Why you should let your young kid play tackle football

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's taken me a long time to get here, but I agree OP.
My son has wanted to play tackle football since he was 6. I always said no due to safety/concussion concerns and don't even get me going on my feminist tirade of the NFL.
We put him (and our daughter) into flag football. He grew his love of the sport and has continued to ask about playing tackle. Here we are, he's in 7th grade, just went to the pediatrician for his annual check up and he's in the 97th percentile size wise for his age. He asked again if he could do the school football team and I said yes. Part of it is to give him the chance to do it before the stakes are too high. He has his primary sport that he excels in, and is part of his long term goal (playing in college, etc). But the social and emotional impact of being on the football team with his friends I believe will pay dividends, and he's already having a blast.

Above all sports, football and golf teach responsibility the best. Golf is obvious as it’s all on you. Football makes you realize how important it is to listen, understand and do your part bc, if you don’t, someone can get crushed. The first time a kid has to look a teammate in the eye who got smashed bc they messed up provides eye opening perspective.

Exactly. I've said the same thing for years. Different sports teach different lessons.

For example, I encourage kids to play solo sports (like, golf as you mentioned), but I always use wrestling as the best example. It's just you. You are either going to whooped, or you're going to whoop someone else. It's entirely on you (that is a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point)

Football is the opposite. It takes 11 people all doing their job together. And you owe it to the 10 other players to do your job, and they owe it to you. There's something special about it that's hard to find in other sports.

It becomes extra special because only people that really played understand. Sure, the RB gets the credit for the touchdown. But people that play see the line making the hole, the center with the clean snap, the WR with the downfield block.

RB may get into the end zone untouched; the rest of the team made that possible for them. It's really cool when you see it start to click for the kids

Same could be said for soccer....

Not really, and I think you just kind of proved me point (that you only get if you've ever been a part of it).

First, nobody is going to get pancaked in soccer bc a teammate missed an assignment.

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

You sound like someone who's never played soccer or even watched a professional soccer game in his life. The entire game is based on 11 players doing their jobs on the field. Each position has a role and job to fill. The idea that American football is alone in this is just....so American.

FWIW, I never even played football. I actually played soccer through MS and then wrestling and baseball through HS.

But having watched my DS play football for the past 3 years, there's no sport that comes close to the requiring the same level of trust from your teammates. It's not even close.

If an athlete misses an assignment on the soccer field or a OF missed a cut-off, the worst that happens is a run scores, (or a goal is allowed). In football, its way different.

And I never even suggested that football is the only sport that teaches teamwork. Just that it teaches it in such a unique way.

Soccer fans being so triggered and sensitive is so on brand

American football fans being so oblivious to the existence and mechanics of other sports is so on brand.

I don't know what I'm getting sucked in arguing with you since I know you're just trolling, but go back and reread. I literally said that each sport teaches unique lessons and has unique benefits.

Why does it bother you so much for someone to assert that football (btw, you can just call it football, not 'american football' since ya know....we're in America) teaches teamwork and trust in a way that other sports can't?

It's the same as me saying that sports like wrestling or golf or tennis teach individual effort/responsibility like others can't.

If you said something like that 'Soccer creates the fittest athletes of the major sports", I wouldn't get my panties in a bunch, like you have bc you're probably right. I wouldn't say "Oh my god, look at the idiot soccer fan thinking football doesn't create athletes."

Seriously, your inferiority complex is showing. You may want to do a better job of hiding it

The point is that your statement is purely subjective while being stated as fact. The idea that other sports "can't" teach teamwork and trust in the same was as American football is just flat-out wrong. You may subjectively think it is the BEST at teaching teamwork and trust, but you would objectively be wrong. Hence, the replies. I grew up playing many sports and learned teamwork and trust with baseball, basketball and volleyball in the same way that I did with soccer. It's about the team and the coach. American football is not inherently better at this than any other sport.

I don't think there's much of an inferiority complex in a sport that makes close to $30B Euro on a single continent, with even more revenue globally, that is streamed, played and lived in nearly 195 countries. TBH, I don't think much about the football folks at all. This thread just made me laugh because of how narrow the view point was.

