Football Head Injuries

[Soxbadger]

Then I may as well keep them out of every competitive sport, right? You can get hit by line drives in baseballs, get undercut and crack your head open in basketball, get cut or slip and fall in hockey, drown in swimming...may as well relegate him to a life of video games.

 

If my future child is interested in playing a sport, I will let them. If they aren't, I'm not going to make them play anything.

 

I wouldnt convince my kid to play football, but if they wanted to, I would let them.

 

No point in living if our lives are just a padded cage.

[Rowand44]

I wouldnt convince my kid to play football, but if they wanted to, I would let them.

 

No point in living if our lives are just a padded cage.

That would most likely be my choice as well as I'd be a huge hypocrite if I did otherwise.

[IlliniKrush]

Then I may as well keep them out of every competitive sport, right? You can get hit by line drives in baseballs, get undercut and crack your head open in basketball, get cut or slip and fall in hockey, drown in swimming...may as well relegate him to a life of video games.

 

If my future child is interested in playing a sport, I will let them. If they aren't, I'm not going to make them play anything.

 

 

I wouldnt convince my kid to play football, but if they wanted to, I would let them.

 

No point in living if our lives are just a padded cage.

The typical overreactions posts I was expecting.

 

Football is not on the same page with most other sports. There's a reason it's getting much more attention.

 

At some point, you do have to draw a line. That's every parent's choice.

[iamshack]

The typical overreactions posts I was expecting.

 

Football is not on the same page with most other sports. There's a reason it's getting much more attention.

 

At some point, you do have to draw a line. That's every parent's choice.

So what if your kid was the next Peyton Manning?

 

You think it is your right to keep him from playing?

[Texsox]

I wouldnt convince my kid to play football, but if they wanted to, I would let them.

 

No point in living if our lives are just a padded cage.

 

Would you take a look at the equipment and the training of the coaches before making a decision?

[witesoxfan]

It's not even that. What if your kid just really, really wants to play football? Absolutely loves it to death. Are you going to tell him he can't?

 

I played for 3 years and quit after my 8th grade year because I wasn't having fun playing it in pads. I still love it.

[iamshack]

It's not even that. What if your kid just really, really wants to play football? Absolutely loves it to death. Are you going to tell him he can't?

 

I played for 3 years and quit after my 8th grade year because I wasn't having fun playing it in pads. I still love it.

Well, under this scenario, I could argue, well, you might love f***ing donkeys too, but should I allow you to?

[witesoxfan]

Would you take a look at the equipment and the training of the coaches before making a decision?

 

This I would do. The equipment and coach have to be up to standard. If it's shoddy and the coach is awful, there's no way I'm letting my kid play.

 

And, with football, if after 2 practices my kid says "I don't wanna play," I'm not going to fight him like I would baseball or basketball or anything else. I'd simply say "OK, I'll let your coach know."

[witesoxfan]

Well, under this scenario, I could argue, well, you might love f***ing donkeys too, but should I allow you to?

 

Haha, well that is plenty illegal.

 

But I don't like soccer at all and frankly think it's a bit of a goofy game, but if my kid liked it and wanted to play, I'd let him. There are things with the scope of a normal society that are acceptable to let our kids do. I'm not going to let my kid eat a turd sandwich no matter how badly he wants to.

[Jake]

I wouldn't let my son play football. Definitely not until until high school, if ever. A lot of the damage racks up while they're children, because their heads outgrow their necks and youth leagues are horrible at preventing unnecessary contact in non-game settings. By high school, I'm being my son will have other hobbies or sports to be interested in. If not, I'll evaluate the program and see what kind of shop they run. I know my team did a lot more hitting in practice than anywhere else, which led to all kinds of chronic injuries. The savvier programs will only have one day of "full" contact each week nowadays.

 

Of course, on the track we're on public schools probably won't have sports anymore by the time I have kids.

[witesoxfan]

I agree to the no pop warner stuff too. Those kids don't know any better either.

 

I will probably to flag football until 6th grade or so, and then let him decide at that point.

[IlliniKrush]

So what if your kid was the next Peyton Manning?

 

You think it is your right to keep him from playing?

Yes, as I'm his Dad and know what's best. Trying to say I should let him play because he "could" be the next Peyton Manning is stupid.

 

And yes, it's absolutely my right. I think that goes without saying.

