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

[Xwnyer]

51 minutes ago, peterpan said:

I’m glad I have girls.  Having suffered multiple concussions and a serious neck injury in HS football, I am still in pain and will be for life. 
 

I would not want my boys to play but would have a hard time not letting them.

 

with girls, my decision was made for me.   I am thankful to God for them every day.

do they not play sports???

[gonzo1105]

Its ultimately up to him. I played HS/College ball and coached HS/College ball but as long as my son is doing something with his life that doesn't involve crime or drugs than I will be a happy father even if that means he's on the chess team. 

[BRH]

5 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

This event has nothing to do with football. Can happen in baseball, soccer, hockey, lacrosse and other sports with far less contact. It's an accident that occurs very rarely. 

Judge football for long term cognitive and or orthopedic issues, not sudden cardiac death from blunt chest injury. 

 

I think we all can agree on that.  But the title of the post is "How do you feel as a parent about your child playing football?"  Not, "Given what happened last night, are you less likely to let your child play football?"  The OP's comment leaned more in the latter direction, but I am responding to the title.

[BigAl2526]

My son was smaller than average until he was probably a senior in high school.  He's bigger than average now, but he never had interest in playing.  He did try wrestling.  He got slammed to the mat a few times, and as a result, his knees were messed up for years.  On balance, I think what he got out of wrestling in terms of self-respect and the respect of his teammates for trying something, that was a real challenge for him, outweighed the physical price he paid.  I think the same is true for many participants in football.

[PatsFanNH]

1 hour ago, Royale with Cheese said:

My kid is only 7 so I have awhile where I think I have time before impacts can hurt the body.  I know what happened yesterday has never happened in the NFL and is extremely rare.  But I will never forget about Damar Hamlin...ever.  My son plays every sport and man, I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable seeing him take a big shot, it will happen, those who have played before knows this.  

 

Again, I know it's a one in a hundred million but it's also your child.  I'm going to let him play what he wants to play but last night was just so scary.

My son is now 15 he has been playing football since he was 10.  First he chose football and wanted to play and I allowed it because that is what he wanted.  He absolutely loves football and I wouldn’t dream of taking it away from him. Next year  he goes to HS and he will go back to Pop Warner to help coach. I think all you can do is support your children and in violent sports like football or hockey get them the best equipment you can to help protect them.  Life is to short not to allow them to enjoy something they love.. (my son outside of schoolwork watches game film a lot has since he was 8.. he truly loves the game.)

[Bob Chandler's Hands]

1 hour ago, peterpan said:

I’m glad I have girls.  Having suffered multiple concussions and a serious neck injury in HS football, I am still in pain and will be for life. 
 

I would not want my boys to play but would have a hard time not letting them.

 

with girls, my decision was made for me.   I am thankful to God for them every day.

I have girls too. One played ice hockey, one is very into Equestrian. 

We know hockey has dangers but let me tell you nothing is more terrifying that your kid riding on the back of an unpredictable 1500lbs animal as it jumps over hurdles. She had a serious concussion once and has hurt her shoulder as well. 

 

Yet...I wouldn't dream of trying to stop her from riding. It's her passion. 

[WeckMonster]

Have two ‘tween boys that are starting to specialize.  Definitely pushing them away from football even though (1) i played and have amazing memories and (2) youngest loves football, plays QB on a traveling flag team, is pretty good, etc.

 

My reasons are more that it’s not a lifelong sport.  Learn to swim, golf, ski, tennis, cycling, etc.  Much healthier activities that you can do for years.

[Mr. WEO]

this same thing/thread appeared more than once after the "CTE scandal" a few years ago.

 

What happened to Hamlin is so unusual and rare that I'm not sure it, in and of itself, will sway many parents.  

[Green Lightning]

I know kids that just want to play football. Nothing else will do. So, you support them and try your best to keep them safe. 

[LanderPoke]

4 minutes ago, WeckMonster said:

Have two ‘tween boys that are starting to specialize.  Definitely pushing them away from football even though (1) i played and have amazing memories and (2) youngest loves football, plays QB on a traveling flag team, is pretty good, etc.

 

My reasons are more that it’s not a lifelong sport.  Learn to swim, golf, ski, tennis, cycling, etc.  Much healthier activities that you can do for years.

Learn those lifelong sports after football is over.

[Jon in Pasadena]

I was surprised as heck when my younger son announced out of the blue last Spring (sophomore year) that he wanted to play football.  And I'd be lying if I said I didn't have some concerns, especially since, unlike most of the kids, he had never played organized fb at any level. But after checking out as many factors as I could, (coaching, medical support team, etc) I decided to let him go for it.  He dove right in, worked his tail off in Spring practices, fought through some early training-related injuries, learned the playbook inside and out, and went from basically knowing nothing to becoming an impact player at OLB by the end of the season, and helping his team make the CIF playoffs for the first time in five years.