Wait....your objection is that I have an opinion?

You do know this is a message board right? This is not a 'fact-sharing' website. This site is nothing but opinions.

And your statement that football (again, we're in America bro; you sound a little douchey calling it American Football) isn't better at teaching trust is....guess what? Also, an opinion!

And once again....nobody ever suggested that other sports "can't" teach teamwork. It's that football does it in a way that European Soccer can't. European soccer can teach teamwork and trust. But there is a uniqueness to football that those other sports cant match

Share opinions all you want. Other posters respond with theirs. You do know this is a message board, right? And I quite literally cut and paste your quote where you stated that sports "can't" teach teamwork and trust in the same was as American football. I directly lifted it from you. So yes, your quote on that particular narrow point was what elicited the response. And it wasn't even a very large response. Just that it may not be as unique as you think so maybe broaden your horizons? But you do you.

NP, but I think PP's point is that when a soccer player misses an assignment, the worst case scenario is that a goal is scored. When a football player misses an assignment, a teammate might get crushed.

That's what why other sports can't teach it as well. Not that they can't teach it. Just not as well. The stakes are higher

This is EXACTLY why most parents will have their kids sit this one out. Kids can learn teamwork elsewhere without risking serious neurological or other bodily injury. Tackle football is just not worth it - not by a long shot. Next you'll say that they can only learn quickness and agility from boxing because the stakes are so high when you slip up. Yup. Sitting that one out, too. The science is with us on this one, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's taken me a long time to get here, but I agree OP.
My son has wanted to play tackle football since he was 6. I always said no due to safety/concussion concerns and don't even get me going on my feminist tirade of the NFL.
We put him (and our daughter) into flag football. He grew his love of the sport and has continued to ask about playing tackle. Here we are, he's in 7th grade, just went to the pediatrician for his annual check up and he's in the 97th percentile size wise for his age. He asked again if he could do the school football team and I said yes. Part of it is to give him the chance to do it before the stakes are too high. He has his primary sport that he excels in, and is part of his long term goal (playing in college, etc). But the social and emotional impact of being on the football team with his friends I believe will pay dividends, and he's already having a blast.

Above all sports, football and golf teach responsibility the best. Golf is obvious as it’s all on you. Football makes you realize how important it is to listen, understand and do your part bc, if you don’t, someone can get crushed. The first time a kid has to look a teammate in the eye who got smashed bc they messed up provides eye opening perspective.

Exactly. I've said the same thing for years. Different sports teach different lessons.

For example, I encourage kids to play solo sports (like, golf as you mentioned), but I always use wrestling as the best example. It's just you. You are either going to whooped, or you're going to whoop someone else. It's entirely on you (that is a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point)

Football is the opposite. It takes 11 people all doing their job together. And you owe it to the 10 other players to do your job, and they owe it to you. There's something special about it that's hard to find in other sports.

It becomes extra special because only people that really played understand. Sure, the RB gets the credit for the touchdown. But people that play see the line making the hole, the center with the clean snap, the WR with the downfield block.

RB may get into the end zone untouched; the rest of the team made that possible for them. It's really cool when you see it start to click for the kids

Same could be said for soccer....

Not really, and I think you just kind of proved me point (that you only get if you've ever been a part of it).

First, nobody is going to get pancaked in soccer bc a teammate missed an assignment.

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

You sound like someone who's never played soccer or even watched a professional soccer game in his life. The entire game is based on 11 players doing their jobs on the field. Each position has a role and job to fill. The idea that American football is alone in this is just....so American.

FWIW, I never even played football. I actually played soccer through MS and then wrestling and baseball through HS.

But having watched my DS play football for the past 3 years, there's no sport that comes close to the requiring the same level of trust from your teammates. It's not even close.

If an athlete misses an assignment on the soccer field or a OF missed a cut-off, the worst that happens is a run scores, (or a goal is allowed). In football, its way different.

And I never even suggested that football is the only sport that teaches teamwork. Just that it teaches it in such a unique way.

Soccer fans being so triggered and sensitive is so on brand

American football fans being so oblivious to the existence and mechanics of other sports is so on brand.

