Print

yes

no

fp

[Inhogswetrust]

"A team of any type"

doesn't have to be football...if Elvis doesn't want his kid to play it's just fine, maybe he plays baseball, soccer, basketball, etc. There are other options for team sports...or maybe he wants to be a member of the band? Every parent should be able to look at the risks and make their own informed decision about football without ridicule from others - it's a personal decision.

Of course there are other options of team activities. But what if the kid doesn't WANT to do those others and only wants football. Why deprive a kid of something that will teach them some things if that's what they want to do. Would you not give your kid a skateboard if they wanted it? That can be risky as well. Individual sports or other activities can have injury risks. My brother in laws were not allowed to play football. When one of them have a boy he kind of wanted his kid to do what he couldn't do. He didn't push him that way but allowed him to play and he learned a lot by doing so. Heck the most severe he ever got hurt was snow skiing while in college. An individual recreational activity that happens to be considered a sport sometimes. My wife's niece played college soccer at Colorado. She had to give it up after her junior year due to all the injuries she had sustained. Telling a kid they can't do something that teaches life lessons and is legal and controlled to some degree is not good imho. I believe a parent should't go through life having their kid in a "bubble" the whole time they are growing up. It's a big world and it's important they learn how to live in it. Team activities help in that. I'm not ridiculing parents for only football. Some parents though don't let their kids play ANY sport or have any extracurricular team activities.

[HiggiePiggy]

Nt

[twistitup]

Of course there are other options of team activities. But what if the kid doesn't WANT to do those others and only wants football. Why deprive a kid of something that will teach them some things if that's what they want to do. Would you not give your kid a skateboard if they wanted it? That can be risky as well. Individual sports or other activities can have injury risks. My brother in laws were not allowed to play football. When one of them have a boy he kind of wanted his kid to do what he couldn't do. He didn't push him that way but allowed him to play and he learned a lot by doing so. Heck the most severe he ever got hurt was snow skiing while in college. An individual recreational activity that happens to be considered a sport sometimes. My wife's niece played college soccer at Colorado. She had to give it up after her junior year due to all the injuries she had sustained. Telling a kid they can't do something that teaches life lessons and is legal and controlled to some degree is not good imho. I believe a parent should't go through life having their kid in a "bubble" the whole time they are growing up. It's a big world and it's important they learn how to live in it. Team activities help in that. I'm not ridiculing parents for only football. Some parents though don't let their kids play ANY sport or have any extracurricular team activities.

I think it is completely up to parents until a kid reaches an age to make his own decisions....I wouldn't let my kid ride bulls at a young age...just doesn't make sense to me. My parents wouldn't let me box (golden gloves), it didn't make sense to them.

Extracurricular is good, but parents can help guide children to sports they approve of. If the kid gets to to H.S. and is still begging - ok, maybe it's on him at that point.

[BirmingHam]

I played organized football from 3rd grade through high school.  Played OL and then moved up to TE/DE in later days.  My senior year I was the gunner on punt returns (ran back up the wall to block oncoming players).  I do not have any problems at age 60.  I do have bad knees, but I attribute that to basketball and all the jumping drills/rebound drills from 5th through high school.

I allowed all my sons to play if they wanted (2 did/ 2 did not).  Older son has no injuries, Offensive line.  Youngest had a concussion, but doesnt' have any lasting injuries - now 20. 

The older son does have back problems and has to go to doctor often.  But, that is due to being hit from behind at stoplight twice.  Both times he was at a dead stop waiting for light to change.  But, he still drives and stops at stop lights waiting for them to change to green.  Maybe I should talk to him and tell him that if he wants to have a fulfilling life past 25 (current age) that he should no longer commute in city traffic.  It's just not worth the risk.  This commuting has done more damage than 5 years of football.