Do you have concerns with your son(s) playing football?

[HawkForce]

I have thought about this a lot...I am not sure how I will feel. I guess we'll cross that bridge down the road.

I LOVE the game...BUT I think there are a LOT of health issues with the way it's going, especially concussions. etc. And Eric Legrand is another example...being paralyzed for a sport...

 

[Hawkeye11en1]

I'd let my kid play. With my athletic genes he would hardly see the field anyways.

lol this is hilarious bcl, well done.

 

[Easton]

Yes. I was going to let him play (10 yr old) then he suffered a major concussion outside of football. I spoke with several doctors and they said it would not be worth the risk. From what I have gathered as well most of the coaches also say that do not like pre high school footbal as most of the dads who claim they are football experts do not teach them the proper skills which causes injury. If he is an athlete he will play when he is old enough under proper supervision. I do no think there is an edge to playing at an earlier age and the risk is too great. Your mind and body are far too important to risk the .000000000000001% chance to play big time football for a few years. I would be more proud of him if he got a good education, great job or statred his own business supporting his family as an adult than I would if he played on Sundays.

I have 3 sons who are athletic for their ages. Oldest is 10 youngest is 4. I am concerned about what I have read and seen in regards to concussions.

As a parent it is my job to protect and teach them good choices. I can not honestly say that allowing them to play football would be following the ideals I have for myself as a parent. As noted above I am more proud of what they will become ad opposed to what they are now.

Is one concussion worth the excitement of a football victory. Is allowing someone you love to put themselves in a potentially life altering moment ever a good idea. I can't put them ina bubble but I also don't want to see something happen that didn't need to. Wish there was an answer to the question that was easy.

 

[imported_ankle23]

I will give you two perspectives. When I was around 6 years old I received a bad head injury while playing (no funny jokes OK). I wasnt supposed to play organized tackle football. But I played tons of sandlot, hardnosed football and I wish I would have had the chance to play jr high or high school ball.

But as the father of a son who is now 26, whose mother would not let him play because she worked in healthcare fields, I am really glad he played baseball and basketball. You can get hurt enough in a variety of sports.

I think it is OK to play football as long as it is taught correctly and coaches and parents arent cursing idiots about it.

As one poster said, there are all kinds of ways are kids can get hurt and many of them we let them do, swim, climb, ride bikes and cars, etc.

Ask yourself if you would let them ride a motorcycle, if the answer is yes then you might as well let them play football.

no chance i'd let the kid ride a motorcycle on the street. talk about putting your life in someone else's hands....

plenty of time to play tackle football - i'm just not going to allow it at the young ages it is played today. junior high young enough.

 

[Billso]

I'd let my kid play. With my athletic genes he would hardly see the field anyways.

Heh, cosign here.

Haven't there been advances in helmets? I keep hearing that much safer helmets are or could be available, but colleges/pros have resisted them. What about youth leagues and high schools?

The story above about a 10-yr-old having headaches for 2 weeks afterwards is scary as hell.

 

[woodyk1]

I have 2 sons. My older one played football with no head injury reprocussions (if you will). My youngest decided not to play on his own when entering 4th grade. I kind of wanted him to try it (I played in 7th and 8th grade, not in HS), but was OK with him not playing. The smile on my wife's face when he said he didn't want to play football was very noticeable (for what it is worth). And she enjoys football as a sport, just not for her baby.

 

[hoffahawk]

My sons are two so I have awhile to think about it but as of right now the answer would be yes, but I'm thinking no full pads until middle school.

 

[theboat]

I have concerns about my child crossing the street, but it won't keep me from letting them do it when they get older. I will just teach them how to do it to be as safe as possible.

If my son wants to play football, I will try to make sure he has all of the things available to him to learn and do it the right way.

 

[DexterMorgan]

I certainly have concerns about it. I'll let him play though.

 

[AZHAWKFAN1]

As I am one of the 'elder statesmen' on here I will say I encouraged my sons to play sports. They did play little league baseball but that was it. they never wanted to play football. I'm pretty sure they damaged enough brain cells drinking anyway! I saw a replay of a high school athelete sliding head first into second base. He hit his head on the opposing players knee and broke his neck and is now paralized. Injuries happen in any sport so it is important that parents take time to make sure the coaches they entrust their children to are teaching things the right way.

