Anyone NOT want their kids to wrestle or play football, or a another dangerous sport?

About a month ago my son asked me to play tackle football this year. I was a little stunned as I had never asked him to play. I have only just tossed the ball with him and taught him how to tackle as part of a fun game we play with pillows and such. Well he kept bugging my wife and I so we signed him up for football. He just turned 7 and is already starting to develop into a pretty skilled athlete. He has played soccer for four years, yet he doesn't really love it. He runs hard but is not really into it. Footall however, he seems to have fantastic footwork and instincts.

I played football for 17 years. I tore/ripped things that still effect me to this day. At 36 I am already showing signs of arthritis in my right knee from an ACL and cartilage tear 15-17 years ago. Lower backs creeks and cracks from weightlifting and lowering my head on opponents as I tackled. I also wrestled/fought for many years in my mid 20's to early 30's. I sustained injuries there as well that still effect me. Popped elbows from armbars, torn clavicle stuff, back tears, separated ribs...and on and on.

I know I will be watching my son play football while holding my breath this year. I am scared because his mentality is like mine. Balls to the wall. I know I will hold myself responsible if anything happens to him and I pray he never hurts his knees like me. I sort of wish he would keep playing soccer and basketball instead of football. Anyone else feel like this at all about their sons or daughters in a specific sport? Motorcross, football, wrestling, gymnastics........

 

Yes, your not alone Brett, I feel the same way.....But we gotta let boys be boys and live life to the fullest.

 

I am fan of people being mentally and physically tough Josh. However, I just don't want my son dealing with lingering health problems as he ages, like what I am going through.

 

I would/did not let my son play football. He was an excellent athlete and played organized baseball from age 6 to 18, sometimes two teams during the summer. I do not believe body slamming, even with helmets and other protective gear, is any good for bodys and minds that are still growing.

 

I hear you Bruce. Many of the guys I played college football with are starting to suffer from injuries they sustained. Fingers that were so badly broken they don't work correctly, pieces of their spine removed, permanent back disabilities, arthritic knees.....I told my wife today that I am very worried.

 

Brett,
Ironically while I sit here injured from another sort of thing.... I layed flat on my back for what seemed like and eternity one night paralyzed from the neck down, the following Friday night, I had 16 tackles and broke a school record. The following year, my junior year, I took a minor bump to the Left should during a helmet/shorts practice when I went to catch a buddy that had slipped, facemask to shoulder, and 7 weeks later, after a half dozen trips to a masso-therapist, because the doctors said there was really nothing they could do but wait for the swelling to come down, I was again able to use my arm. I had a 14 and 12 tackle game my first 2 games back from injury and the coach caught me popping NoDoz (which seemed to be the only thing that would blunt the burning pain in my shoulder and allow me to play), and benched me. He never let me play in any real functioing role again. I was told I was not allowed to play my senior year and played soccer instead, which was a LOT of fun. My Sr. year while lifting in the weight room the coach called me into his office. Now I really didn't want to talk to him anymore than I did some chick I'd just broken up with, but it was "his" weight room, and if I wanted to keep using it, I sort of had to pay the piper. When he got me in his office, he told me...."I never pulled you because you couldn't play, I pulled you because I wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to end up like me." Note the coach had a bum shoulder that was bad enough that he could golf of do a lot of "fun" things that a lot of guys like to do. I gained a lot of respect and was very humbled at that moment and all I could say was "Thanks Coach, I appreciate that more than you know."

Were I to have boys, I'd have a hard time NOT letting them play football, but at the same time, I know I'd hold my breath a lot as well!!!

Sorry to get a little long winded, but the story sort of plays in.

 

Doug, good points. I remember tearing knee ligaments and playing in games. My junior year in college I played at least half a season with a torn meniscus. Every Sunday I had the knee drained of blood just to be able to practice the following week. I am paying the price now.

 

Brett, my son wanted to go out for football and I was going to let him. His mother was less than enthusiastic about it though. When we went for the physical, he had a heart murmur and didn't pass the physical. The next year the murmur was gone, but seeing how worried his mother was he told her that he still had the murmur and never brought up contact sports in HS again. I always felt he was cheated yet he still says it was no big deal. He did participate in Tai Kwon Do and was really good at sparring. Thank goodness Mom never came to the practices or meets.

 

Brett, Doug,
You guys have first hand experience of what it can do to you and you see what it has done to your friends but you are willing to risk your childs health? For what? You know the downside to playing football, what is the upside?

 

Physical and mental toughness. College scholarships. Or just plain old the love of the game which helps one feel a passion for living. Football also seems to help out kids who have certain mentalities. It keeps them out of trouble by allowing them to explode on the football field instead of off the field, a release of energy so to speak.

 

As long as YOUR son wants to play football and does not have any disqualifying illnesses/injuries and he knows that it's up to him if he later decides not to do it anymore, there's nothing wrong with it.