I don't know what I'm getting sucked in arguing with you since I know you're just trolling, but go back and reread. I literally said that each sport teaches unique lessons and has unique benefits.

Why does it bother you so much for someone to assert that football (btw, you can just call it football, not 'american football' since ya know....we're in America) teaches teamwork and trust in a way that other sports can't?

It's the same as me saying that sports like wrestling or golf or tennis teach individual effort/responsibility like others can't.

If you said something like that 'Soccer creates the fittest athletes of the major sports", I wouldn't get my panties in a bunch, like you have bc you're probably right. I wouldn't say "Oh my god, look at the idiot soccer fan thinking football doesn't create athletes."

Seriously, your inferiority complex is showing. You may want to do a better job of hiding it

The point is that your statement is purely subjective while being stated as fact. The idea that other sports "can't" teach teamwork and trust in the same was as American football is just flat-out wrong. You may subjectively think it is the BEST at teaching teamwork and trust, but you would objectively be wrong. Hence, the replies. I grew up playing many sports and learned teamwork and trust with baseball, basketball and volleyball in the same way that I did with soccer. It's about the team and the coach. American football is not inherently better at this than any other sport.

I don't think there's much of an inferiority complex in a sport that makes close to $30B Euro on a single continent, with even more revenue globally, that is streamed, played and lived in nearly 195 countries. TBH, I don't think much about the football folks at all. This thread just made me laugh because of how narrow the view point was.

Wait....your objection is that I have an opinion?

You do know this is a message board right? This is not a 'fact-sharing' website. This site is nothing but opinions.

And your statement that football (again, we're in America bro; you sound a little douchey calling it American Football) isn't better at teaching trust is....guess what? Also, an opinion!

And once again....nobody ever suggested that other sports "can't" teach teamwork. It's that football does it in a way that European Soccer can't. European soccer can teach teamwork and trust. But there is a uniqueness to football that those other sports cant match

Share opinions all you want. Other posters respond with theirs. You do know this is a message board, right? And I quite literally cut and paste your quote where you stated that sports "can't" teach teamwork and trust in the same was as American football. I directly lifted it from you. So yes, your quote on that particular narrow point was what elicited the response. And it wasn't even a very large response. Just that it may not be as unique as you think so maybe broaden your horizons? But you do you.

NP, but I think PP's point is that when a soccer player misses an assignment, the worst case scenario is that a goal is scored. When a football player misses an assignment, a teammate might get crushed.

That's what why other sports can't teach it as well. Not that they can't teach it. Just not as well. The stakes are higher

This is EXACTLY why most parents will have their kids sit this one out. Kids can learn teamwork elsewhere without risking serious neurological or other bodily injury. Tackle football is just not worth it - not by a long shot. Next you'll say that they can only learn quickness and agility from boxing because the stakes are so high when you slip up. Yup. Sitting that one out, too. The science is with us on this one, PP.

Yeah, sure. But that wasn't the argument. Of course its more dangerous. Nobody is suggesting otherwise (though there is debate as to HOW much more dangerous it actually is; the narrative of football being a fight-to-the-death thunderdome and soccer being the safe alternative is pretty far from the truth). But yes, of course its more dangerous.

The question was whether the danger of the football has any advantages in the lessons taught on the field. And the answer is pretty obviously: yes, it does. When the stakes are higher, the teamwork is more important

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's taken me a long time to get here, but I agree OP.
My son has wanted to play tackle football since he was 6. I always said no due to safety/concussion concerns and don't even get me going on my feminist tirade of the NFL.
We put him (and our daughter) into flag football. He grew his love of the sport and has continued to ask about playing tackle. Here we are, he's in 7th grade, just went to the pediatrician for his annual check up and he's in the 97th percentile size wise for his age. He asked again if he could do the school football team and I said yes. Part of it is to give him the chance to do it before the stakes are too high. He has his primary sport that he excels in, and is part of his long term goal (playing in college, etc). But the social and emotional impact of being on the football team with his friends I believe will pay dividends, and he's already having a blast.

