Is Football the Most Dangerous Sport for our Kids?

[bphi11ips]

Have no experience with middle TN youth league football, but if you tried to do those things with players like wiegh them, etc, here in Ar or OK you'd probably be physically beaten. I call in the youth leagues here and it is comical in many cases. Did 4th grade game a couple week ago, qb had a wrist band with at least 30 plays on it. After we called illegal formation 3 times the HC asked why, we told him he didn't have 7 on the line, I swear this is true, the guy did not even know that was a rule. 

You would be amazed at the quality of football played here. A friend of mine from Little Rock went to a game and called me a week later to ask for help organizing youth football there. He said the only youth football at the time he knew of was 8 man and said it was terrible. I don't know what happened.

I thought then and think now that one of the biggest problems with player development in Arkansas is the lack of quality youth programs. Middle Tennessee has been a hotbed for D1 prospects for years. By the time kids hit 14-15, when rating services start evaluating them, many have played football for 10 years.

When do kids start playing travel baseball where you're from?  I suspect you are going to say 5.  Same deal.

[moses_007]

I think it's a no-brainer that football before at least the 10th grade is very dangerous.  I didn't play tackle in my high school before 10th grade.  Back then (mid 60s) it was call jayvee football and we had about three or four games a year and this was in Miami, FL.  I don't know how long before there was a move to get kids into pads earlier and earlier, but whenever it started, in retrospect, it was a bad move.

For to long we have been pushing our kids to play tackle football at a very young age.  No it is confirmed that hitting at that early age is extremely bad. 

Let the kids play touch if they want to play football.  Flag football would be very good.  Don't take chances with the brain before 10th grade.

I'd like to see the sport of football survive!

+1.  I agree.

[jvanhorn]

Then that Doctor shouldn't let his kids, skate, play baseball, basketball, ride bikes, go to the playground, ski, run, ride in a car, etc., etc.

In other words don't let kids have fun since there are risks EVERYWHERE in life.

It doesn't get much dumber than  this.  Of course there are risks everywhere.  What we are talking about is degree of risk.  If you delibertley put yourself in harms way then of course the odds go way up.  Playing football is a dangerous, violent contact sport so naturally the odds of you getting concussions, knee replacements when you are in your forties, etc are obviously much greater than playing hopscotch on the playground.

[jkstock04]

Are there a lot of high school MMA teams? 

I'm just waiting for someone to tie these concussions back to the Obama administration.  There's got to be a link there, surely....

He didn't ask anything about high school MMA teams. He asked in what other sports were injuries as bad or worse than football and that was the first that came to mind.

But, to answer your question...there are none that I know of.

Maybe here in a couple of years someone will do some studies and bring awareness to the dangers of tornado chasing. It will be a real eye opener no doubt.

[bennyl08]

I'm gonna go with BASE jumping or wingsuit proximity flying.  Possibly cave diving behind those.

In terms of danger via death, cave diving is only rivaled by free climbing. No other sports come close.

[bennyl08]

Then that Doctor shouldn't let his kids, skate, play baseball, basketball, ride bikes, go to the playground, ski, run, ride in a car, etc., etc.

In other words don't let kids have fun since there are risks EVERYWHERE in life.

Would you let your kid play russian roulette?

83.3% chance your kid suffers no injury whatsoever if it's a 6 shooter.

My hope is that you'd respond with something like "of course not, that's a ridiculous example. We're talking about injury, not being killded". However, death is just a severe injury. There's a chance your kid could die from football too.

The question isn't whether or not there are risks. The question is a simple risk analysis. What is the severity of the risk times the likelihood of that risk, and what threshold do you find acceptable? Russian roulette "only" has a 1/6 chance of injury, but that injury is death. So, for most people, that threshold of risk is too high. Baseball and bicycling certainly have risks of injury including death, but those are quite low, and most people those risks are more than tolerable.

[bennyl08]

I still laugh at the kneejerks and sophisticates all of the sudden "discovering" that football is dangerous and head injury may occur.

It's a revelation of some sort that if you hammer your head together with with other guys for years on end, head injury may occur. Shocker I know. Keep in mind there are people getting paid millions to spread this never before heard of idea around.

