Did your kids play football? Would you let them?

[jo-jo]

Wow!!! And I was shocked last year when I saw one priced a bit over $500.

They feel it's worth the price to protect their heads.

I think forget football, buy me an AP.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

- From the CDC:

Wearing a helmet is a must to help reduce the risk of a serious brain injury or skull fracture. However, helmets are not designed to prevent concussions. There is no “concussion-proof” helmet.

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_prevention.html#:~:text=Wearing a helmet is a,“concussion-proof” helmet.&text=Using gates at the top,falls in infants and toddlers.

- From Concussion.org

Most people may think that helmets are intended to prevent concussions. But this is not actually the case, and is one of many football helmet misconceptions. While helmets can defend against skull fractures and serious brain injuries, they can’t stop the movement of the brain inside the skull that causes concussion.

https://www.concussion.org/news/football-helmet-misconceptions/

- Why Wear A Helmet if it Can’t Prevent Concussions

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/helmets-concussion.html

 

[dez1978]

My younger brother’s boys both wrestled from middle school on, the younger one taking State twice and earning a full ride to wrestle in college. I feel like they wore headgear but that could be the Auntie in me wanting to see it. I’ll have to go back and look at pics. It can be a brutal sport for sure. I remember guys in high school with injured backs and knees. That was the 80s though, protocol has come a long way since then. To my knowledge neither of my nephews suffered any serious injuries.

They do have headgear, but it just covers their ears to protect them from Cauliflower ear. There isn't anything to protect their heads like this.

Tho I have threatened to get this this one before lol

 

[jo-jo]

I think I may have gotten a concussion from walking into a garage door. Our door opener was broken, DH thought he would help by pulling it down a bit so I wouldn't have to reach as high to close the door. Not knowing this, I walked out of the house, looking down to zip up my jacket and bam, right into door which was about head level. Bit later, I felt a bit nauseous but didn't put the two together.

DH learned his lesson. Never ever do something nice for me.

 

[Dan Murphy]

They feel it's worth the price to protect their heads.

Oh yes, for sure.

 

[LilyWDW]

DS' first concussion was from a ball. 8am kickoff in the late fall, so EXTREMELY cold, he tried to head a punt (back when 9yo were allowed to), took it right to the top of the head and it layed him out. He also suffered concussions from the ground and from other players.

DD was GK and had a girl come sliding in after DD had collected the ball and go "cleats up" straight into DD's stomach. GK = 'no contact'? I don't think so.

I was GK from the time I was old enough for the team to HAVE a GK into High School. I took a very similar hit as your DD, only to the face. That hurt. I had more injuries as a GK then I ever did playing any other position combined, but I was a very physical player and had no qualms using my body as needed.

 

[dez1978]

- From the CDC:

Wearing a helmet is a must to help reduce the risk of a serious brain injury or skull fracture. However, helmets are not designed to prevent concussions. There is no “concussion-proof” helmet.

https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/basics/concussion_prevention.html#:~:text=Wearing a helmet is a,“concussion-proof” helmet.&text=Using gates at the top,falls in infants and toddlers.

- From Concussion.org

Most people may think that helmets are intended to prevent concussions. But this is not actually the case, and is one of many football helmet misconceptions. While helmets can defend against skull fractures and serious brain injuries, they can’t stop the movement of the brain inside the skull that causes concussion.

https://www.concussion.org/news/football-helmet-misconceptions/

- Why Wear A Helmet if it Can’t Prevent Concussions

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/helmets-concussion.html

I was reading an article that compared this to birth control. No birth control is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. But they do reduce the likelihood of getting pregnant. No helmet is going to be 100% effective at preventing a concussion. However they do reduce the likelihood of one.
https://tbi.com/advancements-in-football-helmet-technology/

Honestly, pretty much every sport has the potential for concussions. Soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball. Heck, people get them just doing daily activities. My kid got one in art class of all places.

Technology certainly has a long way to go, and contact sports will never be 100% safe. All families have to make these decisions for themselves if the benefits outweigh the risks. Fortunately in our youth league, there are weight limits, which also somewhat reduces the risks. It's a lot different for my 85 lb 12 yr old to get tackled by a 100 lb kid vs getting plowed by a 250 lb kid.

 

[wenrob]

I think I may have gotten a concussion from walking into a garage door. Our door opener was broken, DH thought he would help by pulling it down a bit so I wouldn't have to reach as high to close the door. Not knowing this, I walked out of the house, looking down to zip up my jacket and bam, right into door which was about head level. Bit later, I felt a bit nauseous but didn't put the two together.

DH learned his lesson. Never ever do something nice for me.