 

It's not even that. What if your kid just really, really wants to play football? Absolutely loves it to death. Are you going to tell him he can't?

 

I played for 3 years and quit after my 8th grade year because I wasn't having fun playing it in pads. I still love it.

Yes, I am. That's just me though.

[dasox24]

When I do have a kid, I would absolutely allow him to play football if he wants to. Some of my favorite memories are from the football teams I played on. Some of my best friends are guys I played football with from way back in elementary school to high school, and to this day, we still talk about old games or big plays. It's a special sport and by far my favorite.

 

I still play flag football in an adult league, and it's one of the highlights of my week. Getting out on the field, making plays, being on a team again. It's awesome. My team ranges from guys who stopped playing as freshman in high school to guys who played D1. We all have a blast out there, even when we lose. The D1 guys get just as excited after a big play as the others, and they've played way more legit football than us. One guy played in the National Championship last year - and yet after we won a game on a Hail Mary attempt, he was running around the field like a mad man. It's moments like those that I would never give back. And yeah yeah, I know I'm not playing contact football now, but my point is that the affinity I have for football grew a lot out of my old playing days. And yes, there are other team sports where you can have these types of experiences. But for me, nothing tops football. In college, we won 2 intramural basketball championships and one softball, and I'd trade all 3 of those for having won just one football championship. I just never cared about other sports like I did football. So if my Dad had said I couldn't play football, then I would have found another sport to like. But I'm not sure I'd have ever loved another sport like I do football. I'm glad I didn't have that taken away from me.

 

If I have a kid who doesn't want to play football, then that will be fine too. And if he does want to play, then I'm sure I'll take into account a certain level of safety (coaching, program/league structure, etc), but that would be the same for any extracurricular activity. If it all checks out, then we're a go.

 

Sorry, Tex - I realize that had nothing to do with your original post. But this whole thread seemed to have taken a turn, so I went with it.

Edited December 19, 2013 by dasox24

[ptatc]

They've been learning that for many of these cases, it isn't the concussions. It is the accumulation of sub-concussive blows. I went to a seminar put on by the leading CTE researchers from Boston and they're saying the picture is rather bleak. However, most (roughly three quarters) of these damaging, sub-concussive blows are occurring in practice. That, we can reduce drastically. They said youth football leagues are typically the worst offenders due to lack of training and care.

Did they address the steroid issues. One of the things that many of the former NFL players who participated in the studies had in common was steroid use. I think this played a significant role as well.

 

Also much of the research shows that there isn't much higher incident of "brain trauma" symptoms in thispopulation compared to a "non-NFL" population. It did show that it had an earlier onset however.

[ptatc]

Yes, as I'm his Dad and know what's best. Trying to say I should let him play because he "could" be the next Peyton Manning is stupid.

 

And yes, it's absolutely my right. I think that goes without saying.

 

 

Yes, I am. That's just me though.

I think that should be what we believe is best. While the researchers are finding the CTE and think there is a correlation to problems.

 

The research is mostly done with case studies that show retrospectively that people had CTE. Some players have had it others haven't. There currently is no causal effect of CTE and any behaviors. So before people overreact and ban everything, there needs to be real evidence.

 

That being said it's pretty obvious that multiple concussions are a bad thing. I think the general rule of multiple concussions with significant symptoms would definitely keep my kids out of "contact" sports.

[IlliniKrush]

When I do have a kid, I would absolutely allow him to play football if he wants to. Some of my favorite memories are from the football teams I played on. Some of my best friends are guys I played football with from way back in elementary school to high school, and to this day, we still talk about old games or big plays. It's a special sport and by far my favorite.

 

I still play flag football in an adult league, and it's one of the highlights of my week. Getting out on the field, making plays, being on a team again. It's awesome. My team ranges from guys who stopped playing as freshman in high school to guys who played D1. We all have a blast out there, even when we lose. The D1 guys get just as excited after a big play as the others, and they've played way more legit football than us. One guy played in the National Championship last year - and yet after we won a game on a Hail Mary attempt, he was running around the field like a mad man. It's moments like those that I would never give back. And yeah yeah, I know I'm not playing contact football now, but my point is that the affinity I have for football grew a lot out of my old playing days. And yes, there are other team sports where you can have these types of experiences. But for me, nothing tops football. In college, we won 2 intramural basketball championships and one softball, and I'd trade all 3 of those for having won just one football championship. I just never cared about other sports like I did football. So if my Dad had said I couldn't play football, then I would have found another sport to like. But I'm not sure I'd have ever loved another sport like I do football. I'm glad I didn't have that taken away from me.

