Is This Among the First of the Dominoes to Fall?

tylermeangreen · May 13, 2014

Football’s risks sink in, even in heart of Texas

Posted: Tuesday, May 13, 2014 4:00 am | Updated: 6:36 am, Tue May 13, 2014.

By Ken Belson, New York Times

Longview News-Journal

MARSHALL — In many ways, this East Texas town stands as a vibrant example of the state’s storied relationship with football.

Not long ago, caravans of cars drove to Houston and Dallas to watch the Marshall Mavericks battle for the high school state football championship, and signs hanging from bridges along the interstate read, “Playoff bound.” The local sporting-goods shops would sell out of red-and-white merchandise — anything in the school’s colors — on game days.

But now Marshall represents something quite different — a shift in perceptions about football that would have been hard to imagine when the school made a cameo in the book “Friday Night Lights” nearly 25 years ago.

Amid widespread and growing concerns about the physical dangers of the sport, the school board has approved plans in February to shut down the district’s entry-level, tackle-football program for seventh graders in favor of flag football. There was little objection......................

http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/football-s-risks-sink-in-even-in-heart-of-texas/article_2c36058f-40f0-509e-bbb7-7241a5bdf7ad.html

Stan R · May 13, 2014

The start of what? Warranted restraint? 4th graders getting a concussion playing tackle football is criminal.

This is a very reasonable modification to the system. Teach other parts of the game like strategy and technique. You can always spear each other with your heads in 8th grade if so desired.

HoustonEagle · May 13, 2014

We were having the discussion in the office the other day about letting your child play football. I thought it was interesting that most of us said we did not want our children to play the game. That included two gentlemen that played in college. I personally said I would encourage my son to not play and pick another sport. (My wife says there is no chance in hell he is playing)

I would be interested to hear everyone on the board weigh in on the subject.

I will add one more thing. Couple of years back I was seeing an orthopedic surgeon about an injury. We started in on this discussion and he of course said football injuries were what he saw the most. But, per capita Gymnastics and Cheerleading were far more dangerous.

GOMG2013 · May 13, 2014

I have watched lots of little league and junior high games and practices. There is barely any head to head contact unless you have two kids closing thier eyes and running into each other. Pee wee football is usually piles of kids and arm tackles. Kids getting water and staying hydrated is probably a bigger issue.

as long as players dont lead with thier heads, they should be ok. Once these targeting rules become the standard kids will go back to using the shoulder pads instead of the head. There is a movement to teach kids how to tackle the correct way starting in little league.

The facemask in the chest is not being taught anymore.

Mean Green 93-98 · May 13, 2014

I didn't play organized football until high school. But I played tackle football with my friends almost every day of my life from the time I was 7 or 8 or so. Injuries of some kind were pretty common. I don't know too many (any?) parents who would prohibit their kids from playing tackle football with their friends without any kind of protective equipment whatsoever.

NorthTexan95 · May 13, 2014

I played football through high school but not college due partly to a knee injury. I'm probably a decade away from having my knee replaced and while football isn't the sole cause of the problem it played a big part. Currently, I can't play any recreational sports due to the knee. In my future maybe I'll have cognitive issues from playing football .. only God knows.

All that said, if I could go back and choose again whether to play football I would chose to do so in a heart beat. Playing football was a very important part of me growing up and I still treasure the memories and experiences. Could I have learned those same lessons in other sports? No, because I didn't have the passion for those other sports that I had for playing football. If I knew I was going to die at 60 because of football related injuries when my family typically lives into their 80's at least, I would still choose to play football knowing that at least my 60 years with my football experience has been more worthwhile than 80's years without.

My son is 9 years old and right now he has no interest in football. The good thing about football is you can wait until middle school or even high school to start playing and still do well (unlike other sports). I've never pushed him to play football but instead to do what he enjoys which right now is baseball. If he later decides to play football I would support him 100% in that.

Football is unique in that so many kids play and so many kids of different body types and abilities can play. If you take football away how many of those kids will no longer have that "thing" which gets them through high school ... or gets them a college education? If you replace football with 7 on 7 how many kids who aren't fast and quick not have a sport to play anymore?

NorthTexan95 · May 13, 2014

I didn't play organized football until high school. But I played tackle football with my friends almost every day of my life from the time I was 7 or 8 or so. Injuries of some kind were pretty common. I don't know too many (any?) parents who would prohibit their kids from playing tackle football with their friends without any kind of protective equipment whatsoever.

I didn't play organized football until 7th grade but some of the hardest hits I ever took were in the field with my friends.

GOMG2013 · May 13, 2014

My son is 9 years old and right now he has no interest in football. The good thing about football is you can wait until middle school or even high school to start playing and still do well (unlike other sports). I've never pushed him to play football but instead to do what he enjoys which right now is baseball. If he later decides to play football I would support him 100% in that.

Football is unique in that so many kids play and so many kids of different body types and abilities can play. If you take football away how many of those kids will no longer have that "thing" which gets them through high school ... or gets them a college education? If you replace football with 7 on 7 how many kids who aren't fast and quick not have a sport to play anymore?

I see a lot of kids forced to play football. Football is a physical sport and kids that do not want to play should not be out there.

Waiting and preventing a kid from playing could also backfire. Kids that come out for the first time do not have the technique and fundamentals down. The risk of getting hurt is increased when playing against skilled players.

7th grade football really isnt that brutal, and most kids that play have already played a few years in little league.

There may be other motives for this. Lots of kids that play for the first time in middle school are way behind those kids that played little league. they may think 7 on 7 and flag in the seventh grade may give the kids that are new to the sport a fair chance. It wont though. 7 on 7 and flag is also a lot cheaper.

Cougar King · May 13, 2014

If my son wants to playn he's playing. I don't even have to think twice about it. I played organized football from middle school onwards and never lead with my head.

The wussification of America can be seen in these discussions.

UNT90 · May 13, 2014

I played organized football from middle school onwards and never lead with my head.

And still don't.

DT 90 · May 13, 2014

Okay, that's it. I'm not letting DT 90 play anymore.

UNTLifer · May 13, 2014

Tackle football should not be played until the 7th grade. My father, a former college and high school coach who also played college ball, believed this back in the 60's and 70's, and thus I did not start playing organized ball until then. Now that I am a parent and work in an industry that studies/works with human development, I also follow this rule. I hated it at the time, but appreciate it jow that I understand the reasons.