When I was a teen we had a lamppost in our front yard with a bar that came straight out for a sign. It was on a slope so right at forehead height. I can’t tell you how many times we all smacked into that thing. Then there was my grandma’s slider that she kept crystal clear. Every grandkid at one time or another ran straight into that sucker at warp speed to land flat on their back. It was almost a right of passage. I’m sure there were plenty of concussions from just those two things.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think I may have gotten a concussion from walking into a garage door. Our door opener was broken, DH thought he would help by pulling it down a bit so I wouldn't have to reach as high to close the door. Not knowing this, I walked out of the house, looking down to zip up my jacket and bam, right into door which was about head level. Bit later, I felt a bit nauseous but didn't put the two together.

Yes, absolutely.

After my concussion I try to be really careful about leaving cabinet doors open because even just standing up and hitting the door with your head can cause a concussion.

Last winter I was returning a shopping cart to its corral when I slipped on black ice. Going down, I was thinking, “Don’t hit your head”, so I put my arm out behind me to break my fall. Wound up with a rotator cuff injury, but I’ll take that over a head injury. I did not want another concussion.

 

[china mom]

DS wanted to play but they would only "play up" two years and he was always too big to play with kids even two years older. So, his first year was 12U when he was 10. He is the big guy in the middle.

I wasn't really worried about injuries - as big as he was. He did get one concussion in practice. Was was not only in favor of him playing, I encouraged it. Unfortunately, size does not always equal talent so he didn't play after high school and COVID robbed him of a yer of that.

 

[jimmymc]

I don't have kids yet, but I would start them in competitive flag football first. If they really do well and enjoy it, then I would probably let them play tackle, but I would still try to steer them towards other things.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I was reading an article that compared this to birth control. No birth control is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. But they do reduce the likelihood of getting pregnant. No helmet is going to be 100% effective at preventing a concussion. However they do reduce the likelihood of one.
https://tbi.com/advancements-in-football-helmet-technology/

Honestly, pretty much every sport has the potential for concussions. Soccer, hockey, basketball, baseball. Heck, people get them just doing daily activities. My kid got one in art class of all places.

Technology certainly has a long way to go, and contact sports will never be 100% safe. All families have to make these decisions for themselves if the benefits outweigh the risks. Fortunately in our youth league, there are weight limits, which also somewhat reduces the risks. It's a lot different for my 85 lb 12 yr old to get tackled by a 100 lb kid vs getting plowed by a 250 lb kid.

No, I agree, all sports have the potential, and even walking around the house or grocery store it can happen, for sure.

I started to relate a story about one of my son’s concussions in HS. He was in the batter’s box when he was hit in the helmet with an 87mph fastball. (I happened to be filming from behind the plate so I caught the whole thing on video. ) Sickening thud, and he went down. Flurry of activity at the plate. After a few minutes, he got up, dazed. I was a little surprised, but it did cause a concussion. Turns out it’s not an uncommon injury in baseball: https://alexanderlaw.com/articles/2...ect-batters-against-traumatic-brain-injuries/

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I actually have some friends whose middle school age daughter is a defensive lineman for her school team. Of course, dad played college ball, so I guess that factored into his being Ok with having her play. I can't say I've heard anyone specifically keeping their kids from playing football, but we're in Texas and football is huge here. That may actually be an understatement I see so many kids go out for the freshman team simply because they want to be able to say they play football.

I'm not trying to make light of CTE, but I know a lot of people argue that you can get badly injured in any sport. While that is true, it's not really an accurate analogy when you consider that most sports don't hinge on the kind of regular/repeated hits with football. So, it becomes more of an odds game. My girls play softball and while I have fears of a line drive to the chest/head, a fastball to the head/chest, or a spinal injury from a bad headfirst slide/tag, I also know that the odds of this are far less than the risks with tackle football. I do get frustrated with the folks that don't know the game and mock me for fears over a "soft" ball. The soft refers to the core vs. the outer hardness. A 70mph fastpitch in softball is equivalent to 101mph in baseball. So, there's legitimate risk. Still, I know that down the road the injuries and impacts that are likely to plague them are more likely joint/back related vs. brain. The focus on CTE has led to concussion protocol in most sports. We had four girls last year that suffered concussions during basketball season. A ball to the helmet in softball always brings concussion observations into the mix.

