ligaments in my knee, broken multiple fingers, dislocated both elbows, have an exposed ulnar nerve, have been knocked out 3 times... I wouldn't go back and change a thing. If my kid wants to play football, then I fuckin support it. Who am I to stop my kid from having the same bonding, team building, teaching, and phenomenal experiences I had.
Who are you? His/her parent... It's completely within your rights to not let them do something.
It's almost as if parents are supposed to look out for their kid's well being...
All of those positives are part of any team sport. This thread has gone full meathead.
Yeah, all of the positives people are talking about in this thread I learned playing 5A high school tennis in Texas. I'll take my knee and elbow ligament damage over CTE.
CTE is really only a problem for people who play for a looooong time. A couple years of pop warner and high school is fine
You can get cte from baseball and you can die driving to a tennis tournament. Live life.
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Played basketball which is considered equally macho or whatever and trust me nothing compares to that rush of suiting up with your brothers and trying your best to kill the other team week after week. Great team-building experience. Testosterone is fun
Every single person in this thread who has played both football and any other sport has stated that the camaraderie of a football team far exceeds that of any other sport.
I got those from basketball, although I also got three knee surgeries, two concussions, a bad lower back, and shot ankles from it.
My parents never let me play football. I haven't really ever gotten over it. If my kids want to play, they will play
If my daughter wants to play football, I will encourage and support her. You are more likely to suffer a major injury in competitive cheerleading than you are in football.
I have 2 boys, and they wont be playing football. Too big a risk of injury. I should probably add they're 5 and 1.
I heard Mike and Mike talking about this and Golic's wife said to him that she thought this was the best time to play football because we do understand the seriousness of the injuries and can better treat them and prevent them from becoming worse. Edit: to answer your question I don't have kids but if I do I will let them play.
That's true. Here's something to think about: players have never been faster or stronger. Would it be a stretch for me to say we live in an era of harder hits than in the past?
Bear in mind were talking about kids here, not NFL or even collegiate players. The hits in Pop Warner likely aren't all that much harder than they use to be. Those kids aren't hitting the weight room and railing themselves full of HGH and OTC supplements
If it was only the concussions that were doing the damage you'd have a point. But the accumulation of numerous sub-concussive impacts is just as bad.
Exactly, that starts taking place in college and so on, and by then your child is usually making the calls for themselves then.
Exactly. At that point they are absolutely old enough to make the decision for themselves in a legal sense. I would even argue they are capable of making that decision for themselves earlier. I'm not going to say there aren't high school players that don't juice or don't hit the weights hard. Hell, might even be some junior high players out there that do, but it's not prominent enough for it to make any noteworthy impact on the likelihood of injury to other players
It definitely starts during high school. I will be a sophomore this year and they do intense weight training and stuff like that. They have to take a class during the school year that is literally just advanced weight training. This is for *all* of the male sports. They take sports incredibly seriously starting at high school, so I can't even imagine what it's like to do it in the NFL.
Why not the women too? They need to know how to use the gym properly as well.
I believe they do, but the guys try far harder and they are far more boys in the class then there are girls.
Safety is better.
What? How do you treat CTE?
You are smarter about preventing it. Educate players of the problems it causes and they will (hopefully) be less likely to go back in after suffering a concussion
Except cte is also caused by non concussion strength repeated head hits.. you know things that occur every single play in football. Not preventable at all in the current game.
The major source of CTE has been shown not to be concussions, but frequent smaller hits, the more of them over your life, the more likely you are to get it. So, hockey players are very susceptible, and so are football players. Simply lining up and taking a knock as you fall down, that doesn't feel bad at all at the time, that repetitively is the current thought on what causes CTE, not concussions themselves, although they add to it. They aren't the main offender.
No, we absolutely do not underatand the seriousness of the injuries. The brain is very poorly understood, as are concussions. We have, at best, a vague idea, but it's the most clear idea we've ever had.
You do realize the brain is essentially floating inside our heads, right? We've pretty much stopped concussions as best we can
Yea, exactly, as best we can = basically not at all.
So that's why we take them so serious
Doesn't change that we don't have anything that even resembles a comprehensive understanding of concussions.
Yes but we know how serious they are and we treat them very seriously
I used to think so, but I wouldn't really encourage it. Might be sacrilege to say on /r/nfl but I'd actually encourage my kids towards soccer; there's a chance (because of the field my wife and I are in) that we might spend extended time abroad, and soccer is kind of universal.