Above all sports, football and golf teach responsibility the best. Golf is obvious as it’s all on you. Football makes you realize how important it is to listen, understand and do your part bc, if you don’t, someone can get crushed. The first time a kid has to look a teammate in the eye who got smashed bc they messed up provides eye opening perspective.

Exactly. I've said the same thing for years. Different sports teach different lessons.

For example, I encourage kids to play solo sports (like, golf as you mentioned), but I always use wrestling as the best example. It's just you. You are either going to whooped, or you're going to whoop someone else. It's entirely on you (that is a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point)

Football is the opposite. It takes 11 people all doing their job together. And you owe it to the 10 other players to do your job, and they owe it to you. There's something special about it that's hard to find in other sports.

It becomes extra special because only people that really played understand. Sure, the RB gets the credit for the touchdown. But people that play see the line making the hole, the center with the clean snap, the WR with the downfield block.

RB may get into the end zone untouched; the rest of the team made that possible for them. It's really cool when you see it start to click for the kids

Same could be said for soccer....

Not really, and I think you just kind of proved me point (that you only get if you've ever been a part of it).

First, nobody is going to get pancaked in soccer bc a teammate missed an assignment.

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

You sound like someone who's never played soccer or even watched a professional soccer game in his life. The entire game is based on 11 players doing their jobs on the field. Each position has a role and job to fill. The idea that American football is alone in this is just....so American.

Tell, when the ball is on the opponent's half, what is the keeper actively doing at that point?

At any given time half (actually more because of long snappers kickers and punters) of the starting players on a football team are on the bench watching the other unit play

I get what you're saying. But if you reread this, the PP was talking about the 11 players on the field. Not the 30 on the bench. There's almost never a moment on the field where a player isnt doing anything. Maybe after the QB hands the ball of. But even at youth levels, they'll have them fake a roll out, or doing something to distract

PP said a GK is doing nothing when the ball in in the offensive half. Taking that as true, what is a defensive tackle doing when a team is on offense? Since a GK is a specialist, how about comparing them to a specialist- what is a punter doing when a team on 3rd down?

[Anonymous]

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's taken me a long time to get here, but I agree OP.
My son has wanted to play tackle football since he was 6. I always said no due to safety/concussion concerns and don't even get me going on my feminist tirade of the NFL.
We put him (and our daughter) into flag football. He grew his love of the sport and has continued to ask about playing tackle. Here we are, he's in 7th grade, just went to the pediatrician for his annual check up and he's in the 97th percentile size wise for his age. He asked again if he could do the school football team and I said yes. Part of it is to give him the chance to do it before the stakes are too high. He has his primary sport that he excels in, and is part of his long term goal (playing in college, etc). But the social and emotional impact of being on the football team with his friends I believe will pay dividends, and he's already having a blast.

Above all sports, football and golf teach responsibility the best. Golf is obvious as it’s all on you. Football makes you realize how important it is to listen, understand and do your part bc, if you don’t, someone can get crushed. The first time a kid has to look a teammate in the eye who got smashed bc they messed up provides eye opening perspective.

Exactly. I've said the same thing for years. Different sports teach different lessons.

For example, I encourage kids to play solo sports (like, golf as you mentioned), but I always use wrestling as the best example. It's just you. You are either going to whooped, or you're going to whoop someone else. It's entirely on you (that is a bit of an exaggeration but you get the point)

Football is the opposite. It takes 11 people all doing their job together. And you owe it to the 10 other players to do your job, and they owe it to you. There's something special about it that's hard to find in other sports.

It becomes extra special because only people that really played understand. Sure, the RB gets the credit for the touchdown. But people that play see the line making the hole, the center with the clean snap, the WR with the downfield block.

RB may get into the end zone untouched; the rest of the team made that possible for them. It's really cool when you see it start to click for the kids

Same could be said for soccer....

Not really, and I think you just kind of proved me point (that you only get if you've ever been a part of it).

First, nobody is going to get pancaked in soccer bc a teammate missed an assignment.

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

You sound like someone who's never played soccer or even watched a professional soccer game in his life. The entire game is based on 11 players doing their jobs on the field. Each position has a role and job to fill. The idea that American football is alone in this is just....so American.