I do wonder if the travel ball impact...or lack thereof, is part of why football has a high number of lower income kids in the game. I've seen others in this thread mention club football and while I've seen some evidence of it here at younger ages, we don't hear about it here with the older kids. That's not to say it doesn't exist, but I asked some moms of freshman football boys since they have done club/travel in other sports, and they didn't know of anything on the level of what they saw with baseball and soccer. I used to work with a girl whose older son played varsity with a couple of guys now in the NFL and she also hadn't seen anything like what she saw with baseball. Considering places like IMG exist and people are willing to pay the hefty price tag, logic would say there are costly options out there for football. It just seems like it's not the necessity with football like it's become with so many other sports. I'm by no means saying that football is free, but if the path to success doesn't have to include thousands upon thousands in club/travel team related costs...it would make sense to see more lower income kids in the mix for the sport. There's that dream of an NFL paycheck and an athletic full ride to college, but kids have had that same dream with MLB. There are quite a few articles out there addressing how travel ball has changed baseball and how it's no longer a sport that's accessible to lower income youths at the higher levels. When you see Little League World Series stuff on tv, you better believe those kids are also playing on a pricey travel ball team. So, logic would say that football doesn't have the financial hurdles that have become the norm in so many other sports.

 

[mrs. magoo]

I was GK from the time I was old enough for the team to HAVE a GK into High School. I took a very similar hit as your DD, only to the face. That hurt. I had more injuries as a GK then I ever did playing any other position combined, but I was a very physical player and had no qualms using my body as needed.

I suffered 6 concessions from my goal keeping days - 2 in junior high, 2 in high school and 2 in college. The problem was this was during the 1980's and 1990's. My trainer in college told me I was fine and could continue the game after having my head followed through on by another player. I had 2 black eyes for weeks after. I am thankful that concussion and now taken much more serious. My son who plays college football suffered one last spring and while he was feeling fine 24 hours later he was in protocol for 2 weeks.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I do wonder if the travel ball impact...or lack thereof, is part of why football has a high number of lower income kids in the game. I've seen others in this thread mention club football and while I've seen some evidence of it here at younger ages, we don't hear about it here with the older kids. That's not to say it doesn't exist, but I asked some moms of freshman football boys since they have done club/travel in other sports, and they didn't know of anything on the level of what they saw with baseball and soccer. I used to work with a girl whose older son played varsity with a couple of guys now in the NFL and she also hadn't seen anything like what she saw with baseball. Considering places like IMG exist and people are willing to pay the hefty price tag, logic would say there are costly options out there for football. It just seems like it's not the necessity with football like it's become with so many other sports. I'm by no means saying that football is free, but if the path to success doesn't have to include thousands upon thousands in club/travel team related costs...it would make sense to see more lower income kids in the mix for the sport. There's that dream of an NFL paycheck and an athletic full ride to college, but kids have had that same dream with MLB. There are quite a few articles out there addressing how travel ball has changed baseball and how it's no longer a sport that's accessible to lower income youths at the higher levels. When you see Little League World Series stuff on tv, you better believe those kids are also playing on a pricey travel ball team. So, logic would say that football doesn't have the financial hurdles that have become the norm in so many other sports

I feel like this is a subject for another thread. (And there have been plenty on here previously.)

But I will just say this. Everyone has their reasons for playing “club” or “travel” or whatever your area calls it.

Football is huge where I live, and a lot of money and effort is invested in it here. Baseball, not so much. At all. Fields in crap shape (DS got a knee injury requiring surgery sliding into third on an unkept, lumpy infield), practices almost unheard of, people running league corrupt, you name it. So if you have a kid who wants to really get into that sport, you have to look elsewhere.

There were several kids from where we live when DS started on his AAU team. None of them knew how to really play the game. It was embarrassing. The coach, who was from a neighboring town, couldn’t believe it, since all had played since TBall (and one was hitting home runs on varsity fields at 11). But that all changed for the better and they grew in the sport thanks to the better experience. I’ve been to places all over NE, NY, PA, NJ and FL for baseball and the bottom line is that, some places value baseball as a sport, and some don’t, and it shows. If you live in a place that does, how fortunate for your community, as it is a really great pastime for so many.

 

[disneyseniors]

My son played football in high school, but I was not happy about it. He is tall and thin. Then I saw him go for a tackle and he was the last one to get to the tackle. He moves slow, LOL. He was always late to the tackles, and then I never really worried about him again! I don't think he ever tackled anyone It was a small school so he got to play even though he wasn't very effective. Thank heavens he doesn't read this site, LOL..

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I feel like this is a subject for another thread. (And there have been plenty on here previously.)

But I will just say this. Everyone has their reasons for playing “club” or “travel” or whatever your area calls it.

Football is huge where I live, and a lot of money and effort is invested in it here. Baseball, not so much. At all. Fields in crap shape (DS got a knee injury requiring surgery sliding into third on an unkept, lumpy infield), practices almost unheard of, people running league corrupt, you name it. So if you have a kid who wants to really get into that sport, you have to look elsewhere.

