Is Playing HS Football worth the Risks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I was at a high school track meet where a young man died doing pole vault, so that's also definitely something my kids won't be doing.

One kid died doing it, so you won't let your kids participate? I hope you don't let them cross the street, either.

Ok, so you do you. I watched a boy die while pole vaulting and think it shouldn't be done at the high school level. I stand by my original statement.

I had no idea it was particularly dangerous, although now that I think about it I can see how it might be, given the heights involved. Sorry for you and everyone involved.

[Anonymous]

Previous posters already touched upon other sports being as dangerous and some differences between the 80s to now.

Besides players being bigger, stronger and faster now, one of the reasons that is mentioned often is that players are forgetting or not taught the fundamentals and just concentrating on hitting as hard as they can.

So in football they feel they have that invulnerability and hit harder or more recklessly than they would have without the equipment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I played football in high school in the 1980s and I never heard of anyone having any kind of brain/head injury. Is there something different about HS football now?

No. My oldest played all the way through his senior year of high school. This is just dcum being dcum.

How is he doing now?

[Anonymous]

I played ice hockey growing up and in college. I also got a few concussions, and I know a lot of hockey players who did too. That said, I am not exactly sure whether that means my kid shouldn't play hockey (or football, or whatever). In high school, I remember a lot of friends and acquaintances picking up what I would now call bad behaviors (drinking, drugs, smoking, etc). But those of us who were obsessed with our sport were less likely to fall into that trap--if you smoke, you will not be able to skate fast. If you are hung over, you will vomit during your skate, and if your coach finds out he will bench you. And I got a lot out of sports. Of course there is being active. I've also read that girls who play sports in particular grow up to be more successful and assertive in the work place. I think it is helpful to have a sports background later in life when faced with disappointment or other stresses.

So ideally, I'd like my DC to get really involved in some sport that will teach hard work, teamwork, and require a healthy life style. So maybe not hockey or football? But what is left--swimming? Doubles badminton? And if DS is not into competetive swimming, I might be okay with hockey, soccer, lacrosse, etc. Still not sure if I would ever be excited about football though. Unless Coach Taylor were the coach. Then I'd be down.

[Anonymous]

With football isnt it not just the concussions? But they they are also hit on every play and their brains are always rattling around?

And with soccer and other sports, it's not just the same.

Have any soccer players been diagnosed with CTE? Any soccer players like Muhammad Ali?

[Anonymous]

Yes.....

However, HS soccer isn't

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With football isnt it not just the concussions? But they they are also hit on every play and their brains are always rattling around?

And with soccer and other sports, it's not just the same.

Have any soccer players been diagnosed with CTE? Any soccer players like Muhammad Ali?

My son had had 2 concussions because of soccer. That's the only sport he plays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With football isnt it not just the concussions? But they they are also hit on every play and their brains are always rattling around?

And with soccer and other sports, it's not just the same.

Have any soccer players been diagnosed with CTE? Any soccer players like Muhammad Ali?

My son had had 2 concussions because of soccer. That's the only sport he plays

I'm same poster...

Two younger sons play football, wrestling, lacrosse and have never had a concussion. Their football positions on offense for both are running back and sometimes slot receiver and on defense one plays line backer and the other corner and safety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With football isnt it not just the concussions? But they they are also hit on every play and their brains are always rattling around?

And with soccer and other sports, it's not just the same.

Have any soccer players been diagnosed with CTE? Any soccer players like Muhammad Ali?

My son had had 2 concussions because of soccer. That's the only sport he plays

I'm same poster...

Two younger sons play football, wrestling, lacrosse and have never had a concussion. Their football positions on offense for both are running back and sometimes slot receiver and on defense one plays line backer and the other corner and safety

what if in a pinch the coach had to put them in another position that has a higher risk of concussions? would you then change your mind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter plays soccer, and has gotten a concussion because of it. Her neuro says girls soccer is a hotbed of brain injury. At the same time, he supports children involved with athletics, and works to get kids back into their sports as safely as possible. (And he had a serious conversation with both of us about the risks of her continuing to play soccer, and that if she gets another concussion he'll probably say she needs to quit.)

There's risk in it. There's risk in everything. I'm aware that allowing my child to play soccer puts her at increased risk for life long injury. She's aware as well. Soccer is really important to her, and when she's had to take a break it's been incredibly difficult for her.

My knee jerk reaction is that if I had a son who wanted to play football, I wouldn't let him. I'd have him try rugby, or lacrosse, or something else. But then I look at my daughter with soccer, knowing that girls soccer is also dangerous, and I'm not sure.

How did you come to add rugby to that list? You know that rugby is football without the padding, don't you? There's still tackling, just without all that protective gear in the way.

Actually it's the protective gear which is a large part of the problem. No way we would see the brutal hits in FB if there were no pads. Rugby is a lot more about wrapping and tackling than the huge hits.

[Anonymous]

No. Not ever. One day my kid will have a career where he will need to use his brain. He will never have a football career. There are many other sports he can try. Sometimes parents gotta parent.

[Anonymous]

Of course if he wanted to. I'm not even worried about him melting in the rain.

[Anonymous]

Former football players discourage their sons and grandsons from playing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former football players discourage their sons and grandsons from playing.

No. I certainly don't. Source?

[Anonymous]

No - baseball and bball are safer and have Garunteed contracts in the pros. Playing football is foolish