VOTE: Hypothetically, if you had a 5 yr old son, would you EVER allow him to play tackle football?

[Franisdaman]

There is no right or wrong answer.

We all love football. BUT, based on what you know about concussions and CTE, if you had a 5 year old son right now, would you allow him to EVER play tackle football?

 

[Hawk_4shur]

I haven't voted, because I don't honestly know what I would do. Football is a great sport. I think it teaches teamwork, leadership, courage and that good things can come from hard work.

It is also a brutal sport.

I guess I would not encourage it and hope he doesn't want to play on his own.

 

[TKingpin]

I have a very athletic 12-year old. Not going to let him play tackle. Out here in the western suburbs of DSM, that sentiment is in the majority. Tackle football has some serious participation issues coming down the pike.

I just Love football but the concussion risk is too great for us to allow him to play tackle. Hopefully, something changes by his freshman year.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

If he wants to play? Absolutely. Now I would also say kids need to be schooled without pads for years to do things the correct way.

 

[HawkOn15]

For me not until the kid is at least 14

 

[hawkfeever]

There is no right or wrong answer.

We all love football. BUT, based on what you know about concussions and CTE, if you had a 5 year old son right now, would you allow him to EVER play tackle football?

Have one and No. There was another article about Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis and seems like they have it too. It ain't worth it. Until they figure out why some and not others and can do tests then no.

 

[HawkSTL]

I'd let him play when he is a freshman in high school. I'd also pay close attention to the amount of contact in practice. High football players don't need to be doing 30 minutes of Oklahoma drill every day. Any signs of a head injury, I'd likely pull the plug.

 

[bojihawk44]

Of course. But there's no reason for kids to start playing tackle football until 7th grade at the earliest. These youth football leagues are ruining kids and their technique at an early age. I never played tackle until 7th grade and turned out fine, my future sons will hopefully do the same.

 

[Johnsoda123]

Concussions are soaring in soccer too. You could see helmets in soccer soon. I like to watch women's fast pitch softball. Most pitchers wear a face mask. It's just where we are headed.

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

No way, the risk is far too high and I think more and more dire news will continue to pile up regarding CTE. Football is a dying sport and eventually will go away or be replaced by a somewhat recognizable, less injurious substitute. It will survive another generation or two, but in 100 years, no way.

 

[pacnorthhawkeye]

Let’s just say I’m glad I have 3 daughters so I don’t hafta cross that bridge. And no, no pics.

 

[mvhomerj]

Let’s just say I’m glad I have 3 daughters so I don’t hafta cross that bridge. And no, no pics.

I'm with ya', but just one daughter. Glad I never had to deal with it, and she wasn't into soccer.

 

[pacnorthhawkeye]

I'm with ya', but just one daughter. Glad I never had to deal with it, and she wasn't into soccer.

I’ve just leaking money into select fastpitch for the last 7 years for all 3.....jeebus Christ it gets pricey.

 

[icwesthawk]

Mine is 10 and a daughter. It seems to me that the downside far outweighs the upside. Now my daughter can and has fallen off balance beams, gladly nothing serious but I just don't think I would let her play football. No way her Mom would and no pictures of either one.

 

[NevadaHawk]

Of course. But there's no reason for kids to start playing tackle football until 7th grade at the earliest. These youth football leagues are ruining kids and their technique at an early age. I never played tackle until 7th grade and turned out fine, my future sons will hopefully do the same.

This is how I see it as well. Kids can get hurt in just about every sport out there. Injury goes with being an athlete. But If my son wants to play sports I would let him and I would also keep a very close eye on everything.

 

[nick21ia]

I have a daughter, but if I had a son he would play if he wanted too, starting in 7 or 8th grade. No reason to play tackle before that.

 

[Suterman]

Yes I would but not until 7th grade.

 

[Franisdaman]

If this poll, hypothetically, stays 50/50, what does that say about the future of football?

 

[Stormn Norman]

My son is not playing tackle football at 5 years old if that’s what ur asking.. now the word, ever has thrown me off because in 8th/9th grade if he wants to play, he can.. he won’t be 5 anymore.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

Would I allow my hypothetical son to? Yes.

 

[bojihawk44]

If this poll, hypothetically, stays 50/50, what does that say about the future of football?