There were several kids from where we live when DS started on his AAU team. None of them knew how to really play the game. It was embarrassing. The coach, who was from a neighboring town, couldn’t believe it, since all had played since TBall (and one was hitting home runs on varsity fields at 11). But that all changed for the better and they grew in the sport thanks to the better experience. I’ve been to places all over NE, NY, PA, NJ and FL for baseball and the bottom line is that, some places value baseball as a sport, and some don’t, and it shows. If you live in a place that does, how fortunate for your community, as it is a really great pastime for so many.

The funny thing is that football is still king in Texas. The stadiums for these high school kids are bigger than some smaller colleges. Heck, even my kids' school practice field is nicer than my NJ high school's game field. Our area sees quite a few kids make commitments to Division I Power 5 conference powerhouse football schools. Some are from high schools in less affluent areas of the metro area while others are kids from less affluent sections that have been given transfer approvals to play for better schools in their districts. There are also some that were given scholarships to some of the pricey private high schools. I noted it because OP said football seems to attract more lower income kids and it's the one sport in this area that's really big but doesn't seem to have the pricey travel ball component like the others. So, it seemed like a possible correlation between those factors.

In our girls' sport, we know some states are just more widely known for it than others. The reasons vary, but local climate can also be a factor in that. You're not going to find a ton of club/travel hockey players here, but our lack of real winter makes it possible for year-round outdoor sports. Still, overall popularity can guide these things as well. With the success of softball programs like OU, the sport is growing all over. Just like hockey will likely grow here soon too, since one of our D1 P5 schools is introducing ice hockey. It's also not to say that a kid living in an area where something is less popular couldn't be great. They may just have to travel more. Like you said...this could be a topic for a thread of it's own.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I just showed my DS this thread and asked his opinion on it. He said he still wishes he played football, lol, and that he won’t push it, but if his kid wants to play, he’d allow it. He echoed that, as we’ve all mentioned here, injuries can happen with any sport, but that the benefits to playing outweigh the risks, in his opinion. Exercise, cameraderie, friendships, mentoring, leadership opportunities, team work, recognition, self-discipline, etc. I think @dez1978 mentioned, too, it was a nice outlet for her son who had ADHD. Putting excess and sometimes negative energies into something you enjoy is a good thing. Being out in the fresh air is a good thing. Exercise is a good thing. So many good things. Are there negatives? Of course there can be. But when it works well, it can overall be really positive.

 

[loves to dive]

My son did play football and also was a wrestler and played tennis. All five of my brothers played football all through grade school and high school and one played football in college. They were also all in another sport like baseball, track, cross country, basketball, soccer and hockey when we lived up north. Obviously, I have no problems with it but I am from a different time (you know those of us who walked barefoot, in the snow, up hill both ways to school).

Frankly, I would much rather watch my son play football then wrestling. Talk about putting your body through rough stuff. I would have to turn away when some of the smaller weight kids were wrestling because I just knew a bone was going to break the way they were twisting them. To wrestle in a lighter weight class they would even go to the extreme of not swallowing their spit on the day of a match.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The funny thing is that football is still king in Texas. The stadiums for these high school kids are bigger than some smaller colleges. Heck, even my kids' school practice field is nicer than my NJ high school's game field. Our area sees quite a few kids make commitments to Division I Power 5 conference powerhouse football schools. Some are from high schools in less affluent areas of the metro area while others are kids from less affluent sections that have been given transfer approvals to play for better schools in their districts. There are also some that were given scholarships to some of the pricey private high schools. I noted it because OP said football seems to attract more lower income kids and it's the one sport in this area that's really big but doesn't seem to have the pricey travel ball component like the others. So, it seemed like a possible correlation between those factors.

In our girls' sport, we know some states are just more widely known for it than others. The reasons vary, but local climate can also be a factor in that. You're not going to find a ton of club/travel hockey players here, but our lack of real winter makes it possible for year-round outdoor sports. Still, overall popularity can guide these things as well. With the success of softball programs like OU, the sport is growing all over. Just like hockey will likely grow here soon too, since one of our D1 P5 schools is introducing ice hockey. It's also not to say that a kid living in an area where something is less popular couldn't be great. They may just have to travel more. Like you said...this could be a topic for a thread of it's own.

I don’t think clubs advertise it, but some will sponsor players who can’t afford to play.

I also think it’s somewhat of a stereotype to think that all who are playing ”club level” ball are salivating trying to get into D1 programs or make it to the pros. Most of us just wanted a good quality sports experience.