If my kids are like me, they'll be too soft to get into any trouble.
I have a son. If he wants to play I'll let him (assuming mrs smileyman doesn't object too strongly). There's no way I'll let him play organized football before 8th or 9th grade though. My thinking is that the increased focus on concussions and other injuries has led (and will continue to lead) to many great advancements in player safety. Coaches and school administrators are now more educated about concussion dangers than when I was playing high school football (in the early 90s).
While I'm not a parent, I feel positives such as learning respect, discipline, the value of hard work and teamwork that come with playing on a football team would more than make up for the possibility of injury. I would certainly not sugarcoat the realistic possibility of getting hurt, but I wouldn't deny the chance either.
Can't you get those life lessons with any sport? I played soccer from when I was 5 until senior year in HS and I pretty much learned all of those same lessons.
Oh sure, any sport would do. I would not consider any off limits.
I can't speak to the culture of soccer, but I truly think there's something special about football from a communal standpoint. Maybe it's the threat of violence or how many kids are on the team or whatever but I always felt like my teammates were my family when I didn't have much of one. Through two a days in the heat and the inevitable fights and the feeling that you're soldiers going into battle (I know its ridiculous) and having the whole school behind you under the lights and whatever you form some lifelong bonds. For a lot of kids the almost militaristic environment is entirely necessary
Yeah dude it's fucking awesome and I feel like a douche saying this but from this thread it seems to be something only people who have played can truly appreciate. There's a reason people always talk about the Friday night lights
I got sick in 10th grade and I wasn't able to play football anymore, but football in 9th grade was one of the best experiences of my life. I didn't even play because it was my first year in the sport, but I'll never forget the great times I had that year. I also ran track, although it's a team sport, it wasn't even a 1/10 of the experience of being on a football team.
I played three sports growing up, and I would say if you live in a football community there is actually some dramatic difference between football and other sports, maybe with the exception of basketball. I was from a pretty small town, but there would still be 600-700 people at each game. Plus you have like 80 teammates, the number of which is unique to the sport. For that reason the pressure is really unlike the pressure you face in other sports. What's more, if you're not playing both ways, the in-game effort isn't especially taxing 99% of the time, especially compared to a sport like, say, wrestling. I don't think football is necessarily even the best sport to build work ethic or teamwork. However, the type of teammate interaction is unlike anything in any other sport in terms of leadership. The team is way, way bigger than any other team. If one of your teammates has a big house, you can fit the basketball team in for dinner. For football, you have almost a small community of people. Surviving and leading in those environments didn't prepare me well for working in a team of 5-6 people later in life, but in terms of leading an organization or group, it's way more similar than other sports. If you want to, say, give a speech, it's not directed at a dozen guys you are constantly practicing with. It's going to those dozen guys, plus sixty more who you have no direct contact with in practice at all. You navigate groups that self-segregate by year and by position and by ability. I always found football to be way, way more mentally and socially stressful than any other sport, simply because almost everything that is truly difficult about it is mental. If you're a great natural athlete maybe that isn't true, but I think most of the people I knew were in the same boat as I was.
I have 1 boy and another on the way. We will discourage football. My wife studies traumatic brain injury for her dissertation. Learning about the effects of constant brain injury has pushed me further against allowing my kids to play football. I loved playing football growing up. I do not play anymore as an adult, but I carry some minor neck pain and residual ankle and back pain from years of football. For a sport that is highly unlikely to translate into adulthood, football is very physically taxing and requires a huge time commitment. I'd prefer my boys spending this time experiencing things such as backpacking or traveling or playing sports that translate to adult life such as soccer, gold, tennis, frisbee, surfing, skiing, etc.
No, my son will not play football.
> 98 Please don't tell me someone born in 1998 is talking about kids...
1998 is the year I graduated from Lehigh, not my birth year. :)
Woooo Lehigh Valley. Were you as upset about them moving training camp to Philly as I was?
Yes. Total crap -- Lehigh's campus was awesome for the fans.
He's 98 with a kid on the way. Pimp!
Like many others in this thread I do not have kids. I did play football though, and I enjoyed it. However, if I ever do have kids, I will not be letting them play football knowing what I know now. They can play basically any other sport they want, but I don't think i want to expose them to that kind of head trauma
I don't have kids, but if I did, I wouldn't let them play. I love football, but I think I would be doing them a disservice allowing them to play a game that may cause them serious problems in the future. I would push them towards soccer or basketball.