 

Oh Bruce, don't get me wrong, I LOVED the game. I LOVED the physical contact and the opportunity to totally obliterated someone and MOST of the time not really hurt them seriously. I played middle linebacker, and even though I never played above 185#, there were a LOT of guys who remembered #56 and would rather steer clear of him. I believed I was the MEANEST, toughest guy on the field, and played that way. I tackled a fullback and tailback together TWICE one night and essentially stopped that team from running that little "32 quick-hitter" because it didn't work so well. Beyond the shoulder and neck injury, I broke every finger on both my hands at one time or another, and broke my nose 2 times during my freshman season because my helmet was just a hair big. Unfortunately, my body did indeed pay a price, but I cannot lie, I DID TRULY LOVE the sport. During a reserve game one night my Freshman year, I had 28 tackes, 4 QB sacks, and 2-3 forced fumbles and I had a kid literally scared to death everytime I came down over top of him because I kept abusing him. At one point, I had a coach come onto the field after me while playing offense because the little linebacker I went out and blocked I plowed over, then I let him get up and plowed him again, and again, and again. Meanwhile our little FAST running back was making a 80+ yd touchdown run, I just kept pummelling this kid, until the coach came out onto the field, then I went to celebrate because "my guy" I was assigned to block didn't get an opportunity to make a tackle!!! :D Probably the worst hit I ever put on a guy was a DE and I was a pulling guard, and he was all set like he was going to make a tackle on a little delayed handoff when I lit him up. I knocked him out cold, and he schit his pants!!! Afterwards I felt bad for him, but on the field no one in the opposite color is a friend. Football game me a channel to release my aggressions like no other. And I had probably more aggressions than was ever really healthy. Though the teams I played on in HS were never overly good, I did have a pair of team-mates that did get National Championship Rings while playing at Mount Union after HS. But the shoulder injury my Junior year spelled the end of it all for me, and not only did I loose football, but I also lost Baseball as I could no longer swing a bat quite the same, and my mid-80's fastball was more like a 60mph MEATBALL.

 

Oh crap. Let a kid be a kid. Heck, you can blow a knee out bowling or playing golf with Tiger Woods. You can blow a knee or back or whatever out just running on the beach. 99 percent of your kids aren't going to play any organized sport past high school. I'm not saying push them into it.... but if they want to do it .... fine, let them try. Age 7??? I don't think you have to worry about knees being blown out or anything like that. In todays world you should be more worried he gives up football and wants to dance ballet in a tutu by age 9.... or... become an Obama fan.LOL

 

I am torn, I would not trade my expierences for anything and the ability to help my family out with my scholorship...but I also hurt daily and always will.

I got a few years before they hit that age...ahhh I just don't know.

 

Hey, if you and your child want to play football, have at it, it doesn't bother me one bit. I just wondered why you would let him do something that you KNOW will have a pretty bad effect on his health throughout his adult life.

Physical and mental toughness can be gained many, many ways as can a college scholarship. I believe TEmbry (not to drag him in this) has a full ride academic scholarship.

Again, if you and your son want to play, have at it.

 

Honestly, I don't know much about football injuries except anecdotal stuff I read in the paper and I still would not have let my son play. So, I thought I might be a little extreme and I just did a google search on " high school football injuries ". I suggest anyone else do the same.

 

If I'm fortunate enough to have kids in the future I think I may push them towards soccer, swimming, tennis...and any other sport that will have them unknowingly improving their basketball game =)

 

Ok I have to say this! I can see a parent wanting to protect the kids BUT I will say this! I played football and blew out my knee from a cheep shot to the side of my knee with a helmet. Now after my 4th surgery and a cadaver bone put in I STILL WILL NOT TRADE MY FOOTBALL DAYS FOR NOTHING! That is the only thing that I miss from school and that is what kept me from being locked up like some of my friends that I hung out with. Sports are a good thing and bad injuries dont happen to everyone. LET THEM PLAY I SAY! I would love to see my kids play in any sports no matter what! Football is the best!

 

Do you let your kids fish VS?

Fishing is the most dangerous sport in the world and more people drown, get struck by lightning, lost, and die while doing it than all other sports combined.

If you let your kids fish alone... they can throw on a helmet and full pads and run around awhile.. it may teach them a little about themselves too.

 

Duke, yes I do let them fish with me a ton. Bruce, I appreciate your comments and wisdom.

I remember my dad paying off the officials of games when I was like 12 years old and 100 lbs to be able to play in the 14-15 year old games. They outweighed me by 50 lbs but those games made me tough. I don't ever remember football hurting as bad as those games. I also remember playing ice hockey against kids/adults much older and bigger than me as well.

I don't want you guys to think I am trying to baby my boy, because I am not. I just remember my freshmen and sophomore years in college where I tore both of my acl's and cartilage. Those events zapped reality into my face like a laser beam. Football showed a side of itself that was hard to deal with for years. I guess those events tested my mental toughness as each of those injuries required 9 months of intense rehab to be able to play again at a high level.

Thanks again for the discussion gentlemen. Wahoohunter, my boy does show some real promise in basketball!