Limiting sports due to injuries: how to deflect?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are very well established protocols for concussions these days and it is obviously something to be taken seriously. Whether it merits withdrawing from the sport will depend on many factors and probably should not be based on the thoughts of DCUM posters. What I really wanted to add is that the idea that an 8th grader playing varsity is on his way to a college scholarship is the kind of mentality that is seriously harming youth athletics and children, and that is how they will get hurt. That is crazy talk, particularly from people who do not even know what sport they are talking about.

It is not crazy talk. This is being forced onto parents.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/next-level-recruiting-eighth-grade-qb-dejuan-ellis-the-areas-top-ranked-middle-schooler-prepares-to-choose-his-high-school/2014/02/04/ab89f9f0-884f-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html

It's not just sports it is the crazy curriculum too in schools. If my child does not do Algebra in 8th grade it affect his college prospects.

I agree it is crazy but the crazy is not caused by the parents.

I agree it harms athletics and children but what can a parent do? I told the mom that he can sit out a season and it will be fine (BTDT), most kids do.

It's basketball we are talking about. Go to any 1/2 decent HS BB game, there are college scouts. Really, you are going to turn you back on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get a concussion playing any sport but clearly some sports are much more of a risk. I would have no trouble letting my DC run if they've had several concussions because its very unlikely to happen during running and the benefits far outweigh the risks.

I understand your viewpoint for your specific child, but it is different for a child that is passionate for a sport, plays at the varsity level in 8th grade and will more than likely play in college and possibly beyond.

Do you have a child like that? Do you understand what that entails?

I have children who are like that in music and performing arts. They are extremely talented. They would love to start professional careers right NOW. The answer is "No." I don't need a Justin Bieber/Lindsey Lohan/Britney Spears on my hands in 10 years.

Grow up. Be a fucking parent. Say "no."

So you have actually taken away their instruments so they can have more screen time and/or go out and play with kids to have a more normal childhood? How long did you take their instrument away?

You don't take it away. You balance it. They have to be involved in other things. They can't pursue their interest to the point of self-harm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are very well established protocols for concussions these days and it is obviously something to be taken seriously. Whether it merits withdrawing from the sport will depend on many factors and probably should not be based on the thoughts of DCUM posters. What I really wanted to add is that the idea that an 8th grader playing varsity is on his way to a college scholarship is the kind of mentality that is seriously harming youth athletics and children, and that is how they will get hurt. That is crazy talk, particularly from people who do not even know what sport they are talking about.

It is not crazy talk. This is being forced onto parents.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/next-level-recruiting-eighth-grade-qb-dejuan-ellis-the-areas-top-ranked-middle-schooler-prepares-to-choose-his-high-school/2014/02/04/ab89f9f0-884f-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html

It's not just sports it is the crazy curriculum too in schools. If my child does not do Algebra in 8th grade it affect his college prospects.

I agree it is crazy but the crazy is not caused by the parents.

I agree it harms athletics and children but what can a parent do? I told the mom that he can sit out a season and it will be fine (BTDT), most kids do.

It's basketball we are talking about. Go to any 1/2 decent HS BB game, there are college scouts. Really, you are going to turn you back on that.

We're talking about brain injuries and life-long brain issues. If you let your kid developed traumatic brain injury because you can't tell them "No," all that college isn't going to do a bit of good.

If your kid has had multiple brain injuries (aka concussions) then you have to pull the plug. If they get another one, they could be brain damaged for life. So much for college. They could also end up dead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get a concussion playing any sport but clearly some sports are much more of a risk. I would have no trouble letting my DC run if they've had several concussions because its very unlikely to happen during running and the benefits far outweigh the risks.

I understand your viewpoint for your specific child, but it is different for a child that is passionate for a sport, plays at the varsity level in 8th grade and will more than likely play in college and possibly beyond.

Do you have a child like that? Do you understand what that entails?

I have children who are like that in music and performing arts. They are extremely talented. They would love to start professional careers right NOW. The answer is "No." I don't need a Justin Bieber/Lindsey Lohan/Britney Spears on my hands in 10 years.

Grow up. Be a fucking parent. Say "no."

So you have actually taken away their instruments so they can have more screen time and/or go out and play with kids to have a more normal childhood? How long did you take their instrument away?

You don't take it away. You balance it. They have to be involved in other things. They can't pursue their interest to the point of self-harm.

In the case of sports, you tell them to pick a different sport - cross-country, triathlon, swimming, cycling, maybe wrestling.