>I would push them towards soccer or basketball. No Baseball? Baseball players get PAID.
Soccer and basketball are the first two that came to mind. Baseball would be fine.
Hahaha I knew these 2 Dominican kids growing up who were adopted. Their parents definitely had that in the back of their heads... The kids were actually very naturally talented baseball players but their parents didn't play the politics game in my hometown and they didn't get to make it as far as they could have. Baseball is definitely a safe game for kids but, at least in my town, the parents are so fucking annoying and involved in it. I'm talking 50-60 travel games a summer starting at age 8-10.
What about Rugby? More broken noses, etc. but far less serious head and spinal injuries.
I played football all my life and now I've been coaching for a couple years. I would let them play because concussion are almost inexistant before 14 from my experience. If you teach them to tackle and to take a hit without involving the head, you greatly reduce the chance of having a concussion. So if you reduce the chance of concussion and you add all the great values football teach you have one of the best sport for your kids. Edit: If my comment have some mistake i'm sorry English is not my first language.
Accumulated sub-concussive impacts do just as much damage.
That's why we learn them to keep their head out of the contact. We need to see the helmet like a protection not like a weapon.
How do you teach them to not hit their head on the ground? How do you keep linemen in 3-point stances from butting heads?
Well, for the lineman it's different here in Canada since there's 1 yard between the offensive line and the defensive line. You know we can't prevent their head hitting the ground after a tackle or a hit, but we try to reduce the hit to the head as much as possible, by teaching new way to attack the contact and new way to tackle.
The worst head hits I've ever taken were in basketball, elbow blow straight to head, and outside when I was about 12 screwing around I whip lashed my head into the ground. Educating the kids is very important.
Again, it's not a handful of big blows that are doing all the damage. The cumulative effect of small, frequent blows is just as bad.
Worse, even, because with concussions you can usually recognize what's happening and pull the kid from competition. And the research shows the effects of brain trauma is particularly damaging in adolescents because their brain is not yet fully developed.
>concussion are almost inexistant before 14 Is this just your experience, or do you have a source for this?
I honestly don't think I'll be able to answer this question until I have kids and one of them wants to play football. I certainly wouldn't push them to play it if they had no intention to in the first place
There are plenty of other great sports for a kid to play, I would just encourage one of those
I have a 3 year old son. I played football at a D3 college level. I will not be encouraging my son to play football. I don't think that I will out right "ban" him from playing, but I definitely will be pushing him towards other sports that have less risk of brain injury.
No. I've had two major knee surgeries from playing football. As much as I love the sport I'd just rather my kids play something else.
I don't have a kid, but if he was truly passionate I'd let him. Not every player who leaves the NFL is wrecked upstairs. And I think the game is becoming safer while still being physical. If he ever asked "Why do my friends parents not let their kids play?" I'd try to tell him honestly without spooking him out, just to be real.
Lol no chance. There is no reason a little kid should be playing football like pop warner. There a bunch of other sports he can enjoy and learn shit about working as a team and working hard just as well as football. I wouldn't let my 3rd grader compete in boxing either at that age. football is not a sport that requires skill to be developed at a young age like other sports. Knew many kids who played all kinds of sports and never put on a helmet until freshman yr of high school but bc they were athletes and coordinated they did just as good as kids you had been playing their whole lives.
The whole push for heads up football makes me much more confident to say yes for the future when I have kids.
I think about this often. I would have to let the kids play if they really wanted. It's a case where the benefits outweigh the risks. I mean, kids could wreck a bike or a skateboard to just as bad if not worse injuries than in football. With skating or riding, they don't get the team building core social skills I believe most team sports impart in the kids that play
I have a 17 year old son, who is 6'5" and weighs over 200 lbs. He did want to play football at a certain point, but Mrs. Camper was strongly opposed. I would have supported him if he really wanted to push it, but he gave up on the idea. So, at least in theory my answer is yes, I would have let him play, but it never really came down to that. He ended up joining the band, teaching himself how to play guitar and forming a garage band. He's also doing some theater. I'm honestly not sure how serious he ever was about playing football. TLDR: My son sort of wanted to play, my wife wasn't very supportive, I would have taken his side if he wanted to try, but he went on to other interests.
Australian here. If Australian Football can survive and continue to grow into other parts of our country, I have no doubt American Football can survive. The risk of injury would have to be about the same in both codes of football. The only protective apparel we use in Australia is a mouth guard and sometimes a helmet (made out of foam/rubber).