 

If I have a kid who doesn't want to play football, then that will be fine too. And if he does want to play, then I'm sure I'll take into account a certain level of safety (coaching, program/league structure, etc), but that would be the same for any extracurricular activity. If it all checks out, then we're a go.

 

Sorry, Tex - I realize that had nothing to do with your original post. But this whole thread seemed to have taken a turn, so I went with it.

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/03/ber...ds-of-football/

[ptatc]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/03/ber...ds-of-football/

The research cited in this article is similar to the others that have been published. I'ts basically, we found a few things in a few players so there must be a link. I'm not saying it can't be true but far too many people are jumping to conclusions too quickly.

 

How about something like the reason there was a slight, not significant decrease loss in memory among the players with no diagnosed concussions was because they were taking illegals drugs.

 

Until there are more longitudinal studies done not just individual case studies people should be careful with their reactions.

[dasox24]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/03/ber...ds-of-football/

In my original post, I state that I'm aware that other sports can offer the same types of things as football. But for me, football meant the most. I get that it's not the same for everyone. But don't tell me playing another sport would have been the same for me because I know that it wasn't. And I'm sure it would be that way for a lot of people.

 

I would never force my kid to do something he didn't want to. I plan on being like my Dad, who let us choose what we wanted to partake in, but once we started, we were finishing (at least for that season/event/whatever it was). If my son wants to play soccer, cool. I never played soccer and I suck at it. But I'd be damn happy as long as it's what he loves. But if all he wants to do is play football, then I'm going to give him that chance.

 

Anyway, I'm not sure any opinions are going to be changed here.

Edited December 19, 2013 by dasox24

[Quin]

Better tackling form would solve a lot as opposed to the "Drill a guy as hard as you can"

 

And it sounds crazy, but I'd add a 'concussion limit' to players. Like, 2 concussions, you're done for the season. Something like 5 total (and that's setting it high) and you're done. Period.

[LittleHurt05]

Better tackling form would solve a lot as opposed to the "Drill a guy as hard as you can"

 

And it sounds crazy, but I'd add a 'concussion limit' to players. Like, 2 concussions, you're done for the season. Something like 5 total (and that's setting it high) and you're done. Period.

 

That rule will just lead to players lying about their concussions to stay in the game.

[Rowand44]

That rule will just lead to players lying about their concussions to stay in the game.

Players do that all the time now. I know I would.

[Texsox]

Sorry, Tex - I realize that had nothing to do with your original post. But this whole thread seemed to have taken a turn, so I went with it.

 

It's not "my thread" and one of the things that a good thread does is spark conversations. It's interesting listening to people who don't have kids theorize what they will, or will not, do when they have kids.

[ptatc]

It's not "my thread" and one of the things that a good thread does is spark conversations. It's interesting listening to people who don't have kids theorize what they will, or will not, do when they have kids.

My son played from the ages of 6-12. He is a bigger, quick kid so he always played center/nose tackle. He got bored with just hitting and watching the ball. Since the age of 12, it's been nothing but lacrosse where everyone gets to play the ball, hit and run around.

[Texsox]

While I hoped that my kids would like some of the same sports as I did, my daughter is a dancer and my son played tennis as their primary passion. My son did play golf well enough for us to partner to a second place finish in my country club's father-son alternate shot tournament. But by middle school he was birned out by team sports.

[clyons]

My 10 year old son has played tackle football for two years. He plays HB and DE, was co-Captain of his team this year, and IMHO, was a TD and sack machine who was one of the best 3 or so players on a squad that played for his league's championship.

 

He loves it, but I wish to hell he did not. I am very, very proud of him, but that Frontline episode was a game changer for me.

 

Ironically, in a reversal of gender stereotypes, my ex lives for his football, and I am just a worry wart, p**** who never played. Even if I were inclined to try to veto his playing (which would crush him), I would be shot down, and the issue would likely end up in litigation.

 

So I cross my fingers, pray, and open my mouth only to cheer for and support him.