How do parents justify letting their kids play football?

[Anonymous]

I was told today that only soft parents forbid football. Ok, I'm fine with being called soft and I certainly did not want to get into a debate with another parent, but I can't even understand how anyone with any education lets their kid play? How can it possibly be worth the risks?

[Anonymous]

I would have responded that my kid is too smart and his brain has too much potential to risk damaging it with football. Only parents of stupid kids let their kids play football with all we now know about brain injuries

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would have responded that my kid is too smart and his brain has too much potential to risk damaging it with football. Only parents of stupid kids let their kids play football with all we now know about brain injuries

+1
Ask any neurologist their opinion about kids playing football. Then let me know if you will allow your child to play.

[Anonymous]

People with any sense have always known it was stupid to play football. My mom knew this back in the 70s.

[Anonymous]

I think it is only now becoming general knowledge about the dangers of repeated brain injuries and the damage a concussion can do. It is becoming clearer that many have long lasting effects and that concussions leave a trail of damage behind.

The professional sports are just starting to catch up. The CFL (Canadian league) has banned contact practices - and high schools and colleges there are following suit.

People with brain injuries can appear high functioning but they struggle with headaches, double vision, eye strain, loss of ability to concentrate as long, poorer memory, less ability to put together complex ideas, etc. The changes down the road can be subtle for some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would have responded that my kid is too smart and his brain has too much potential to risk damaging it with football. Only parents of stupid kids let their kids play football with all we now know about brain injuries

I'm OP and I think my kids are pretty average - which means they need every functioning brain cell they've got!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with any sense have always known it was stupid to play football. My mom knew this back in the 70s.

+100

My older brother was beyond pissed my parents wouldn't him play football in the early 80s.

Soccer was a sissy sport for boys he was told--but at 6'3 could kick most people's ass that said that. He ended up full-ride, all-American and a pro-career--ad a CTE-free brain.

[Anonymous]

I'd say that I'm a Bama fan, and my kids can play flag football forever. No reason to risk brain injuries for a zero chance of any offsetting benefit to them (like a multi-million-dollar career).

[Anonymous]

American football will exist as long as there is money to be made. In our DCUM area, football is not viewed in a positive light. But in many parts of the county, it is revered.

Until the corporations take their advertising dollars and colleges take their scholarships away, football will exist. For people who grow up in football culture, you want to play. Your parents want you to play. It's similar to how our kids want to go to college and we as their parents want them to go to college. It's what you know because it's the culture in which you were raised. Since we in DCUM land value academics over football, it seems odd to us that people let their children play this sport even knowing the risks.

[Anonymous]

19:04, that's impressive about your brother. Just a concern that I have-- elite soccer leagues allow headers. I would think that over time the repeated forward-momentum contact with the ball would cause CTE too. Any insight?

[Anonymous]

Dads who couldn't play football force their sons to play football. Sad - and dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:19:04, that's impressive about your brother. Just a concern that I have-- elite soccer leagues allow headers. I would think that over time the repeated forward-momentum contact with the ball would cause CTE too. Any insight?

+1 that's why Abby Wambach is donating her brain to science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:19:04, that's impressive about your brother. Just a concern that I have-- elite soccer leagues allow headers. I would think that over time the repeated forward-momentum contact with the ball would cause CTE too. Any insight?

I'd love to see research done on this, however soccer players probably do headers once or twice per game, football players take hits to the head sometimes dozens of times in a game, and then in practice too. It's certainly worth research, but I don't think it will be as prevalent in soccer as it is in football.

As for playing football, my uncle (who is a nuclear medicine doctor - PET/CAT scans) has said that kids can play football until they turn 10. He says before 10 the kids don't hit much, but at 10 they start to really understand the game and start hitting. My son will never play (thankfully he hasn't expressed any interest), he's way too smart to risk it, and he's not a real competitor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People with any sense have always known it was stupid to play football. My mom knew this back in the 70s.

+100

My older brother was beyond pissed my parents wouldn't him play football in the early 80s.

Soccer was a sissy sport for boys he was told--but at 6'3 could kick most people's ass that said that. He ended up full-ride, all-American and a pro-career--ad a CTE-free brain.

Okay, I'm a huge soccer fan, played in college, and will definitely let my kids play (but not American football), but soccer isn't exactly safe either. There's been research coming out that repeated heading is bad for brains too. They are preventing kids from doing it until a certain age. Might explain why I don't seem quite as smart as I was when I was young...

[Anonymous]

More concussions in girls' soccer than football. It's like people don't even care.