Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:) Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive hits
CTE is not about single concussions. It’s the result of repeated concussions — and even head impacts that are not quite as severe — which can result in lasting structural changes in the brain. “The pain you feel [after a hit] is not necessarily an indicator of the damage that does to your head,” Philip Bayly

AND

A 2015 study found that former NFL players who began football before age 12 fared worse on cognitive assessments than those who started later in their teens. And this held true even controlling for number of years played.

It suggests (though not conclusively) that playing football at ages younger than 12 is more dangerous for long-term cognitive decline than starting at an older age

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/2/16956440/super-bowl-2020-concussion-symptoms-cte-football-nfl-brain-damage-youth

It’s just not worth it.

I see kids who play football <12 on other sports teams. There is a difference and it’s noticeable.

Are there studies on kids who just play a couple years of very low level football? DS has been asking to play since birth, basically. He’s in 6th grade now. I’m tempted to give him one season when the teams are still by weight. He has always played flag football but he asks about tackle nonstop. If it’s really dangerous then of course it doesn’t matter if he wants to do it. But I haven’t seen as much research on kids who just play for a while. DS is not going to be good enough to play college or NFL (or maybe even high school for that matter).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:) Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive hits
CTE is not about single concussions. It’s the result of repeated concussions — and even head impacts that are not quite as severe — which can result in lasting structural changes in the brain. “The pain you feel [after a hit] is not necessarily an indicator of the damage that does to your head,” Philip Bayly

AND

A 2015 study found that former NFL players who began football before age 12 fared worse on cognitive assessments than those who started later in their teens. And this held true even controlling for number of years played.

It suggests (though not conclusively) that playing football at ages younger than 12 is more dangerous for long-term cognitive decline than starting at an older age

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/2/16956440/super-bowl-2020-concussion-symptoms-cte-football-nfl-brain-damage-youth

It’s just not worth it.

I see kids who play football <12 on other sports teams. There is a difference and it’s noticeable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:) Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive hits
CTE is not about single concussions. It’s the result of repeated concussions — and even head impacts that are not quite as severe — which can result in lasting structural changes in the brain. “The pain you feel [after a hit] is not necessarily an indicator of the damage that does to your head,” Philip Bayly

AND

A 2015 study found that former NFL players who began football before age 12 fared worse on cognitive assessments than those who started later in their teens. And this held true even controlling for number of years played.

It suggests (though not conclusively) that playing football at ages younger than 12 is more dangerous for long-term cognitive decline than starting at an older age

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/2/16956440/super-bowl-2020-concussion-symptoms-cte-football-nfl-brain-damage-youth

It’s just not worth it.

I see kids who play football <12 on other sports teams. There is a difference and it’s noticeable.

Anonymous wrote:) Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive hits
CTE is not about single concussions. It’s the result of repeated concussions — and even head impacts that are not quite as severe — which can result in lasting structural changes in the brain. “The pain you feel [after a hit] is not necessarily an indicator of the damage that does to your head,” Philip Bayly

AND

A 2015 study found that former NFL players who began football before age 12 fared worse on cognitive assessments than those who started later in their teens. And this held true even controlling for number of years played.

It suggests (though not conclusively) that playing football at ages younger than 12 is more dangerous for long-term cognitive decline than starting at an older age

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/2/16956440/super-bowl-2020-concussion-symptoms-cte-football-nfl-brain-damage-youth

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. There are a list of sports DS is not allowed to play for safety reasons. While I realize that even a sport like tennis can cause injuries, the likelihood of a life changing physical disability is near zero compared to sports like football. He’s never complained, and always found multiple sports and activities to keep him busy and happy.

NP on the same page as you for my DD. Whats the list? I got

Football
Hockey
Lacrosse
Field Hockey
Any sort of fighting (like boxing)

Maybe
Soccer
Skiing (fine recreationally, as a sport not sure)

Allowable
Track/Field
tennis
basketball
golf
Swim team
Volleyball
cross country

Why would you not let your daughter try LAX or field hockey? FYI, son injured twice this year in basketball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. There are a list of sports DS is not allowed to play for safety reasons. While I realize that even a sport like tennis can cause injuries, the likelihood of a life changing physical disability is near zero compared to sports like football. He’s never complained, and always found multiple sports and activities to keep him busy and happy.