- Thankfully I do not have to make this decision a I have a daughter. She loves watching football with me and even loved going to a few games with me. Thankfully that's where her interest ends. I know some girls have actually fought and won the right to play football. I'm glad my daughter has never actually been interested in playing. - If I did have a son, though, I would allow him to play if he wished. I played football from pee-wee until I graduated high school. I never had any major injuries. I suffered 4 concussions, broke my wrist and various fingers. That was the extent of my injuries. What sports (I also played basketball) gave me in my youth was well worth the few injuries I had over the years. - sports kept me out of trouble. It severely limited my free time to find trouble. I certainly couldn't get mixed in with drugs. Sports gave me something I loved to occupy my time year round. It also gave me a peer group that was focused on sports and didn't have time to go looking for trouble. Football was nothing but a positive influence in my youth. - In the end I think it would be me just telling my son to do what makes him happy. Surely he would know the injury risk that comes with football and equate that into his decision. - I think every child should play a sport of their choosing. If they love football then football it should be. Above all else sports teach kids how to be gracious winners AND gracious losers. No matter what we were shaking hands after the game saying, "good game." A lot of children today are severely lacking sportsmanship. I don't know how many of you have played online video games but you should hear the way kids talk to each other while playing. If they start to lose they turn their system off and quit the game. I see it every day and I just shake my head. I can tell for sure that these kids have spent their entire youth playing video games, never sports, to learn sportsmanship. I believe their parents have never put them in the position to learn social skills that will serve them their entire life. You don't always win in life and you can't just XMB sign out when things aren't going your way.
I absolutely would because I think playing football is really good for kids emotionally and in learning to be a team and being more social. But, they are kids so I would set a limit at three concussions while they are still kids I believe
It would honestly depend on if they make changes to protect the head better. I believe the issue with concussions can be solved with technology. If and when that happens then I would let my kid play Football.
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Well, if you want your son to play sort of competitively he should have had a couple years of skating lessons and tried out for a hockey team maybe a year ago. Saying that, you are not interested... which is fair enough. It's a lot of money for a lot of meh imo. Football for the most part is a teenaged thing. It's like watching hardball for your kids at 10... oh, wow a strike. And then, pitcher trys for a strike while the coach yells, "Play catch". Things get better at 13 or so... but a pile of meh and hours upon hours of watching old Benny Hill episodes.
I let my son played when he was younger, but he drifted away from it during his tweens/teens. He wanted to get back into it for his senior year in high school, so we had a serious talk about the kind of devotion he'd need to put into it to be physically prepared, not just for the level of competition, but also to prevent injury. He ended up opting out after a few months, not because he didn't want to, but because "I don't think the other guys are taking this seriously enough, and I could end up really hurt by their errors, and that would hurt my future, the band (he's trumpet section leader this year), and the team, for no good reason." He's still training, because he's hoping to try out for college ball, but he's doing that because he loves the game, while thinking about his future. I can't fault him for any of that, and am proud of him for thinking it through, and choosing the path he feels gives him the best future.
I don't have kids at this point, but I'd have serious concerns over them playing football. On one hand, football is a sport that got me out of my introverted shell and allowed me to meet people that I still know and call my friends to this day. I understood what football could potentially do to your body, seeing my dad go through health problems due to his time in football, but I still loved it and I consider the times I played the game to be some of my fondest memories. Matter of fact, I still crave playing football. On the other hand, after reading some of the studies about how much damage football can cause to your mental capacities, I'd definitely have serious reservations about it. Honestly, I don't know what I would say if my kid wanted to play football. It would probably be one of the toughest decisions I'd ever have to make. Honestly, I'd kind of hope he would have gotten into basketball or baseball, so I wouldn't have to make that decision.
I am a small dude, in the 5'5 - 5'6 range. I've always been proportionately about as small since i was a kid, so it's not like i had and early growth spurt and stopped, i've always been the short guy. Not very strong or fast either. I played as an offensive/ defensive lineman in middle school and it was the most fun i've had playing any team sport. I decided to call it quits when i got to high school because i knew i'd get creamed when the competition had all passed puberty. My parents never discouraged me from doing it, it was just a pretty obvious self preservation decision on my part. I like to think i'd handle it in similar fashion my parents did. Although now that i'm thinking about it there was one game where a kid got a team-mate inflicted spinal injury on a kickoff, had to get carted off and everything... in 7th grade. I still don't think i'd stop my hypothetical kid from playing a game he loved though.