Tell, when the ball is on the opponent's half, what is the keeper actively doing at that point?

At any given time half (actually more because of long snappers kickers and punters) of the starting players on a football team are on the bench watching the other unit play

I get what you're saying. But if you reread this, the PP was talking about the 11 players on the field. Not the 30 on the bench. There's almost never a moment on the field where a player isnt doing anything. Maybe after the QB hands the ball of. But even at youth levels, they'll have them fake a roll out, or doing something to distract

PP said a GK is doing nothing when the ball in in the offensive half. Taking that as true, what is a defensive tackle doing when a team is on offense? Since a GK is a specialist, how about comparing them to a specialist- what is a punter doing when a team on 3rd down?

The difference is that the GK is still on the field. That's like asking what the back-up GK is doing while the 1st team GK is on the field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.

Agreed. It's very rough. And a real risk of head to head contact.

Honestly, if you wouldn't let your kid play football, you probably shouldn't let them play soccer either

[Anonymous]

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.


Agreed. It's very rough. And a real risk of head to head contact.

Honestly, if you wouldn't let your kid play football, you probably shouldn't let them play soccer either

I wouldn't go that far, but agree that soccer can be rough and result in injuries, including in some cases, to the head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.

Agreed. It's very rough. And a real risk of head to head contact.

Honestly, if you wouldn't let your kid play football, you probably shouldn't let them play soccer either

You have to look at injuries as per hour played - youth football is estimated at 9-40 injuries per 1000 hours played. Youth soccer is around 4-8 injuries per 1000 hours played. Anecdotes are not useful. My kid plays soccer and we know about 50-75 kids who also play youth soccer. We know exactly 1 kid who plays youth tackle football. He broke his leg playing football. We know of 2 sprained ankles and a broken arm among the soccer players. But it’s just anecdotal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.

Agreed. It's very rough. And a real risk of head to head contact.

Honestly, if you wouldn't let your kid play football, you probably shouldn't let them play soccer either

You have to look at injuries as per hour played - youth football is estimated at 9-40 injuries per 1000 hours played. Youth soccer is around 4-8 injuries per 1000 hours played. Anecdotes are not useful. My kid plays soccer and we know about 50-75 kids who also play youth soccer. We know exactly 1 kid who plays youth tackle football. He broke his leg playing football. We know of 2 sprained ankles and a broken arm among the soccer players. But it’s just anecdotal.

Right. I know about 75-100 kids that play youth tackle football. Over the past 2 years, we've seen one broken bone: collarbone.

We know 2 kids that play youth soccer. One got a concussion from head to head contact going for a ball.

See? We can both trade un-usefull anecdotal stories.

But I'm not here to argue that football is as safe as soccer. It's absolutely not. It's more dangerous. I do think, though, that parents that chose soccer for their kid over football, are just fooling themselves. The risk is smaller, but still present.

If you're worried about injuries from collision, those parents should sign their kids up for golf or tennis or cross-country.

Any sport where bodies are running at each other at full spring carries some level of risk, and choosing soccer over football doesn't do as much as people like to think it does to mitigate that risk (one study showed that out of the 400k soccer injuries, 22% were concussions pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22120567/).

Heck, even basketball has high rate of injury than both football and soccer.

At some point, you just have to accept the risk of your child doing something that they love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.

Agreed. It's very rough. And a real risk of head to head contact.

Honestly, if you wouldn't let your kid play football, you probably shouldn't let them play soccer either

You have to look at injuries as per hour played - youth football is estimated at 9-40 injuries per 1000 hours played. Youth soccer is around 4-8 injuries per 1000 hours played. Anecdotes are not useful. My kid plays soccer and we know about 50-75 kids who also play youth soccer. We know exactly 1 kid who plays youth tackle football. He broke his leg playing football. We know of 2 sprained ankles and a broken arm among the soccer players. But it’s just anecdotal.

Right. I know about 75-100 kids that play youth tackle football. Over the past 2 years, we've seen one broken bone: collarbone.

We know 2 kids that play youth soccer. One got a concussion from head to head contact going for a ball.

