How do you feel as a parent about your child playing football?

[May Day 10]

In my opinion, football, especially tackle football, is a silly participation sport for youngsters.  Positions are very specialized.  You do not touch the ball often, if at all, and there is a crappy 'macho' element a lot of coaches try to instill in the whole culture.  

 

Football is something that good athletes can pick up in high school and excel at if they want to.  Other sports require a lot more skills development at a younger age to excel in high school.  

[Pick6]

16 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

My son is the third generation of my family to play football.   I've played or coached for the last 35 years.   

 

Neither my son or I have been injured playing football.  My father required shoulder surgery after a high school football game when he was growing up.

 

I did however take a comebacker to the face pitching in high school breaking both my orbital bone and giving me a concussion.  Very lucky it wasn't worse.

 

My immediate reaction to Damar's injury is that neither of my boys will play football again.  After letting the initial emotion subside, and thinking about what I wrote above. I realize freak accidents happen im every sport and in every day life.   His exact injury happens in baseball, lacrosse, and hockey.  People die in car accidents daily.  Should I never drive my car again? 

 

 Its likely my kids will get hurt whether its in football or not, but I can't live in fear of that.

 

 

I couldn’t agree more.   I believe you allow your kids to choose their own path and support them in their decision.  

[Einstein]

7 minutes ago, teef said:

i have some staff that have gotten their kids into wrestling, and holy smokes some of those dads seem far too intense.  i've heard stories of guys making their kids run laps, practice after practice, and have mats in their homes for extended practice.  mind you we're talking about 5-6 year olds.  multiple stories of monitoring what these kids eat to keep weight down, etc.  i have no idea what's in it for the dads.  i've never met a grate high school athlete and thought, "wow, that dad is impressive". 

 

They are grooming them to become olympians or paid athletes.

 

Thats what Tua’s dad did, from what i’ve heard.

[LDD]

To me the biggest issue with youth sports of all types is honesty by the adults in the room.  

 

1.) Honesty concerning what the real goal of the sport is.  Is the goal to WIN, WIN, WIN or is the goal to build stronger, healthier, more well adjusted young adults?

 

2.) Honesty concerning the talent level one is dealing with.  Very, very, very few young athletes go on to play at a higher level.  Even fewer of them receive some type of monetary consideration for their athletic talents. Considering this, be honest about the approach to the sport. 

 

3.) Honesty concerning the level of risk a young person is exposed to.  Parents and coaches who expose/pressure young athletes to hide injuries or play through injuries that may affect their long term health are despicable IMO.  This happens ALL THE TIME.  Also, building a culture that protects and fosters those behaviors is completely out of line with reality if one to to be honest about the first two ideas above. 

 

4.) Honesty about one's own ego as a parent and a coach.  These things can take over and consume young athletes and it's sad when it does.  

 

I've taught and coached two sports for over twenty years.  I try every day to be honest.  I'm a baseball and basketball coach but my son played football until the middle of his high school career.  I always supported him but it certainly made me nervous.  He called it after his ninth grade year of being the practice squad running back for the varsity to beat on.  He realized the beating his body was taking and he wanted to concentrate on his other two sports.  A student can play football, the same as any other sport, and never be hurt.  A student can also choose to play football in a culture where concussions don't happen, playing through neck and back issues is common, and the insistence on winning puts young adults in a "sacrificial" position.  Most kids who play football hard, the right way, get at least mild concussions every game...no doubt in my mind. Football is a great sport when it is led and coached by men who care about their players and are honest with themselves about what it is they are trying to achieve.  We saw McDermott's honesty with his men on display Monday night.  That should be an invaluable lesson for all football coaches who seek to lead young men.  

[Low Positive]

My son never wanted to play football, but that was his decision. He did play soccer in high school and suffered knee, ankle, and leg injuries along with multiple concussions. 

[teef]

19 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

They are grooming them to become olympians or paid athletes.

 

Thats what Tua’s dad did, from what i’ve heard.

but how often does it work out that way?  the dads i'm aware of aren't from any specific pedigree of athlete.  i think they're more likely to groom resentment than athletes.  making a 6 year old watch their weight?  no way.