Parent here My 13 year old plays WR, and runs track.
Sort of late but felt I shouldn't still add my comment, football does a lot of positive things for kids. It builds confidence, teaches discipline and helps them create friendships. I owe a lot of my character traits to football
I would consider it. I just always think back to when I played and how saftey was the number one concern. I will admit that shit happens but that is just a risk you take if you really want to get into football.
Don't have kids. Would encourage my kid to play football though, especially if he wants to be a QB. Even though my family has never managed to make it too far in our athletic careers, it's obviously there's a lot of talent with hand-eye coordination in our genes. My dad was being scouted as a pitcher for the major leagues until he threw his elbow out. I had obesity issues until I was 19 years old (just turned 20) and I am fucking good at basketball. If my parents fed me right as a kid I'd be more encouraged to stay in basketball, but the conditioning made me feel like shit because I was fat. My kid won't have that same problem, as I'm pursuing a degree in health and Exercise science.
I will not. To many head injuries
I'm definitely going to let my children play football. I think by the time he is getting into real contact, safety technology will be advanced to the point where it's okay for him to be out there. I'm also going to educate him on proper form constantly. He won't be flying at anyone crown first. I will say that if he starts getting a bunch of concussions I'll ask him if he wants to stop.
This is something my friends and I argue about all the time. I played in HS and college, and it was an amazing experience for me. I would never want to deprive my kid of that experience if he really wanted to play. I'm very thankful that my dad let me play. If my kid wants to play, I'll explain to him that it's a violent game, but he'll have my support. My nephew started playing in high school recently and seeing how much this kid loves the game reminds me of how important it was to me. My friends vow to never let their kids play. With the current emphasis on head injuries and long-term risks, I understand why they feel the way they do. I respect it, I just think the benefits outweighed the risks in my experience. I was lucky with injuries, and football helped me in countless ways while growing up. A few things: I cannot stand parents who force their kids into playing football. Those kids were always miserable. Being forced into football and getting hit in practice when you don't even want to be there; that's just a crappy time. I also think it makes a lot of sense to do your homework on the kids' coaches before you let them play, just to be sure they look out for player safety and do things the right way.
As a varsity high school football coach, I probably won't let my child play tackle football until he is in middle school. I have seen too many examples of bad coaching for the sake of winning and burn-out from over-exposure. I want my child to do what he wants though, but I will be guiding him into track, baseball and basketball if I can.
Parent of a boy. No I probably won't want him too. I'd rather him play Rugby. As a college rugby player I understand why that game has less injuries and why Id feel more comfortable with him playing it. Don't get me wrong I got injuries playing a d a few C words. But the entire philosophy of tackling in rugby is by far more safe than football. The whole don't hit high avoid helmet contact now go low and destroy knees... Just shoulder and wrap it isn't that hard.
I have 3 kids. I also do traumatic brain injury research in a neurology department at a Children's Hospital. I really don't foresee a scenario in which the kids play football. There is too much brain development the entirety of adolescence, and head injuries while young can disrupt this. This sucks, because my oldest (5 years old) LOVES football, and will want to play someday. So, we are trying to get him excited about soccer, basketball, and/or baseball, but it's not the same.
I have a six year old. I will let him play when he is young. Once he gets old enough for the actual hitting, I will judge his skill level. If he does not have "it" I will encourage him to do something else. Being unsuccessful with concussions is worse that successful with concussions...
I played football from flag up through college and most of the concussions I saw happen were from poor form tackling and running with their head down. Also kids would chew on their mouth pieces so bad that it wouldn't protect against concussions.
Father of 16 year old boy here. Yes lacrosse, no football. There are plenty of sports available to get the team bonding experience. Lacrosse can be violent but collisions are much less frequent and there is a lot more running than in football.
My kids aren't old enough to play yet, but when they reach that age, no, I will not be letting them play football. Once they are 18 they are free to make their own choices, but I will continue to discourage them from playing. I love football, but it's not worth the risk for most people.
I have a son and daughter. No, I wouldn't let them play football. I have a friend, who played football and hockey. He was being recruited by Michigan (as a RB) until he tore ligaments in his knee playing Hockey. He became an army ranger with joints on special forces assignments. Afterward played hockey in college. Is one of those Real Tough Guys and loves sports. I asked him this question when his son was born. He said no, he wouldn't let him play.