See? We can both trade un-usefull anecdotal stories.

But I'm not here to argue that football is as safe as soccer. It's absolutely not. It's more dangerous. I do think, though, that parents that chose soccer for their kid over football, are just fooling themselves. The risk is smaller, but still present.

If you're worried about injuries from collision, those parents should sign their kids up for golf or tennis or cross-country.

Any sport where bodies are running at each other at full spring carries some level of risk, and choosing soccer over football doesn't do as much as people like to think it does to mitigate that risk (one study showed that out of the 400k soccer injuries, 22% were concussions pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22120567/).

Heck, even basketball has high rate of injury than both football and soccer.

At some point, you just have to accept the risk of your child doing something that they love.

Not sure where you got your data, but basketball routinely has fewer injuries per thousand than football or soccer. There is also a different metric that is not often reported - rate of catastrophic injury. Sports like football, freestyle ski, and gymnastics have a higher rate of catastrophic injury like spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. You might get a sprained ankle in volleyball, but the chances of a spinal cord injury is pretty low. Clearly the risk is tolerable for most of us since youth sport involvement is so high. We live part of the year in a ski town, and I have heard many stories of catastrophic injury among young winter sports athletes. But the youth programs are still oversubscribed, so the risk must be tolerable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Second, there are lots of time when soccer players aren't really engaged in the action, which is fine, its the nature of the sport. And its their job. So a defenders job may be to creep up the field, but do they really have a "critical" assignment when the ball is on the opponents zone? Not really.

Luckily my son's travel team is not very good, so he's generally pretty busy as a defender. In all seriousness, though, soccer is also a rough-ish sport. He's had a ton of injuries (none to his head, fortunately) and is only 14.

Agreed. It's very rough. And a real risk of head to head contact.

Honestly, if you wouldn't let your kid play football, you probably shouldn't let them play soccer either

You have to look at injuries as per hour played - youth football is estimated at 9-40 injuries per 1000 hours played. Youth soccer is around 4-8 injuries per 1000 hours played. Anecdotes are not useful. My kid plays soccer and we know about 50-75 kids who also play youth soccer. We know exactly 1 kid who plays youth tackle football. He broke his leg playing football. We know of 2 sprained ankles and a broken arm among the soccer players. But it’s just anecdotal.

Right. I know about 75-100 kids that play youth tackle football. Over the past 2 years, we've seen one broken bone: collarbone.

We know 2 kids that play youth soccer. One got a concussion from head to head contact going for a ball.

See? We can both trade un-usefull anecdotal stories.

But I'm not here to argue that football is as safe as soccer. It's absolutely not. It's more dangerous. I do think, though, that parents that chose soccer for their kid over football, are just fooling themselves. The risk is smaller, but still present.

If you're worried about injuries from collision, those parents should sign their kids up for golf or tennis or cross-country.

Any sport where bodies are running at each other at full spring carries some level of risk, and choosing soccer over football doesn't do as much as people like to think it does to mitigate that risk (one study showed that out of the 400k soccer injuries, 22% were concussions pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22120567/).

Heck, even basketball has high rate of injury than both football and soccer.

At some point, you just have to accept the risk of your child doing something that they love.

Not sure where you got your data, but basketball routinely has fewer injuries per thousand than football or soccer. There is also a different metric that is not often reported - rate of catastrophic injury. Sports like football, freestyle ski, and gymnastics have a higher rate of catastrophic injury like spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury. You might get a sprained ankle in volleyball, but the chances of a spinal cord injury is pretty low. Clearly the risk is tolerable for most of us since youth sport involvement is so high. We live part of the year in a ski town, and I have heard many stories of catastrophic injury among young winter sports athletes. But the youth programs are still oversubscribed, so the risk must be tolerable.

It is actually hard to find good data re: injuries, especially as the safety precautions keep improving (like in football) or staying the same (like soccer, where they really should be wearing padded head protection). But here's a decent graphic showing injury rate (though not accounting for severity)

[Anonymous]

Here is one for high school sports - infographic above is for ages 15-24

https://onlinemasters.ohio.edu/blog/a-closer-...uth-sports-injuries/