NP on the same page as you for my DD. Whats the list? I got

Football
Hockey
Lacrosse
Field Hockey
Any sort of fighting (like boxing)

Maybe
Soccer
Skiing (fine recreationally, as a sport not sure)

Allowable
Track/Field
tennis
basketball
golf
Swim team
Volleyball
cross country

Anonymous wrote:Nope. There are a list of sports DS is not allowed to play for safety reasons. While I realize that even a sport like tennis can cause injuries, the likelihood of a life changing physical disability is near zero compared to sports like football. He’s never complained, and always found multiple sports and activities to keep him busy and happy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid played football in HS all four years without ever having played youth football. He never got a concussion and never got an injury that kept him out of a game at all that I can remember. One kid, the QB, did get a concussion during a game once. I believe he's a lawyer now.

Most concussions are never diagnosed. If he played (not just rode the bench) for four years, he probably got a concussion

I’m a coach, and this is definitely not true in our district. There is a huge amount of training around concussion protocols and testing, and it’s enforced.

Yes. This is correct.

and the other PP above who started their post with 'hogwash' perfectly exemplifies the football haters out there. This isn't the 1980s. Most football coaches emphasize safety over all else.

They are not "washed out" dads strung up on steriods.

This is exactly what I mean when people hide behind the "safety" reason when in fact they just don't like the sport for some reason.

You are full of it. My kids first year in tackle football was insane. It doesn't matter if you train people in concussion protocols. They are ignored. I'm going to say it again. They are ignored.
Football is complex and the coaches never had time to emphasize safety in practices. It was not a good sport to have dads running everything.

Anonymous wrote:The thing about full contact sports and kids/young adults is that we do not know much about the physical effects and the long term nature of those things -- and we have had people playing them for a century.

Add to it -- as always -- times change. What took place in the 70s and 80s is very different than it is not. We are better at some things, but get worse at others. Or -- perhaps new things also come along that make things worse.

The big thing about contact sports now is drug use by the participants. And, it is rampant. It is done to build muscle and improve performance. It is not a question of getting high. It is a question of getting bigger, stronger and more competitive. And using drugs to help do it.

A very recent research paper that came out this month in that rag -- The Journal of Epidemlology put the misuse of non-prescribed prescription drugs by high school Seniors at 50% greater if the Seniors participated in a full contact high school sport (football, wrestling, boys lacrosse). The misuse continues well after high school..

Walk into any high school weigh room and the effects are pretty obvious. The incentives to also misuse are in place. Everyone else is doing it so your choice is join in, or don't play.

Frankly what is needed is a real and effective testing program. That's a big order when you consider that there are over a million high school football players in the country, but if a significant percentage of them are illegally using how can you do otherwise?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid played football in HS all four years without ever having played youth football. He never got a concussion and never got an injury that kept him out of a game at all that I can remember. One kid, the QB, did get a concussion during a game once. I believe he's a lawyer now.

Most concussions are never diagnosed. If he played (not just rode the bench) for four years, he probably got a concussion

I’m a coach, and this is definitely not true in our district. There is a huge amount of training around concussion protocols and testing, and it’s enforced.

Yes. This is correct.

and the other PP above who started their post with 'hogwash' perfectly exemplifies the football haters out there. This isn't the 1980s. Most football coaches emphasize safety over all else.

They are not "washed out" dads strung up on steriods.

This is exactly what I mean when people hide behind the "safety" reason when in fact they just don't like the sport for some reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Football is fast becoming the sport that parents that didn’t put their kids into sports in preschool are falling back on as no other parent wants their kid to play.

So nope- still not letting my kid play football. One bad fall and he’s a paraplegic.

This is a weird take.

You're suggesting that MS and HS football teams are filled with kids that didn't play ANY sports in ES? And that they HAVE to play football because they didn't develop any skills in other sports at a young age?

Yes this is what PP is suggesting, but I would guess that most football players in skill positions have all played other sports. I see a lot of crossover with football/baseball and football/lacrosse.

Anonymous wrote:We didn't let my DC play football in HS because of the risk of injuries. We let him play lacrosse and he still has knee injuries years later. He also likely got a concussion from a whack to the head and the coach didn't pull him out. Time will tell.

If we had to do it over again we nix all sports beyond track and baseball. Also any sport that is taking away from study time is not a priority. Years from now your DC education will matter, not the sports.

I think violent high school sports are a risk for nothing but problems later.