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But is it HUGE for the kids, or the parents? Let's be honest, if the parents weren't on board, the kids would easily find another sport.
No. Trust me, football was not my idea, and my husband wanted them to play baseball.
OK, I'll be honest. I resent the stereotype that football parents (dads) are only living vicariously and force their boys into playing, while soccer parents or T-ball parents are only there for the good, old-fashioned family time.
My husband was a baseball and basketball player. He still has a 32 waist and never had dreams of an NFL career. Our youngest son was a 10-lb. baby who could not wait to play football starting around age 3. We were going to put him on a flag football team in kindergarten, but after one year of soccer it was apparent that he would have trouble NOT tackling.
He started tackle football at age 5 on a junior pee-wee squad in a league that has 400 boys playing up through 8th grade. That's just in our town of 37,000. The next town south, with about 60,000, has a separate league that's just as large.
The boys on his first two teams could NOT wait for July to arrive so they could suit up and start playing again. We ask him every year if he wants to play, and he says YES!! Please! He has made friends from different schools, too.
There are plenty of youth sports choices around here - lacrosse, rugby, hockey, etc., plus the regular non-contact sports, and he could do almost any of them (except baseball - can't hit!). We want him to try things and encourage activity.
He enjoys football. And he's a nice boy. So is his dad. I promise.
No. Trust me, football was not my idea, and my husband wanted them to play baseball.
It was not my idea for my kids to play either and my husband wanted them to play tennis or swim But they LOVE football.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life
OK, I'll be honest. I resent the stereotype that football parents (dads) are only living vicariously and force their boys into playing, while soccer parents or T-ball parents are only there for the good, old-fashioned family time.
This upsets me as well. I find that since the time commitment is so large most football families are pretty invested in the kids. That is not to say that other parents outside of the football world aren't invested in their kids so nobody jump on me. There are pushy parents in all sports, football is certainly no worse than any other sport in that respect.
My boys LOVE LOVE LOVE football. We enjoy watching them play, but we also enjoy watching them wrestle and play lacrosse. Football is what they really love though.
This upsets me as well. I find that since the time commitment is so large most football families are pretty invested in the kids. That is not to say that other parents outside of the football world aren't invested in their kids so nobody jump on me. There are pushy parents in all sports, football is certainly no worse than any other sport in that respect.
I think movies have done a good job of enforcing that stereotype, but I agree that [good] parents want what's best for their kids, and if this forum has taught me anything, it's that we all define that differently.
Ah, no stereotyping from me, promise. My husband was a nerd, and played no sports except racquetball. I hated football all my life, but found myself really enjoying the 4 years one of my sons played in high school. I totally get it.
But, when I signed all those forms, I had no idea of the possible future implications for him. If your son is on the bigger side (as was mine), he may very well never have any injuries. He will be a coach's dream. It is enough if you are now aware of the possible risks.
I am not looking for a ban on football, just some enlightenment.
Ah, no stereotyping from me, promise. My husband was a nerd, and played no sports except racquetball. I hated football all my life, but found myself really enjoying the 4 years one of my sons played in high school. I totally get it.
But, when I signed all those forms, I had no idea of the possible future implications for him. If your son is on the bigger side (as was mine), he may very well never have any injuries. He will be a coach's dream. It is enough if you are now aware of the possible risks.
I am not looking for a ban on football, just some enlightenment.
My husband is a nerd as am I. I am shocked that all three of my sons are pretty athletic.
My son is not on the bigger side (he's 5'8", 170) and like you, I really did not know the risks when he started playing at age 7. However, now that he and his brother are older football is something that they really really love. So we live with the risk and pray that it will be ok.
Ah, no stereotyping from me, promise. My husband was a nerd, and played no sports except racquetball. I hated football all my life, but found myself really enjoying the 4 years one of my sons played in high school. I totally get it.
But, when I signed all those forms, I had no idea of the possible future implications for him. If your son is on the bigger side (as was mine), he may very well never have any injuries. He will be a coach's dream. It is enough if you are now aware of the possible risks.
I am not looking for a ban on football, just some enlightenment.
Ya, I wan't meaning you, just in general. My husband and I were talking about it last week, because when you get around people who parent athletes in different sports, there are more similarities than differences.
Now MARCHING BAND parents ... there's a dedicated group!
I played football from my later elementary school years through college and was thankfully largely injury free. My son has played one season where he was mainly on the developmental side of it, but we have decided to no longer pursue it. There were three reasons we made the decision:
1. The time commitment is absolutely insane. No other youth sports, not even hockey (which my son also plays) has anywhere near the time commitment that football requires. Practices are daily, with games on the weekends. When he played it was literally 6 days on, 1 day off. It was simply far too much.
That is a ridiculous amount of time for a child. Wow. My son played tackle football from 4th through 8th grade. Our league only allowed 3 team meetings/week if I recall. So typically, we'd have 2 practices and a game. Usually that was all. Occasionally, if the weather was bad or we had a "bye" week, they'd use that extra meeting for a chalk-talk or some such. I cannot imagine spending hours and hours every day doing that.
That is a ridiculous amount of time for a child. Wow. My son played tackle football from 4th through 8th grade. Our league only allowed 3 team meetings/week if I recall. So typically, we'd have 2 practices and a game. Usually that was all. Occasionally, if the weather was bad or we had a "bye" week, they'd use that extra meeting for a chalk-talk or some such. I cannot imagine spending hours and hours every day doing that.
They are like that with hockey here as well as football. Hockey is huge here. You have to give up your life in order to play it
I still think that is too much for a child. Once they enter HS that's different. 2nd grade? Not so much. We would never have signed on for that. For any sport.
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- can't hit!). We want him to try things and encourage activity.
That is a ridiculous amount of time for a child. Wow. My son played tackle football from 4th through 8th grade. Our league only allowed 3 team meetings/week if I recall. So typically, we'd have 2 practices and a game. Usually that was all. Occasionally, if the weather was bad or we had a "bye" week, they'd use that extra meeting for a chalk-talk or some such. I cannot imagine spending hours and hours every day doing that.