[thenorthremembers]

21 minutes ago, Pick6 said:

I couldn’t agree more.   I believe you allow your kids to choose their own path and support them in their decision.  

Ryan Clark had a really great quote on Monday night after the injury in regards to football players regretting playing football after a major injury and he said, and I am paraphrasing "No, because before we were ever pros, before we ever made millions doing it, our first love was having a football in our hands."  It really struck a nerve with me.   Since I was 5 years old football has been my passion.  I've been blessed with a beautiful life, great wife, amazing kids but before all of those things came into my life, some of the greatest joys I've known is playing or coaching football.   I know that seems so trite, but its true, to this day even when I am just playing catch, football brings me such great joy.  From word go having a football in my hands just felt natural, it was the thing that cleared my head, and even in chaotic situations on the field brought me some odd solace.  

 

My oldest son is the same way.   Playing football and basketball is his spark.   I dont know how I could take that away from him even knowing the risks.   My younger son could care less about football, but his passion is skateboarding.   It was innate,  the first time I saw him at a skate park, even just with a scooter at 5 years old, it was like I was seeing him in his element for the first time.    Should I tell him to stop because people have gotten hurt really bad skating?   I dont think I could.

 

We all have a choice, we can try avoid risks, try and live a long life even though its completely out of our hands or do what we love knowing that it could end our lives prematurely.    Either way we will suffer, its inevitable in life.    I want everyone in my family to live very long lives but I also want them to enjoy it because its the only one they get.

 

[Dr.Mantis_Toboggan]

2 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

It’s important to note that you would have to ban nearly all sports. CTE has been seen in Football, Hockey, Soccer, Rugby, Baseball, Basketball, and MMA.

 

You would essentially be removing sports from children's lives.

 

It’s important to note that no, you would not, you just need to exercise common sense rather than comparing apples to oranges.  Though I do hear Highschool MMA teams are all the rage 🙄

 

Yes, head injuries can happen in all those other sports, clearly some more than others, not sure why you would go lumping baseball and Basketball in with Rugby, Hockey and Soccer.  Even so, aside from the headers in soccer which still are far less frequent than hits to the head kids take daily during football season, none of these other sports are comparable to any football in terms of the sheer amount of blows to the head received regularly.  I’m not even considering MMA in the equation, any parents letting their kid get pummeled by haymakers obviously doesn’t care about their child’s long term health.  Kids however can train in martial arts without getting their clocks cleaned.
 

It also doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make those other sports safer for children as well without having to remove them from their lives. 

[That's No Moon]

My kids are both forbidden from playing football. The older one plays hockey and throws javelin, shotput and discus and has also played lacrosse and baseball. The younger one swims and throws shotput and discus. The younger one is bigger than the older one and will be more angry about the football ban but I don't care. I realize the truly horrific injuries are uncontrollable. IMO football has more ways to obtain debilitating injuries than most sports. My younger boy would be a lineman. Linemen are exposed to risk of every injury possible on every play and they get ground into dust over time. My older one is too small to play the positions his team would put him at. The coach tried to recruit him in as a 5'9" 180 lb outside linebacker last year. He goes to a 6A school in PA and would play against lineman who will play at places like Penn State who would outweigh him by 100lbs in high school.  And you want him to take on a block?  Nope.  At least in hockey most everyone else is close to his size and the bigger ones can't catch him.

Edited January 4, 2023 by That's No Moon

[corta765]

If they want to play they can play. Damar's injury was a freak thing that has happened in soccer, hockey, lacrosse, etc.. this specific injury was not a football thing. The sport itself is a violent game that does wear on the body so in that regard I will be honest on what they are getting themselves into. I do believe sports offer many benefits and life lessons that outweigh the consequences of not playing and that includes football. By the same token I work in higher education and sports in general in terms of college/life are just a small piece of the puzzle compared to good grades, diversifying into art music technology etc, community service, etc.. So I will let my kids decide where and what they want to do, if they pick football awesome just be aware of what you are getting into and do it for your own enjoyment no one else.