 

[ChosenChildren]

I love the game but I encouraged my sons not to play football. The game is taught a different way now - kids tackle with their head leading first (based on what they see on TV) and it leads to horrible injuries. A good friend of mine's son almost was paralyzed in a recent 5A game in Illinois - lost all feeling in his legs for several hours and knocked unconcious (he did recover, albeit with a concussion) - brutal game at the highest levels of high school. Also, the kids are faster and stronger through weight training, which was unheard of 40 years ago.

I think football has a very uncertain future unless big changes are made!!! They have to slow the game down and reduce the size of the players - tough to do.

 

[rjbaustian]

My sons are 5&2 and my oldest loved the sport. Initially I was like many new dads, meaning heck yeah I want him to play. Now I'm undecided. If they want to play, I'll honor their choice, but I hope like heck the rules and equipment change in the next 10 yrs.

 

[JonDMiller]

Our 10yo started playing tackle football last fall. The hits at that age are pretty minimal, or so we thought.

In the league semifinals my son took 2 hits that rang his bell. I didn't get a good look because it was at the far end of the field at the goal line, but his coach said they were easily the 2 hardest hits of the year and he took both of them (literally) head-on.

He dealt with headaches for a couple weeks and my wife, me and the coaches thought it to be in his best interest to sit him. The doctor's gave him the green light a week or 2 later and he played another game or 2 before the season ended.

My wife has done a lot of research on the subject (she's a licensed NP) and she brought back some really good info from a conference she was at last week. We'll be handing it out to the coaches this fall - simple things like symptoms to look for if a kid takes a hard hit and long term effects.

Sadly my son's interest in playing football has wained since last fall. It's not that he doesn't like football because he absolutely LOVES it. I think he's been (rightfully) scared a bit and I can't blame him.

Wow..glad to hear the little guy is OK...the headaches would have been it for me. Grace gets migraines right now and some of it was due to gluten allergy and others we are not sure...but if I could say for sure it came from hits in FB, at that age? I'd have probably tapped out.

 

[JonDMiller]

I can't believe the ages they let kids play tackle football now. 'When I was a kid' we started tackle football in 7th grade...that's what, 12/13? Seems early enough

 

[pmchawk]

Currently don't have any, but I don't have a problem with it depending on 2 things, age and weight. I would want them to play Flag Football a couple years before going into tackle. I think my parents did a decent job of it. I did 2 years of FF before starting metro football. I was fortunate to get to play in 7th grade (2nd year in Metro) because had I fallen into heavy weight my parents would have said no. I was a half pound from being in that division in Metro Youth. I also hit a growth spurt that fall and gained 15-20 lbs... though, my team still sucked, I think we won 1 game. lol

 

[EddyP]

My son played last year going into 4th grade(9) and will this year going into 5th. Sure I'm concerned but like some have said I'm concerned about everything he does. I am less concerned after watching games and practices for a full season though(until I read this thread...THANKS JON). I personally think it is too early also but when all of his friends are doing it and he likes it what are you gonna do. Also, it isn't like injuries can't occur in flag and your head isn't protected in flag.

 

[fuldose]

My oldest son who will graduate from Iowa this coming weekend was done playing football and wrestling his soph year in high school due to concussions. He had 2 majors in football and 2 in wrestling. to this day he still will have dizzy spells when he gets up to fast. I also have a 3 year old son who loves to wrestle and play football (as any boy does) and it does concern me abit. I would love to see him play if he wants to, but i will not allow him to play full pads/tackle before 7th grade. from what i have seen in some of these "Pop warner" leagues, kids are not being taught properly and i don't want to risk this type of injury any sooner than needs to be.

 

[Easton]

I have concerns about my child crossing the street, but it won't keep me from letting them do it when they get older. I will just teach them how to do it to be as safe as possible.

If my son wants to play football, I will try to make sure he has all of the things available to him to learn and do it the right way.

How are you going to make sure the other kids are doing it the right way? All it takes OS one dumb kid going head to head. It can happen anywhere but football is more prone to it happening and there is no way to argue that.

 

[burky247]

I can't believe the ages they let kids play tackle football now. 'When I was a kid' we started tackle football in 7th grade...that's what, 12/13? Seems early enough

I was playing tackle football in 4th grade. We just added pads once we hit 7th grade.

 

[racerhawk]

Yeah, that's the case.

So my dad didn't care about me?

Not exactly a fair comparison. Knowledge about brain injury (and long term damage) in football is evolving pretty quickly. We didn't know this stuff a generation ago.

Smoking wasn't always considered terrible for you, either.