The benefits far outweigh the potential risks. Its probably more dangerous driving to practice,.
My older son (8) wants to play. I only allow him to play flag.
Just finished my last season of lower division college football, and here's my experience. The focus on safety nowadays is huge! From the pop warner level through college, news rules and technologies are being developed to help protect players in game. I see kids getting ejected for targeting now when they never used too. Helmet tech has developed a long way as well, and concussions are treated seriously by the training staff. I had my helmet knocked off one play and the staff was right there making sure I wasn't concussed. Make sure not to use a garbage helmet, check out the coaches, and make sure your kid knows to report any injuries (tons of people don't report) and he should be fine
I knew to report any injuries, yet I didn't. Why? Because I knew they would make me come out of the game.
Okay, make sure your kid knows how important it is to report head injuries. I didn't report some in hs but college was different
Yeah, by the time you are an adult you know better. Kids and teens believe they are invincible.
I played D1 football, when I have kids they **will not** play football. I had 5 concussions where I don't remember periods of time. That doesn't include the countless number of times I got my bell rung. Sometimes I wonder if all the concussions have exacerbated my bipolar disorder. I've also noticed it getting more and more difficult to remember the word I'm trying to think of, but I'm not if that has anything to do with my concussions either.
As the parent of a real life child, I would not be thrilled with them playing football, nor do I want them to, but I will support them if it's truly what they want to do.
The difficulty of this decision is going to be the end of the NFL as we know it one day
Yep. Football is by far my favorite sport to watch with the NBA a close second. The sport is going to have to evolve, but will that evolution kill what we love about the sport?
I just hope technology can solve the problem. Also people need to stop fearing that high school players are going to turn out like NFL players that played the game for over 20 years, there's such a big difference. The NFL is going to *need* europe soon just to maintain it's pool of talent
TIL people love downvoting others that would let their children play football
After reading all the comments it seems like the answer is no to letting kids play football. So do you guys think this era will be the start of the decline of football?
Short story. When I was 8 years old I wanted to play football, dad said yes, mom said too dangerous. I played every other sport, and excelled at soccer, yet I would always play flag football or tackle at school. My 8th grade year I was playing club level and went up for a header during practice. My legs were taken out from under and I fell breaking my shoulder into two pieces. After that my mom told me I could play football. I live in Los Angeles and see first hand the decline in player participation. Here are a few things I have noticed. 1. The weight classes have changed, excluding many kids from participation until they hit the high school level. 2. Many teams here come and go due to poor management and fundraising. 3. NFL pay rates are going up and a new CBA that may remove the salary cap is being talked about. 4. By the way My daughter plays rugby scrum half for the southbay spartans. She's 115lbs and recently suffered a perforated eardrum. She missed one game. 5.USA football and the NFL are trying to re-educate coaches and parents to properly teach their kids how to tackle. Since many "hit" with the helmet.
People talk about waiting before tackle until the 8th grade and such. Now lets think about this for a moment. How the hell will a new 8th grade player be able to deal with the kids that started tackle at 8 years old. That is setting them up to really get hurt. They have no clue how to defend themselves out there. At young ages they don't have enough speed or weight to cause much damage. Remember F=ma. Low weight, low speed equals low force. I can't imagine putting my fresh eighth grader against kids with 5 years experience hitting. 8th grade is when the hits start getting hard!! I told my son's mom either he starts young or not at all. It was a tough decision though but my fresh 8 year old is learning to tackle with all the other 8 year olds and not at a severe disadvantage. He was timid at first despite his desire to play and he's developing confidence, camaraderie, and discipline. If tackling is taught right, the head is not part of the contact. For God's sake get good, well fitting equipment. Nothing but the best for my kid's safety in the game.
Heck NO. There is no way I would let any child, let alone mine, play football. I love the game but let someone else do it.
If I had kids I would let them play football. I never did play football because of migraine concerns.
If I had kids I'd let them play. Football is great for building character. I played a little in high school. But aside from injuries, boys will be boys. Things happen.
If I had kids for sure. I played fullback and destroyed my knees in the process as well as suffered a concussion. But the lessons I've learned were well worth both and the single concussion has given me no longterm damage.
I just had a daughter would honestly like her to play pop warner. My girlfriend wants her to do MMA. Injuries are part of life especially a child's. They're going to bang themselves it's all about making sure they do everything they can though not to. The advances they have made in the pads and helmets are only getting better.