This is about nothing but politics and $$$. Mainly $$$. I got a letter in the mail a while back about joining a class action lawsuit against the NCAA to sue them for any possible brain injury I may have gotten. It's straight lunacy the type of stuff that goes on.

What is lunacy is thinking that there's anything political here or that it is PC to talk about injury risks.

Further, it is also lunacy to think that the head injury talk now is anything remotely related to the head injury knowledge from years past. It would be like discovering that the vibrations from being in a car led a large increased risk of early onset dementia and alzheimers. Sure, everybody knows that hurtling around in a metal frame going 30-80mph and then running into something would cause damage and hurt people. That's no surprise. However, that the mere vibrations of riding in a car could lead to that? That would be groundshattering new research. Then, finding that people who drive cars for a living have really high rates of this, and that the trucking and nascar industry new about and hid it? Yeah, there'd be people pissed.

If talking on a cell phone led to a 20% increase risk in cancer, and verizon, att, and sprint all new about it and hid it? You think that wouldn't lead to some major lawsuits?

[Inhogswetrust]

I can't believe that no one has mentioned Lawn Darts.

Lawyers are only necessary when someone does something stupid like stand where a dart with a metal spike might land.

[Inhogswetrust]

In terms of danger via death, cave diving is only rivaled by free climbing. No other sports come close.

Riding a ride at Disney can be dangerous.............waiting in long lines outdoors in the middle of the afternoon in Florida might cause heat stroke.

[jkstock04]

What is lunacy is thinking that there's anything political here or that it is PC to talk about injury risks.

Further, it is also lunacy to think that the head injury talk now is anything remotely related to the head injury knowledge from years past. It would be like discovering that the vibrations from being in a car led a large increased risk of early onset dementia and alzheimers. Sure, everybody knows that hurtling around in a metal frame going 30-80mph and then running into something would cause damage and hurt people. That's no surprise. However, that the mere vibrations of riding in a car could lead to that? That would be groundshattering new research. Then, finding that people who drive cars for a living have really high rates of this, and that the trucking and nascar industry new about and hid it? Yeah, there'd be people pissed.

If talking on a cell phone led to a 20% increase risk in cancer, and verizon, att, and sprint all new about it and hid it? You think that wouldn't lead to some major lawsuits?

That sounds like actual groundbreaking research to me. The stuff with football does not. I absolutely see an agenda behind it all. You can dress it up all you want, but its suit and tie fancy liberal spin ways of reintroducing the "groundbreaking" idea that football is a contact sport therefore dangerous.

The idea that hammering your head together with other men for prolong periods of time could lead to head injury is not groundbreaking science no matter how they want to spin it.

[HighcountryHog]

In terms of danger via death, cave diving is only rivaled by free climbing. No other sports come close.

Well, just give wingsuit proximity flying a couple years.  It's like one of the newest sports out there, and I've already heard about 10 of those guys turning into red mist.  Cave diving is insanely dangerous.

[twistitup]

Is Russian Roulette a sport?

If so, winner....

[hawgdavis]

I don't think the sudden wave of information concerning head trauma and football is a "liberal agenda."  That idea reeks almost as badly as Rush claiming category four and five hurricanes are somehow part of a liberal agenda. 

I don't like this growing trend of automatically associating science with liberal politics.  It's unfortunate and dangerous that "science" is becoming a political buzz word.  Good God.

That said, there is a "duh" factor to this narrative.  I hope this research can be used to help make the sport safer, not eventually kill it.

Rush didn't claim that , he said the global warming folks we're blaming the hurricanes  (most meteorological experts say global warming has nothing to do with these storms by the way) on global warming and that global warming is a liberal agenda.  Witch it is.

The same kind of folks that are trying to gain a measure of control thru global warming are now trying to do that with football. Then on to the next whatever they will go.

It's all a big steaming pile of $h!t and these meddling bed wetting mouth breathers needs to mind their own business and quit worrying about what people have their god given freedom to do.

I almost forgot they are trying to get rid of god too.

[Inhogswetrust]

It doesn't get much dumber than  this.  Of course there are risks everywhere.  What we are talking about is degree of risk.  If you delibertley put yourself in harms way then of course the odds go way up.  Playing football is a dangerous, violent contact sport so naturally the odds of you getting concussions, knee replacements when you are in your forties, etc are obviously much greater than playing hopscotch on the playground.