Edited January 4, 2023 by corta765

[Einstein]

45 minutes ago, That's No Moon said:

My kids are both forbidden from playing football. The older one plays hockey and throws javelin, shotput and discus and has also played lacrosse and baseball. The younger one swims and throws shotput and discus. The younger one is bigger than the older one and will be more angry about the football ban but I don't care. I realize the truly horrific injuries are uncontrollable. IMO football has more ways to obtain debilitating injuries than most sports. My younger boy would be a lineman. Linemen are exposed to risk of every injury possible on every play and they get ground into dust over time. My older one is too small to play the positions his team would put him at. The coach tried to recruit him in as a 5'9" 180 lb outside linebacker last year. He goes to a 6A school in PA and would play against lineman who will play at places like Penn State who would outweigh him by 100lbs in high school.  And you want him to take on a block?  Nope.  At least in hockey most everyone else is close to his size and the bigger ones can't catch him.

 

I would say linemen have the least chance of a debilitating injury.

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, Einstein said:

 

I would say linemen have the least chance of a debilitating injury.

 

Linemen are the ones most subjected to CTE from all those banging/blocking drills. Lineman constantly run the risk of getting their ankles and knees rolled up in piles. The only positions more apt to injury than Lineman are LBs.

[teef]

2 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Linemen are the ones most subjected to CTE from all those banging/blocking drills. Lineman constantly run the risk of getting their ankles and knees rolled up in piles. The only positions more apt to injury than Lineman are LBs.

yup.  my understanding is that it's the very regular small hits to the head that linemen take on every play that greatly add to CTE...not just one big jarring hit.  

[Southern_Bills]

I don't have a son, just a daughter. But if I did, I would let him play flag football at a young age. 

 

When he got to junior high/high school and wanted to play I would probably let him. Wouldn't encourage it though.

 

Baseball is a much better option. 

[Einstein]

1 hour ago, Dr.Mantis_Toboggan said:

Though I do hear Highschool MMA teams are all the rage 🙄

 

I love when people try to get all sarcastic when they’re wrong.

 

Yes, there is a push to get MMA in high schools right now and it’s been in some schools since the mid 2000’s. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/sports/othersports/18mma.html

 

1 hour ago, Dr.Mantis_Toboggan said:

Yes, head injuries can happen in all those other sports, clearly some more than others, not sure why you would go lumping baseball and Basketball in with Rugby, Hockey and Soccer.  

 

Because every single one of those sports has CTE and concussions. I was using the actual data. 

 

Concussions account for 23% of injuries in boys hockey. It accounts for 17% in lacrosse and football. And it accounts for 15% in girls soccer.

 

You mention the “sheer amount of blows” but the data doesn’t show the drastic increase in concussions from those blows at the youth level. 

 

Heck, cycling had more head injuries in 2018 than football. 

 

 

[Einstein]

44 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Linemen are the ones most subjected to CTE from all those banging/blocking drills. Lineman constantly run the risk of getting their ankles and knees rolled up in piles.

 

Edit: i’m talking about o-line. I just realized I never specified that which is my fault. I played o-line so my brain naturally defaults “linemen” to o-line.

 

Keep in mind we are talking about debilitating injuries. I was a LT for many years. Getting your ankle or knee rolled up isn’t likely to cause a debilitating lifelong injury, though sure it can happen. And CTE only becomes a risk past a 2x modifier if you play past high school. It’s college, semi pro and pro football where your CTE risk goes way up. If I remember the study correctly, it was 2x in high school and like 13x or something if you kept playing after high school.

 

I’ve also never seen a linemen have a spinal cord injury/be paralyzed/any of the other maladies you see linebackers, CB’s, WR’s etc take. Again - I’m not saying it hasn’t happened - just that ive never seen it. That’s usually a tackler injury. Have you? 

 

44 minutes ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

The only positions more apt to injury than Lineman are LBs.

 

No that would be RB’s. By far the most injured. DT and DE are more injured too. 

 

OT and OG are among the least injured positions in football.

 

 

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by Einstein

[Buffalo716]

4 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

In my opinion, football, especially tackle football, is a silly participation sport for youngsters.  Positions are very specialized.  You do not touch the ball often, if at all, and there is a crappy 'macho' element a lot of coaches try to instill in the whole culture.  

 

Football is something that good athletes can pick up in high school and excel at if they want to.  Other sports require a lot more skills development at a younger age to excel in high school.  

