Recently, there has been more research looking at the short and long term effects of concussive injuries, including the injuries sustained from contact sports like football. Let us assume that as more of these research findings come out, the more evidence there will be that the game of American football (at least, how the game is currently played) is dangerous with regard to the long-term neurological effects. I realize this is a significant assumption; the research may very well show the opposite. However, for the sake of this discussion let us make this one assumption. My question is this: how much evidence will there need to be, and how conclusive must it be, in order for you to no longer feel comfortable giving your son permission to play youth or high school football?

Great question. There's no doubt we're going to continue to learn more about the brain and the impact of impact on it.

 

My kids are all out of high school so I'm not in that group that has to decide. I know this. I talk to a lot of guys who have young kids and many are semi hoping their son never asks to play football - and they're huge football fans. I think we'll continue to see the concern manifest itself in smaller rosters as well as continuing rule changes.

 

We had a thread on here talking about the potential for football to eventually go BACK to having no facemasks.

I think we are going to start seeing more and more practice restrictions as far as contacts, and to be honest, I think it might be a great recruiting tool for many kids who are on the fence for one reason or another..be it concussions or just not wanting to play football bc, well, practice is a lot more of a grind than most all other sports as is.

I think we are going to start seeing more and more practice restrictions as far as contacts, and to be honest, I think it might be a great recruiting tool for many kids who are on the fence for one reason or another..be it concussions or just not wanting to play football bc, well, practice is a lot more of a grind than most all other sports as is.

 

 

My youngest son gave up football at 8 years old because he was tired of getting beat up in practice. He just wanted to play the games. They were easier he said. :lol:

My youngest son is 13 now and if he decides to play football again I will not stop him. My attitude is that he could get hurt just as seriously going up or coming down from a layup in basketball.

My boys played in 3rd and 4th grade, they may play again. One of my twins just suffered his second concussion, so I'm hoping that he never wants to play again (one came in a soccer game, another came from a slip while playing in a creek w/ his friends.) At the moment, they are improving so quickly at soccer, that I hope they continue on that path. I'm not so much concerned about the neurological aspect of it, b/c the percentages of permanent injury are still fairly low. I don't want them to have issues w/ their shoulders like I have from repeatedly taking on traps and separating my AC joint (10 times in 3 years....). A TON of older guys that I know have issues with that.

I have no problem coaching football and encouraging my sons to play.

 

1- I still think the risks of what they would be involved in were they not at football practice combined with the life lessons and experience they get make football the sport and place to be.

 

2- My dad was an offensive and defensive lineman in HS & college. Late 50s to early 60s. His HS coach did some brutal stuff to them. My dad, and all the old coaches I know are fine. If those guys can think straight after what they went through, I think kids today will be ok as they get older. What kids do today in practice can't touch what use to happen. I do think the old NFL is an entirely different scenario than what the guys did that played through college in the 60s because of the frequency and greater force of the impacts.

I have no problem coaching football and encouraging my sons to play.

 

1- I still think the risks of what they would be involved in were they not at football practice combined with the life lessons and experience they get make football the sport and place to be.

 

2- My dad was an offensive and defensive lineman in HS & college. Late 50s to early 60s. His HS coach did some brutal stuff to them. My dad, and all the old coaches I know are fine. If those guys can think straight after what they went through, I think kids today will be ok as they get older. What kids do today in practice can't touch what use to happen. I do think the old NFL is an entirely different scenario than what the guys did that played through college in the 60s because of the frequency and greater force of the impacts.

 

After I thought about it, some of those old coaches think a little more clearly than the rest of the population in 2013.

I have no problem coaching football and encouraging my sons to play.

 

1- I still think the risks of what they would be involved in were they not at football practice combined with the life lessons and experience they get make football the sport and place to be.

 

2- My dad was an offensive and defensive lineman in HS & college. Late 50s to early 60s. His HS coach did some brutal stuff to them. My dad, and all the old coaches I know are fine. If those guys can think straight after what they went through, I think kids today will be ok as they get older. What kids do today in practice can't touch what use to happen. I do think the old NFL is an entirely different scenario than what the guys did that played through college in the 60s because of the frequency and greater force of the impacts.

 

Coach, you mention the "old days." What do you attribute the increase in deaths and serious head injuries that we are seeing more of in today's world vs the "old days?"

Coach, you mention the "old days." What do you attribute the increase in deaths and serious head injuries that we are seeing more of in today's world vs the "old days?"

 

I don't have the research to back this up, I am making a guess:

 

1- heat deaths because of lack of acclimatization, a/c, kids are not outside like, as you said, the old days.

 

2- I am not sold the numbers have gone up. But, better records and communication mean we all know about it. I know at Paris a player died back, I think either the 50s or even before.

 

I can't hang my hat on either, but without looking up the numbers, etc, that is the best I can do. If someone has that documentation, that would be great to share.

 

From an empirical standpoint/common sense, when I see all these old guys that went through alot worse than we do now ( back to back, walk 10 paces, turn on whistle, drop head and sprint to collide with another player, helmet to helmet), I think our kids are going to be fine.

 

To be clear, I am NOT In favor of that drill work described above. Our kids are much safer today.

Isn't there risk in anything one does that is worth while? A kid might decide not to play and instead is doing other activities that are just as dangerous or more so like riding his bike

I don't have the research to back this up, I am making a guess:

 

1- heat deaths because of lack of acclimatization, a/c, kids are not outside like, as you said, the old days.

 

2- I am not sold the numbers have gone up. But, better records and communication mean we all know about it. I know at Paris a player died back, I think either the 50s or even before.

 

I can't hang my hat on either, but without looking up the numbers, etc, that is the best I can do. If someone has that documentation, that would be great to share.

 

From an empirical standpoint/common sense, when I see all these old guys that went through alot worse than we do now ( back to back, walk 10 paces, turn on whistle, drop head and sprint to collide with another player, helmet to helmet), I think our kids are going to be fine.

 

To be clear, I am NOT In favor of that drill work described above. Our kids are much safer today.

 

Let me be more clear. It was a bit open-ended.

 

I am asking specifically about head injuries.

Let me be more clear. It was a bit open-ended.

 

I am asking specifically about head injuries.

 

Again, I am guessing...

 

More partipation and more people playing football than before.

 

In the past, a "ding" was a non injury. Now, it is a concussion and it is recorded as such.

I would be all for my kids playing but I may invest in buying them their own personal helmets rather than the standard issue. Nothing that would look out of place, but I would want that sucker to fit like it supposed to.

I really feel like proper helmet care, maintenance and fit are a major issue contributing to the concussions.

I don't think it's the coaches with the helmet issue but the kids. They don't want them to fit tight like they should or they don't know how to make the chin scrap fit right.

 

Lets not forget that the people that this keeps coming up with are pros. Many do not wear a mouth piece and I would say a number don't have the helmet correct. The difference between helmets now and when some of theses guys played are HUGE.