I KNOW it is about the degree of risk. Ever hear of sarcasm? On a serious note though some idiots want the whole world to be 100% safe at all times. That is unrealistic yet people still try to cocoon their kids. Protecting kids is one thing............inhibiting their youth by not wanting them to take any risks whatsoever ever and enjoyment of sports, socializing, learning tough lessons, imagination , etc. is not what they want or need. It's gotten so bad and protective today that if a kid falls on the playground and gets a bloody nose people do stupid things. 

[DeltaBoy]

I played FB and my daughter ran track , played Basketball in JR High and cheered 7-12 grade . Cheerleaders get hurt just as much some games as the Football players. 
I witnessed Busted heads , strained backs, sprained ankles and wrist and twisted knees all by Cheerleaders.

[hogsanity]

You would be amazed at the quality of football played here. A friend of mine from Little Rock went to a game and called me a week later to ask for help organizing youth football there. He said the only youth football at the time he knew of was 8 man and said it was terrible. I don't know what happened.

I thought then and think now that one of the biggest problems with player development in Arkansas is the lack of quality youth programs. Middle Tennessee has been a hotbed for D1 prospects for years. By the time kids hit 14-15, when rating services start evaluating them, many have played football for 10 years.

When do kids start playing travel baseball where you're from?  I suspect you are going to say 5.  Same deal.

Not much travel baseball here before 7 or 8. Oddly enough most of the kids around here who go on to play in HS did nto start travel ball until live arm at 9 or 10. The kids that start earlier seem to plateau and not improve much after 11 or 12. Now a lot goes far beyond when they start.

As for youth football around here, they start playing tackle at 5 or 6, and it is just absurd. Of course up through 4th grade most of it is give the ball to the fats kid every play and let him run around. Then when they get to 5th grade the coaches decide that they need to run the hunh spread read option. It is just terrible. There are 2 towns that have good youth teams because the HS head coach is involved, or was at least involved in setting up the program in how it should be run, what coaches should teach, and HOW they should teach it.

[bphi11ips]

Not much travel baseball here before 7 or 8. Oddly enough most of the kids around here who go on to play in HS did not start travel ball until live arm at 9 or 10. The kids that start earlier seem to plateau and not improve much after 11 or 12. Now a lot goes far beyond when they start.

As for youth football around here, they start playing tackle at 5 or 6, and it is just absurd. Of course up through 4th grade most of it is give the ball to the fats kid every play and let him run around. Then when they get to 5th grade the coaches decide that they need to run the hunh spread read option. It is just terrible. There are 2 towns that have good youth teams because the HS head coach is involved, or was at least involved in setting up the program in how it should be run, what coaches should teach, and HOW they should teach it.

I agree that 5 and 6 is too early for football.  Maybe 7 and 8 is too early, but I think most kids are mature enough mentally and physically by the fourth grade or so to play tackle football with the proper instruction.  I see no reason to wait until high school to teach kids a game that requires knowledge and skill that can be developed early.  Skill development is the excuse I hear for starting baseball so early.  Around here that age is 5.  By 7 you better be on a secret society travel team or you better be tall for your age and be able to pitch - or be left-handed.  The assumption is that all left-handed kids can pitch.

My experience with baseball has been that some of the worst youth coaches I have seen in any sport coach travel ball.  Thank goodness for the limitations on number of pitches kids can throw.  Those limits didn't exist when I pitched in the 70s from about the age of 9 to 18.  I have two lingering injuries from sports.  A bad right elbow from pitching and a herniated disk at L5 S1 from hitting thousands of golf balls.  Surgery about 10 years ago helped with disk.  Nothing to do about the elbow, but I wouldn't trade a good one now for a single strikeout.  Nothing like winning a baseball game on the mound.

I tore a meniscus playing football in high school and wore both out since running and hiking.  Both knees have been cleaned up twice over the years.  I'm not sure our bodies are built to endure the physical stress we subject them to either by necessity or for enjoyment.  For me, the lingering injuries from a sports-filled youth have been worth it.  But I never suffered serious injuries like torn a torn acl, neck or back injury like Rawleigh Williams, or serious multiple concussions.  If either of my kids are ever seriously injured I may feel differently, but they do what they do because they love it, and YOLO has always been a theme in this family.