[Anonymous]

As a parent and coach, I go with what the trainer or doctor says. They are the experts. In the case of the OP's kid, if the doctor says he has had two concussions this year, I assume he will be sitting out for a long time maybe a month or more, probably the rest of the season. What does the doctor say????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What do the doctors say? Can he/should he go back?

Is he varsity/first string and did he get a concussion during a game? Could you allow him to work out with the team/be on scout team for a while?

pp above - just went back and saw this was the very first response. has OP answered the question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get a concussion playing any sport but clearly some sports are much more of a risk. I would have no trouble letting my DC run if they've had several concussions because its very unlikely to happen during running and the benefits far outweigh the risks.

I understand your viewpoint for your specific child, but it is different for a child that is passionate for a sport, plays at the varsity level in 8th grade and will more than likely play in college and possibly beyond.

Do you have a child like that? Do you understand what that entails?

I have children who are like that in music and performing arts. They are extremely talented. They would love to start professional careers right NOW. The answer is "No." I don't need a Justin Bieber/Lindsey Lohan/Britney Spears on my hands in 10 years.

Grow up. Be a fucking parent. Say "no."

So you have actually taken away their instruments so they can have more screen time and/or go out and play with kids to have a more normal childhood? How long did you take their instrument away?

You don't take it away. You balance it. They have to be involved in other things. They can't pursue their interest to the point of self-harm.

I think that is very different than saying to your child that loves his instrucment that you are NOT allowed to play for 8 weeks. Period. There is a psychology behind this that is well documented. Pretending it is not hard or being a hard ass is the way to deal with it are not constructive.

Kids use music, arts and sports as an outlet, when that outlet is taken away there are other issues. Could your child just stop playing today, with no notice and just never pick it up again, forced by a doctor. Dont worry you can draw instead. I doubt it. Being a hard ass is not being a parent, navigating carefully is being a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are very well established protocols for concussions these days and it is obviously something to be taken seriously. Whether it merits withdrawing from the sport will depend on many factors and probably should not be based on the thoughts of DCUM posters. What I really wanted to add is that the idea that an 8th grader playing varsity is on his way to a college scholarship is the kind of mentality that is seriously harming youth athletics and children, and that is how they will get hurt. That is crazy talk, particularly from people who do not even know what sport they are talking about.

It is not crazy talk. This is being forced onto parents.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/next-level-recruiting-eighth-grade-qb-dejuan-ellis-the-areas-top-ranked-middle-schooler-prepares-to-choose-his-high-school/2014/02/04/ab89f9f0-884f-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html

It's not just sports it is the crazy curriculum too in schools. If my child does not do Algebra in 8th grade it affect his college prospects.

I agree it is crazy but the crazy is not caused by the parents.

I agree it harms athletics and children but what can a parent do? I told the mom that he can sit out a season and it will be fine (BTDT), most kids do.

It's basketball we are talking about. Go to any 1/2 decent HS BB game, there are college scouts. Really, you are going to turn you back on that.

This is what I suspected. It's basketball we're talking about. Not really a sport known for concussions. Was it a fluke accident of some kind?

[Anonymous]

The idea that there are college scouts at any decent HS basketball game, scouting all of the kids, that is the crazy talk. I understand that recruitment has started earlier, and that seems wrong, but the idea that some random kid on a team, an 8th Grader no less, is going to get scouted at one of the games and have a key to the kingdom is just wrong and the parents are to blame for that. The Wash Post article about the 8th Grade football player was disturbing to be sure, but there is a very good Friday Night Lights episode about kids trying to hitch their wagon to the star athlete and it usually does not work. Parents need to keep these issues in perspective, and they are to blame if they fail to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do the doctors say? Can he/should he go back?

Is he varsity/first string and did he get a concussion during a game? Could you allow him to work out with the team/be on scout team for a while?

pp above - just went back and saw this was the very first response. has OP answered the question?

nah, OP checked out when the shrill ladies showed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that there are college scouts at any decent HS basketball game, scouting all of the kids, that is the crazy talk. I understand that recruitment has started earlier, and that seems wrong, but the idea that some random kid on a team, an 8th Grader no less, is going to get scouted at one of the games and have a key to the kingdom is just wrong and the parents are to blame for that. The Wash Post article about the 8th Grade football player was disturbing to be sure, but there is a very good Friday Night Lights episode about kids trying to hitch their wagon to the star athlete and it usually does not work. Parents need to keep these issues in perspective, and they are to blame if they fail to do so.

It's an 8 th grader playing varsity, not just any 8 th grader.