It's not great, for sure, but football isn't going away. The great thing is we are more aware of the issues and can better address them. I played in high school and college, and as a current high school coach, I can tell you the way we teach technique deal with injuries is certainly different than it was even 10 years ago. And that will only get better as technology and understanding advances and makes the game safer.

 

[cap_tain8]

had 2 boys play Div. II ball. I would still let them play. Now they on the other hand now say they wish they had golfed. lol

 

[Lumas Etima]

Prediction: In the next decade, we will see a sharp rise in the number of high schools in the US offering competitive flag football teams, rather than the traditional version.

 

[SoFla-Hawkeye]

I don't breathe while they are on the field or on the mat. I also don't breathe when they walk out of the house and jump in a car with a buddy. There isn't enough plastic bubble wrap in the world to protect your kid from all the shit out there. Let them play. Let them be kids. They only get 1 shot at it.

 

[Hawkeyestate81]

I have 3 boys who will be 11 and 9 and one is already 7, they will not be playing any of this ridiculous youth football going on now, utter stupidity. I have a lot of thinking to do by the time they are in 7th grade. I may not allow it until HS at this point if at all.

 

[MepoDawg#]

Oldest is going into 7th grade. He’s played tackle football since 3rd grade and I coached every year. All the coaches including myself were trained on proper technique and concussion protocol. We did many practices teaching step by step tackling and blocking then growing it into one motion without pads and without opponent. Eventually we had full contact, but it wasn’t more than 30 minutes a week, mostly scrimmage. Rarely did a tackling drill, if we did it was in close quarters to prevent running head start, 2 OL vs 2 DL with a ball carrier etc. We also didn’t have any contact the first practice after a game.

If people would take the time to learn it so they can teach it we’d be much better off. It would also help if pro and college players stood up for the cause of teaching proper technique instead of leading by example the wrong way.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

I would but others make fine points in earlier post. I wouldn't be in favor of pads until he reached junior high in 7th grade. It's ridiculous when you see 3rd and 4th graders down in Texas and other states in full pads.

Another valid point is soccer. I remember listening to an interview with Jim Nantz and he said how womens soccer teams had the highest % of their players suffering concussions than any college sport. If he really wants to I wouldn't hold him back. But like a nephew I had after 2 concussions in his junior year the 2nd being bad enough to sideline him the last month of the year he gave it up for his senior year after talking about it with his parents and advice from the DR it was in his best interest to do so.

 

[cocoem]

Have one and No. There was another article about Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis and seems like they have it too. It ain't worth it. Until they figure out why some and not others and can do tests then no.

Take a look into supplement and drug (legal and illegal) abuse...there tends to be a correlation in a lot of cases. Why do some players get concussions easily and other do not? Why do some guys blow knees out easily and other do not? Why do some dudes twist ankles in a heavy breeze and other do not? It is more on the individual than anything else. Numerous reports have come out with no hard data linking football and CTE....but that would make it into the mainstream news. Millions upon millions of men have played the game and have led a long and happy (non-violent / non-incident) life. I will go with the heavily weighted side of the argument.

 

[HumbleP1e]

This will possibly disqualify me, but I don't have kids. However, maybe it makes me more objective...? Too easy to look your boy in the eyes and feel (over?)protective. I would be.

I think it's like anything else in this version of the information age: do the research and make an educated decision. I mean the boy here. Society and parents should protect till high school (flag till?). Then, a kid has to take a course and make an educated decision (with parental approval?) Until science can identify the causes and/or solutions, you gotta let people own the decision.

I have worked with a guy who played D1 in the trenches at a relatively high level...said he'd never let his son play. That spoke volumes to me. But, I don't understand how the great majority - including me and most of you - had no noticeable symptoms. I would hate to deprive a kid of his potential meal ticket in life because I feared the worst.

Very tough call for you parents!

 

[hawkblood]

Absolutely if he wants to play.

 

[TheGuy9]

Absolutely. The big question is would you let your son play lacrosse, which has a higher rate of concussions than football, and if you have a girl, don't let her play soccer. A Northwestern University study found that girls soccer also has a concussion rate higher than that of football. In fact the study found that in sports that are played by both males and females such as soccer, volleyball etc., that girls have a higher rate of concussions.

