My son is now graduating college, but attended a small high school (graduating 50 students) where he was playing both sides (offense, and defense) during most of every game. He started playing organized football in the 3rd grade, and developed strong friendships, and work ethic through constant conditioning, and is a better person because of it.
My son only had 2 concussions his whole career, and only 1 broken finger (more likely to happen riding his dirtbike) I would sign the paper, and support his decision.
OP here. Thanks for all your responses. We just had the conversation with him and decided against letting him play. We're all pretty somber about it right now, but we know we're doing the right thing. We simply have to put his health first and foremost while he's under our care. I think he understands our reasoning, and with time it'll get easier to accept. Again, appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you for updating us. While the risk is a wild card for most, given your son already had two concussions at a very young age, the chance for him to sustain more injury is greater than most. I have to think that many of the "eh let him play" responses missed that detail in your follow up post.
Any other kid getting one concussion for the first and only time at 16 might be fine. Yours with his history might have a much more difficult outcome.
Like hundreds of thousands of other kids, I played football from peewee through college. It’s a rough game...so is riding your bike down the street or skateboarding, skiing the long list goes on.
There is a lot for a child to learn on a sporting field like football, lacrosse, hockey etc.
Sixteen is close to eighteen, I’d let him play. He is almost an adult.
Cars kill more teenagers than organized sports.
https://www.webmd.com/brain/news/20170315/which-high-school-sport-has-the-most-concussions
"Between 2010 and 2015, the concussion rate was higher in girls' soccer than in boys' football, the findings showed. During the 2014-2015 school year, concussions were more common in girls' soccer than in any other sport in the study."
Let us know how the conversation goes when you tell your son he can no longer play soccer.
I don't really understand the concern about football when there was no apparent concern over soccer and getting hit in the head repeatedly by the soccer ball I suspect. If CTE were a huge impact on high school football players, we would see a far greater impact on the adult population given the millions of kids that have played high school football the past 50 years. Is there a risk, sure - but I suspect the risk of an ACL injury is far greater than the CTE risk and that risk is probably no less in soccer. Let him play but monitor the situation.
I don't really understand the concern about football when there was no apparent concern over soccer and getting hit in the head repeatedly by the soccer ball I suspect. If CTE were a huge impact on high school football players, we would see a far greater impact on the adult population given the millions of kids that have played high school football the past 50 years. Is there a risk, sure - but I suspect the risk of an ACL injury is far greater than the CTE risk and that risk is probably no less in soccer. Let him play but monitor the situation.
True for sure, but these risks are at the very least additive.Their were times I held my breath after a hit, but as Gallager points out any sport has its risk....but so does life.