Should You Let Your Kid Play Football?

[FaninAma]

Gender role issues. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't outright ban her from sports -- I believe in letting kids pursuit their own interest; however, I definitely wouldn't encourage it. If she was determined to play a sport then I'd push her toward swimming, golf, or tennis.

Playing sports is one of the best things you can allow your daughters to do. It builds confidence and self-esteem which leads to lower rates of engaging in teenage sex and decreases the rate of teenage pregnancy. It also promotes academic success. Both of my daughters have benfitted form their junior high and high school athletic experiences even when they played on bad teams. Both will finish OU as 4 year lettermen in varsity rowing . The older daughter was second team all-Big 12 her senior year and has one Big 12 championship ring and One Conferrence USA championship. The younger daughter has 2 Big 12 conference championships and 2 Conference USA championships and is working on her 3rd this year. They are both much more successful and confident because of playing sports.

[Tear Down This Wall]

TDTW, I think that is a good plan. I think allowing your child to play tackle football at 8 years of age is misguided for the following reasons:

1. The more immature the brain is the more susceptible to injury it is. Therefore, the younger a player is the more likely a concussion suffered by that player will produce long term effects.

2. Musculosletal injuries tend to be more severe because of open growth plates. Simple fractures in adults can be much more serious in a younger player if the growtrh plate is involved(Salter fractures).

3. There is an enormous variance in physical maturity between players especially between the ages of 10 and 15. The so called late bloomers are at a distinct disadvantage and will more likely get a negative first impression from any sport but especially from a high contact sport.

Thanks. I also factor into football that some kids don't play until their junior or senior year of high school and do well. My son is a big kid, built like a brick. If we put him into football we know they'd stick him on the line. We don't want him to take too many hits on the head at such a young age for the very reason you mention, concussions.

[FaninAma]

Thanks. I also factor into football that some kids don't play until their junior or senior year of high school and do well. My son is a big kid, built like a brick. If we put him into football know, they'd stick him on the line. We don't want him to take too many hits on the head at such a young age for the very reason you mention, concussions.

You are correct in your statements. The average thinks that concussions and TBI only occur during hard tackles. Studies show the most adverse affects of sports related TBI occur from the repetitive injuries even if they are mild. This is more common for OL and the front 7 in defenses who engage in head contact on almost every single play. That is also why soccer has been implicated as a sport in which TBI are common.

[Sooner91ATL]

Gender role issues. If I had a daughter, I wouldn't outright ban her from sports -- I believe in letting kids pursuit their own interest; however, I definitely wouldn't encourage it. If she was determined to play a sport then I'd push her toward swimming, golf, or tennis.

So you definitely would want your daughter to go out for the softball team, is what you're saying?

[Tear Down This Wall]

Ask him what the hell he means by "gender role issues." It has nothing to do with sports; but, ask him anyway...and, could go a long way into explaining why he remains single.

[SicEmBaylor]

So you definitely would want your daughter to go out for the softball team, is what you're saying?

Softball is such a poor name for the sport. Those gals don't like balls at all, soft or otherwise.

[BoulderSooner79]

Softball is such a poor name for the sport. Those gals don't like balls at all, soft or otherwise.

An unfair generalization (maybe it's a tongue in cheek statement). But it was certainly true that many referees for my daughter's volleyball games played for the all girl team. The players didn't seem to care.

[rock on sooner]

Just to put a little perspective on it, stand in the batters box and try
to hit the round object coming at you at 65+mph...those gals can
flat bring it. Remember Jenny Finch, she humiliated some of MLB's
best hitters on TV.....

[SanDiegoSoonerGal]

....so pretty much, if you want your child to avoid injury, don't have any


ss

So, having kids and wanting to protect them from injury are mutually exclusive concepts?

[Tear Down This Wall]

So, having kids and wanting to protect them from injury are mutually exclusive concepts?

For some, apparently it is.

It's like the cigarette thing, decades ago doctors would endorse certain brands. We now know it causes cancer, etc. and the companies hid the information from the public and investors.

We are now finding out about the dangers of concussions and ignoring them, telling the players they are fine, or letting the players themselves say they are fine.

As parents, we now have more information regarding concussion injuries and football, so we can make better decisions about our kids' health.

[Eielson]

It's a little harder if you have to make the decision today, but it's pretty simple for me, as I don't have kids yet, and should have 10+ years to decide (assuming I even have kids). Sequencing the human genome is becoming very inexpensive, and research in that field is moving at an absurdly high pace. Sequence his genome, and see what his risks are. If he has certain mutations (ApoE), don't let him play. Otherwise, let him decide.

Also, I haven't read this thread thoroughly, but it appears some people think it's a good idea to have their kid wait until they're older. Yes, I'd imagine a 3rd grader having a concussion would be a more serious issue than a 25 year old, but it's a lot less likely to happen. Little kids don't hit very hard. I'd be more concerned about my son playing when he's older and he and his opponents hit a lot harder. One year of starting in the NFL is probably worse than playing 3rd grade all the way through high school.

And no, if you've never played football in your life, and go out for the team as a junior or senior, you're not going to do well unless you're playing at a low-level of competition or are a genetic freak. You're most likely going to go out there, get your butt handed to you, and then quit.

[OUmillenium]

Football was designed as a tackle sport not a bang your head into opponents head sport (which I love to watch but don't want my kid doing at any age).

My boys are both coordinated and energetic so they will get plenty of ouchies without football. But we live in Jenks so that will prob be their favorite sport.

[TAFBSooner]

Playing sports . . . builds confidence and self-esteem . . . It also promotes academic success.

They are both much more successful and confident because of playing sports.

That is exactly what he means by "gender role issues."