[hogsanity]

I agree that 5 and 6 is too early for football.  Maybe 7 and 8 is too early, but I think most kids are mature enough mentally and physically by the fourth grade or so to play tackle football with the proper instruction.  I see no reason to wait until high school to teach kids a game that requires knowledge and skill that can be developed early.  Skill development is the excuse I hear for starting baseball so early.  Around here that age is 5.  By 7 you better be on a secret society travel team or you better be tall for your age and be able to pitch - or be left-handed.  The assumption is that all left-handed kids can pitch.

My experience with baseball has been that some of the worst youth coaches I have seen in any sport coach travel ball.  Thank goodness for the limitations on number of pitches kids can throw.  Those limits didn't exist when I pitched in the 70s from about the age of 9 to 18.  I have two lingering injuries from sports.  A bad right elbow from pitching and a herniated disk at L5 S1 from hitting thousands of golf balls.  Surgery about 10 years ago helped with disk.  Nothing to do about the elbow, but I wouldn't trade a good one now for a single strikeout.  Nothing like winning a baseball game on the mound.

I tore a meniscus playing football in high school and wore both out since running and hiking.  Both knees have been cleaned up twice over the years.  I'm not sure our bodies are built to endure the physical stress we subject them to either by necessity or for enjoyment.  For me, the lingering injuries from a sports-filled youth have been worth it.  But I never suffered serious injuries like torn a torn acl, neck or back injury like Rawleigh Williams, or serious multiple concussions.  If either of my kids are ever seriously injured I may feel differently, but they do what they do because they love it, and YOLO has always been a theme in this family.

Agree about the baseball coaches. Some of the worst I have seen have actually been at the aaa or major USSSA level. There are no pitch limits in USSSA, only innings. A kid can throw 8 innings a weekend, and if it takes 200 pitches to do that so be it.

I too have golf injuries, bad left shoulder, so bad I can't play golf any more. Just repetitive motion like you said of thousands and thousands of golf balls hit.

Again, in any of these threads about football safety I am not advocating for kids not to play once they get to JRHS I just find some of the conspiracy theories outlandish, and I still have a problem with those that think football is some magical test of manhood.

[Razorback de Nosferatu]

Rush didn't claim that , he said the global warming folks we're blaming the hurricanes  (most meteorological experts say global warming has nothing to do with these storms by the way) on global warming and that global warming is a liberal agenda.  Witch it is.

The same kind of folks that are trying to gain a measure of control thru global warming are now trying to do that with football. Then on to the next whatever they will go.

It's all a big steaming pile of $h!t and these meddling bed wetting mouth breathers needs to mind their own business and quit worrying about what people have their god given freedom to do.

I almost forgot they are trying to get rid of god too.

K.

[WoePigSooie]

He didn't ask anything about high school MMA teams. He asked in what other sports were injuries as bad or worse than football and that was the first that came to mind.

But, to answer your question...there are none that I know of.

Maybe here in a couple of years someone will do some studies and bring awareness to the dangers of tornado chasing. It will be a real eye opener no doubt.

My son started football, wrestling, and track in 7th grade (he is a sophomore now).  Middle school football was hard to watch (we are in Columbus, Ohio), freshman team started looking good though, like actual football.  He is on O line (left guard mostly) and starts and plays the entire game on JV.  He starts special teams and a couple times on O line on the varsity team.  So far, we have had some sprains, and some banged up elbows and knees, but nothing serious.  The trainers here are very good, great pre-practice warm ups to help reduce the risk of injury.  There have been a three or four broken bones, but according to my son, a couple were from kids trying to jump over the line on FG attempts, or horsing around trying to play cute in practice scrimmages.  "Bad technique, not listening to coaches", so sayeth the sophomore.

Wrestling was a whole other story.  Strained lower back that had in rough shape for almost a month, sciatic nerve issues afterwards, and then the only concussion he has had (only one thank god), was from wrestling.  I was told by the doctor that part of the problem with him, was wrestling while growing so quickly 7-9th grades.  I was glad that that last year he stopped wrestling after his first back problem, and went into the basically year round football conditioning program, and is sticking with football and track.