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

It's hard to even consider that question, and I'm not a father. Football as a game is heading for a real crisis, it seems. It's an irresistible force being challenged by the mounting immovable object that is CTE.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

It's not great, for sure, but football isn't going away. The great thing is we are more aware of the issues and can better address them. I played in high school and college, and as a current high school coach, I can tell you the way we teach technique deal with injuries is certainly different than it was even 10 years ago. And that will only get better as technology and understanding advances and makes the game safer.

Yeah football is not going to die.

That's been a gross over-exaggeration, particularly within the "USA needs to push soccer" community.

It does bother me to see a large group of kids kicking around a soccer ball rather than playing two hand touch football.

I had so many great memories growing up of playing two hand touch FB with the neighborhood kids or at recess.

I'd hate to think that this would go away because snowflake parents are scared of CTE and other injuries.....but this is actually more the truth than people are willing to admit.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

It's hard to even consider that question, and I'm not a father. Football as a game is heading for a real crisis, it seems. It's an irresistible force being challenged by the mounting immovable object that is CTE.

Tackle football is what is in jeopardy.

Also it's funny that in other countries, this is not nearly an issue with Rugby, which is basically OG football without any pads or protection.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

Concussions are soaring in soccer too. You could see helmets in soccer soon. I like to watch women's fast pitch softball. Most pitchers wear a face mask. It's just where we are headed.

There are helemts already created for soccer. Problem is they are there to soften blows from headers and head to head contact. The high school team I coach had over 10 diagnosed concussions this year in varsity, jv and jv2. Only one came from a headed ball. The others all came from contact with other players and more so when the hit the ground. There is only so much those helmets can do to stop the brain slushing around.

I can't say the helemet would be helpful or not though because our girls refused to wear them. We offered to be a part of a study to see what our rates were with them on but the girls didn't like the look of them.

 

[Hawkfan_08]

Tackle football is what is in jeopardy.

Also it's funny that in other countries, this is not nearly an issue with Rugby, which is basically OG football without any pads or protection.

I agree with you 100%. I feel like rugby forces you to tackle with proper form and if you don't you are penalized. Anyone who knows more on rugby care to fill me on this?

 

[Cougar63]

Ever? Yes. When he's in 8th grade or later. Before then, he can play flag football.

 

[danny14]

I’ve just leaking money into select fastpitch for the last 7 years for all 3.....jeebus Christ it gets pricey.

Just the bats alone, can cost a paycheck! Fun sport to watch, once they get to high school and the pitchers can throw strikes.

 

[24 so far]

I don't breathe while they are on the field or on the mat. I also don't breathe when they walk out of the house and jump in a car with a buddy. There isn't enough plastic bubble wrap in the world to protect your kid from all the shit out there. Let them play. Let them be kids. They only get 1 shot at it.

Yep. Had 2 boys, they played Football, Baseball and Wrestled primarily. Had a broken leg from wrestling, some torn ligaments and other knee/leg injuries from Football, and I gladly paid for all of them, because it's part of the deal.

Get off the couch and play a sport and be active year around, guess what, you're going to get injured at some point. The severity is the only thing in question. Never once was I concerned for their health, or mine when I was doing the same things long before them.

I can't help but laugh when someone like Brett Favre comes out and says he forgets things sometimes, and other innuendos about what all those hits did to him theoretically. But guess what Brett, complete nerds who never played a sport in their life have similar issues. SMH

Old Football players with all sorts of "maladies", which happen to be the same maladies most or all old people have. All depends on someones personal agenda, and in the case of many of these former Pro athletes, some are just hoping for one more big payday. So of course their "ailments" are much more painful than the Average Joe's similar condition, because they have a soapbox and a growing public that encourages participation trophies. Give me a break.

 

[Hawks56huskers14]

Both of my boys started playing football in third grade. My oldest boy is going into eighth grade and said he is probably going to play again this year for middle school. He does not plan on playing in high school. Out of all the youth football games I’ve seen minimal injuries. I would rather my kids play football young because when puberty sets in the bigger kids will have a definite advantage with strength.
I’ve seen more injuries on bicycles and trampolines then third-sixth graders out there in pads having their pillow fights!