Help! -- Teen wants to start playing football

[NanoSour]

So my DS is just about to turn 16 and finishing up 10th grade. Suddenly, he dropped a parental approval form for me to sign granting permission for him to attend a summer football camp in preparation for HS football in the fall. DW and I are against this due to risk of injury. Specifically all the CTE coverage over the past 5-10 years.

His best friend is lined up to be the varsity QB and DS has been his practice receiver for the past year. He says he enjoys running the routes and has always loved football. I too am a fairly avid fan once the NFL kicks off so I guess I kind of brought this on myself.

Feel like I'm between a rock and hard place on this one. Any thoughts or words of encouragement?

 

[Scratchy]

My opinion is that the ideal amount of trauma to the brain is zero. Would definitely advise against it.

 

[ivinsfan]

My first thought is ,have you talked to him before this about your feelings that he shouldn't play football? His comment about loving football is that a new thing?

 

[NYEXPAT]

Tell him to always "Go Long"!

 

[frayne]

I would think most summer camp football training is all about conditioning with very little or no contact. Let him go for it is my two cents.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Feel like I'm between a rock and hard place on this one. Any thoughts or words of encouragement?

sign it

 

[Big_Hitter]

His comment about loving football is that a new thing?

but he's been his practice receiver for over a year?

 

[ivinsfan]

but he's been his practice receiver for over a year?

Yes that jumped out at me too...just wondering if this subject has come up before.

 

[NanoSour]

but he's been his practice receiver for over a year?

We've been NFL fans for many years; however, he's been playing club soccer since he was 10 and was his JV team Captain this past season. Boys HS soccer is in the Spring where we live, so that opens up the fall for him to try out for the football team.

As for him being the practice receiver, they go over to the field and practice timing just the two of them. DS has never donned any football equipment so really doesn't know what it's like to receive with a helmet and pads on and be hit after the ball is received.

My other concern is that he's had a couple of concussions when he was younger, 4 and 7, that required us to go to ER for CT scans. Both were negative on any significant head trauma (bleeding), but he was knocked for a pretty good loop both times. Since then, we've always let him know football was out of the question. But of course, now he is 16 and wanting to spread his wings so to speak. This is a good thing for a teenager and what I expect it from him, but in this particular instance I do get the final say.

 

[Aerides]

I think you're due for a long sit down chat with your son. Have him read up on Seau, others that have suffered from CTE. Many kids with issues a lot younger.

It doesn't sound like it's just going to be summer camp. I'd be against it too if I were you. 2 concussions in his past and I don't think any reasonable doctor would sign the approval either.

 

[Dtail]

Kind of against it. I believe over time, there will be many more negative football head trauma information.

 

[braumeister]

I think you're due for a long sit down chat with your son. Have him read up on Seau, others that have suffered from CTE. Many kids with issues a lot younger.

It doesn't sound like it's just going to be summer camp. I'd be against it too if I were you. 2 concussions in his past and I don't think any reasonable doctor would sign the approval either.

I completely agree. Two concussions at that very young age make this a nonstarter. Another one could totally change his life.

 

[REWahoo]

My other concern is that he's had a couple of concussions when he was younger, 4 and 7, that required us to go to ER for CT scans. Both were negative on any significant head trauma (bleeding), but he was knocked for a pretty good loop both times.

This changes my opinion from "let the kid play" to "the kid's elevated risk level for brain damage makes him ineligible to play football".

 

[ivinsfan]

He's trying an end around your previous no go on the football just continue to say no. And FWIW with your boys history I would have been really concerned about the soccer too. So no you are not over reacting or too much of a Mother Hen.

Plenty of head injury risk with soccer. I will agree it's less risky then football or hockey, but still. Would have steered him towards, swimming, tennis or maybe track.

 

[Gallaher]

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.

 

[haha]

What I remember from high school is that none of the doctors' kids played football. But this was a long time ago, and I know there have been some improvements in helmet design. And for sure there are more dangerous things than football.

Ha

 

[ivinsfan]

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.

A little bit of faulty reasoning there, sixteen is not that close to eighteen, have you read the part about two previous concussions. As far as a lot to learn on the playing field they are other ways to learn those things that don't endanger your brain.

 

[Amethyst]

CTE is the big bugaboo, but knocked-out teeth aren't too great either.

 

[Scratchy]

What I remember from high school is that none of the doctors' kids played football. But this was a long time ago, and I know there have been some improvements in helmet design. And for sure there are more dangerous things than football.

Ha

It's controversial whether helmets protect against concussion/CTE at all. The weight of scientific evidence probably is that they do not.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah, I'm with no also.

I would have voted yes - condition of no more after 1st concussion, but with 2 already...

 

[Gumby]

I played football from the age of 8 through high school. To the best of my knowledge I didn't suffer any brain damage doing it. I was, however, a relatively slight kid (but very fast), so I played wide receiver and corner back, and consequently didn't engage in the heavy hitting part of the game that occurred in the middle of the field.

 

[Franklin]

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.

+1. I played from pee-wee thru college. He will learn allot about team and life from the sport. I have 2 boys and always let them make that decision for themselves (after my input).Their were times I held my breath after a hit, but as Gallager points out any sport has its risk....but so does life.

 

[NanoSour]

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.

 

[skipro33]

I hope he doesn't choose to rebel.

 

[nap470]

Each parent has to make their own decisions as to what they feel is best for their kids. I totally respect that. But I am glad I grew up in a different time where kids were not so protected. As others have stated, I too played football from childhood thru college. I also played baseball and basketball thru high school and baseball in college. My mother always worried about football but it was baseball that gave me the first concussion. Basketball a knee injury. Football...nothing. There is a lot more knowledge and better equipment these days. It's good to evaluate each high school's program individually as coaches are different and some may have safer approach to the sport...and there are others that have a play and win at any cost approach. You definitely have to protect your kids from those types.