It’s very tough for an offensive lineman lineman to pick it up in high school and excel enough to play college

 

or QB 

 

sure a WR , RB , Pass rusher can get by with athleticism 

 

But there’s already a Dearth of quality offensive lineman in the nfl and college 

 

They need all the training and technique help they can get and play time

 

 

[Royale with Cheese]

1 hour ago, Dr.Mantis_Toboggan said:

It’s important to note that no, you would not, you just need to exercise common sense rather than comparing apples to oranges.  Though I do hear Highschool MMA teams are all the rage 🙄

 

Yes, head injuries can happen in all those other sports, clearly some more than others, not sure why you would go lumping baseball and Basketball in with Rugby, Hockey and Soccer.  Even so, aside from the headers in soccer which still are far less frequent than hits to the head kids take daily during football season, none of these other sports are comparable to any football in terms of the sheer amount of blows to the head received regularly.  I’m not even considering MMA in the equation, any parents letting their kid get pummeled by haymakers obviously doesn’t care about their child’s long term health.  Kids however can train in martial arts without getting their clocks cleaned.
 

It also doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to make those other sports safer for children as well without having to remove them from their lives. 

Ive been training in MMA for about 10 years now and I haven’t heard of any children competing in a ring or cage.  I think it’s actually illegal under 18.

 

They take a specific discipline like Jiu Jitsu or Boxing.  Some kids can spar in the ring with head gear that’s monitored and not throwing full punches.  
You just have to really monitor chokes if they grapple.

8 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

Keep in mind we are talking about debilitating injuries. I was a LT for many years. Getting your ankle or knee rolled up isn’t likely to cause a debilitating lifelong injury, though sure it can happen. And CTE only becomes a risk past a 2x modifier if you play past high school. It’s college, semi pro and pro football where your CTE risk goes way up. If I remember the study correctly, it was 2x in high school and like 13x or something if you kept playing after high school.

 

I’ve also never seen a linemen have a spinal cord injury/be paralyzed/any of the other maladies you see linebackers, CB’s, WR’s etc take. Again - I’m not saying it hasn’t happened - just that ive never seen it. That’s usually a tackler injury. Have you? 

 

 

No that would be RB’s. By far the most injured. DT and DE are more injured too. 

 

OT and OG are among the least injured positions in football.

 

 

 

Mike Utley

Dennis Byrd

[Einstein]

15 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

Ive been training in MMA for about 10 years now and I haven’t heard of any children competing in a ring or cage.  I think it’s actually illegal under 18.

 

My high school had MMA. Way back before it was popular. I didn’t do it so I have no idea if choking was allowed. This article is back from 2008.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/sports/othersports/18mma.html

 

 

15 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

 

They take a specific discipline like Jiu Jitsu or Boxing.  Some kids can spar in the ring with head gear that’s monitored and not throwing full punches.  
You just have to really monitor chokes if they grapple.

Mike Utley

Dennis Byrd

 

I was talking about OLine but I see now that I never specified. My fault. I’m guessing Utley is the online O linemen in NFL history to be paralyzed?

 

.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Einstein

[Royale with Cheese]

4 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

My high school had MMA. Way back before it was popular.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/sports/othersports/18mma.html

 

 

 

I was talking about OLine but I see now that I never specified. My fault. I’m guessing Utley is the online O linemen in NFL history to be paralyzed? Pretty rare.

 

Paralyzed I believe the only one.  But neck injuries, they get the all the time.  

5 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

My high school had MMA. Way back before it was popular. I didn’t do it so I have no idea if choking was allowed. This article is back from 2008.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/18/sports/othersports/18mma.html

 

 

 

I was talking about OLine but I see now that I never specified. My fault. I’m guessing Utley is the online O linemen in NFL history to be paralyzed?

 

.

 

If it's an MMA match, choking and every submission is allowed.  I can't read the article because I don't have a subscription.

I'm pretty sure they can't have full contact cage matches.  The state of NY just about 5 or so years ago allowed professional MMA fighting for the first time.

They can have grappling matches or train for it but not a full contact match.

 

In Georgia, as an amateur who hasn't reached the professional level, they wear shin guards and not allowed to punch in the head on the ground.