 

There is still a level of worry about concussions, etc., but my angst about some possible low-probability freak accident was offset to a degree by seeing the joy on his face in those special moments, like when the announcer called his name on three consecutive plays (tackle, TFL, PBU) and when they found out they were playoff-bound.  Life is all about managing risk, and IMHO everyone has to make their own best decisions for their family.

[nuiwek]

My Youngest is 12 and plays every sport he can (we live in the middle of nowhere, so a bit limited). But football is his sport. Hes played since he was 7. I dont know how I feel about it honestly. Hes usually one of the bigger kids on the field but it still makes ya think

[BillsShredder83]

1 hour ago, machine gun kelly said:

Right.  I did my best to let Royale know all the other examples of injuries in other sports. Concussions, broken bones, soft tissue injuries, torn ligaments, etc all not from football.

 

I won’t repeat.  Just do the hw. On soccer, lax, and other sports like mine in wrestling and powerlifting on multiple injuries.  All the technique in the world can’t remove injury risks

atleast in 200s when i wrestled it was the only sport where injuries increased as athletes gained more experience, backwards curve. def were concussions along the way, not that i knew it at the time... hard to say what effects exactly those have had on me, but was pretty directionless as a kid till i found that sport and the weightroom that went with

[Slack_in_MA]

I played in high school and sustained some decent injuries (concussion, neck, broken hand). It was still my favorite sport to play. When my two sons got into middle school, they decided to play soccer for their fall sport, and part of me was kind of relieved they didn't choose football.

[streetkings01]

2 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

Royale, I have two sons and both were athletes.  Neither had any serious injury from football.  However, my oldest who is 23, had a full ride in lax and had all 5 of his concussions fro lax and 0 from football.  My middle never had a serious injury and is 21 who now is growing part time while finishing his PT degree as a football coach.  
 

I have friends whose kids had multiple concussions in soccer.  You can’t bubble wrap your kids.  My one son practicing in a flag league (adults) tore his ACL, PCL, MCL by just pivoting from an out to inside route without contact from anyone.

 

Myself, I beaned a kid on middle school in baseball as I hit a line drive wide to him in the head while on the bench so not with a helmet on so he went to the hospital and was a complete accident.

 

Myself I live with broken noses, fingers, more soft tissues than I can describe from wrestling.  Even more for 16 years of powerlifting.  Pretty much every joint has been injured multiple times.

 

Are you getting my point?  It was a freak accident.  You also don’t know as they don’t have definitive info whether Hamlin had an undiagnosed coronary abnormality.

 

Royale, you’re a good dude, but you can’t bubble wrap your kids.  Think about it and before you make that decision, really, not supwrficially do you’re hw.  You can always have youre boy play flag football as they can get a lot of skills down until 12.

I coach 14u travel flag football…..seen multiple concussions, broken noses and chipped teeth. Kids get banged up doing any sport.

[Freddie's Dead]

NFW.  Period.

[teef]

Sure.  My son is 4 and want to play.  I still think at the younger ages, the risk is very minimal.  I can’t imagine he’ll play football beyond high school if he even wants to go that far. Up to him. 

[machine gun kelly]

31 minutes ago, BillsShredder83 said:

atleast in 200s when i wrestled it was the only sport where injuries increased as athletes gained more experience, backwards curve. def were concussions along the way, not that i knew it at the time... hard to say what effects exactly those have had on me, but was pretty directionless as a kid till i found that sport and the weightroom that went with

Shredder, good man, but the point was to tell Royale you can’t bubble wrap your kids.  I’ve broken more bones, torn ligaments, tendons, bursitis, and so on.  
 

Bottom line. I won and dealt with the pain.  That was a long time ago.  My kids the same and they didn’t get seriously injured in tackle ball.

 

All had more injuries in other sports.  They were athletes and that in it’s nature means they threw their bodies into their game.

 

You can’t let a mom dictate bubblewrapping your kid.  It won’t help.

[Beast]

2 hours ago, TheWei44 said:

My son will never play football because of CTE concerns, among others.  Nothing to do with what happened last night.

So, it’s OK to watch others play and put themselves at risk for your own entertainment? I take you enjoy watching football?

[The Frankish Reich]

Driving home last night from the bar where I was watching the game (I don’t think anyone felt like being there once the gravity of the injury started to sink in), I heard Rich Eisen doing the radio coverage. He told a story I’d never heard before. Howie Long had two boys playing college football - on different teams, one on offense, one on defense - and they were about to play each other. Eisen asked the typical question, “Howie, how do you feel about that?” He was probably expecting a funny answer - I can’t help cheering for both sides, etc. That’s not what he got. Howie said he felt a little sick about the whole thing. He said that on the line, “every play out there is like a car crash.” It’s brutal in the NFL even when it looks ordinary to us. 
And I think all his listeners understood exactly what Howie meant. 

Edited January 3, 2023 by The Frankish Reich