Poll: Would you let your kid play (American) football in school?

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

No... I'd tell them to play a real sport like rugby or football (soccer).

Outside that barb, I'd let my kid play whatever they wanted. Not my job to run their life. Never know, might become a pro and have ridiculous amounts of money thrown at them.

At best, my role as a parent is to guide them to seek their own legacy. Seems stupid to curtail their activities beyond those that are destructive to their own liberty.

 

[DementedSheep]

Considering how much I hate it when "but you might get hurt and I think you're to stupid to make your own decisions!" gets pulled on me, yes. I'd would just encourage them to be sensible about it about it.

 

[mecegirl]

Not American football, not until they are older anyway, like at least highschool. With how the game is played I'd think it would be best if their bodies were more developed first.

 

[Hugga_Bear]

I have no issues with my son playing rugby, so not at all. In your version of the game you get to wear full body armour, in rugby, if a bit of your face/head falls off you tape it back on and get on with the game, unless you have blood on your top, and then you have to change it.

Thing is, the full body armor is the problem. Rugby removed even padded under shirts because it makes the sport more dangerous. people can hit each other harder, causing more damage. the brain injuries are because the head isn't stabilised, in something like rugby this isn't a problem, since a blow strong enough to cause issue would probably break the shoulder. with all the armor in the way they can hit that hard repeatedly.

This.
I noticed it when I played rugby, I got shoulder padding for a little bit and the difference was pretty nasty. It wasn't huge either, not like suddenly my tackles impacted where they hadn't, it was just the commitment went up, the occasions where I'd strike a knee just didn't matter anymore, I barely felt it at all so I struck even harder. Current knowledge of biology has improved drastically since then and has some pretty nasty implications. Padding is dangerous for the other person, lets you use more of your power than your body normally allows for safety reasons...

I would need to see the stats, Lil Devils request seems pretty good for now, if someone could provide all that data I think we'd be able to make a better call. Regardless, before I made the decision I'd need to see the information.

Can we stop the hyperbole? If the data explicitly shows that American Football players have a 70% chance of receiving brain damage (ass-pulled figure btw) after 1 year of playing then it is not absurd to deny your kid the chance to play the game. It's pretty insane to allow your kid to carry on. I'm not sure where I'd draw the line yet but I think having no line at all is ridiculous, risking brain damage because a minor wants to play a game...there's more than one choice here, don't fall for the false dichotomy.

 

[Lilani]

I have never much been into sports, especially football, but even though it's considered a pastime and children's sports in general considered a rite of passage, if I have children I am going to absolutely prohibit them from playing football in school.

Are you going to castrate them as well or will you let their testicles atrophy and drop on their own?

The hell are you talking about? I'm refusing to allow them to play one, single sport which has a much higher rate of brain injuries per capita than any other sport, not putting them in a bubble in a padded room.

 

[Akjosch]

Well, if neither rugby nor hockey was an option, I guess I would let them wuss out and play American football instead.

 

[Lilani]

The hell are you talking about? I'm refusing to allow them to play one, single sport which has a much higher rate of brain injuries per capita than any other sport, not putting them in a bubble in a padded room.

If you're already planning your unborn children's lives you should probably take a step back and turn those rotors off.

I fail to see how this is "planning their lives." In my mind, football is simply in the same category of "unsafe things I wouldn't allow any children I might have in the future to do" that I put things such as playing in the street, playing with large fireworks, playing with knives, etc in. I think even people who have no plans on having children have at least some idea of what things are and aren't unsafe for children to do.

 

[Lilani]

I fail to see how this is "planning their lives." In my mind, football is simply in the same category of "unsafe things I wouldn't allow any children I might have in the future to do" that I put things such as playing in the street, playing with large fireworks, playing with knives, etc in. I think even people who have no plans on having children have at least some idea of what things are and aren't unsafe for children to do.

Oh the irony! Oh how it burns and skewers!

So you're telling me at this precise moment, there is nothing you'd prevent children under your care from doing?

 

[ArcaneGamer]

If that's what they want to do, then sure, I'll let them play football. I don't really the harm in it. (Aside from the obvious) Just because I'm not into sports doesn't mean they aren't, if anything, I'd support. It's what a good parent does, right?

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

All physical activities have risk. If we shield out children from every possible danger they will just grow up fat and weak. You could destroy the child's health by not letting them participate in the sport they want to, ironically out of concern for their health. No risk no reward with fitness.

If the risks were too high then nobody would participate in the sport. Low, mitigated as much as possible risks are just something you have to accept in sports. I could break my ankle and fall on my head playing soccer. And the risk of brain damage in amateur footy is a lot less than the pros, who have roided up giants flinging themselves at each other.

 

[tilmoph]

I went with let them. I don't think full tackle football for the really young ones, like pee-wees. Just flag or something. Introduce tackle in middle school or so.

Then again, they are just going to go play tackle anyway. I remember back in elementary school, we were absolutely not allowed to play tackle football. Everytime whoever was watching recess wasn't watching, three guesses what we did. But just cuz kids are gonna do it anyway doesn't mean you have to encourage them.

On a side not, I'm kind of happy there's only like one really adamant ban the game type posting.

 

[Steve Waltz]

They banned merry go rounds too, and damn it I loved those things, that doesn't mean it was a bad idea to ban it, they were right, even if I did like to play with them. These things happen, it doesn't set us back as a society, it allows for more to increase their chance of succeeding in society. If the results are less kids with brain damage, we will have more kids maturing that can help design the rockets needed to get us off the planet in the first place.

These things don't just "happen", it takes regressives wanting to have something they don't like for whatever reason removed gaining enough power to do so, and yes, it DOES set back society because you're literally saying to the rest of society that you know better then they do, and trying to pass laws based on this false assumption. It doesn't help anyone succeed in society to tell them that something they WANT to excel at is something they can't do because someone they've never met thinks they know better then them, on the contrary it only makes one wonder why they should try given how if something they wanted to do well at is banned, what is there a drive for?

Regressives! XD I LOVE that! That?s going to be my new nickname for any left-wing progressives that are trying to change society by banning things. A bunch of people that hate themselves so much that they try to push their hatred on other people by banning things that they like ?for their own good."


As far as the topic at hand goes,
I'd prefer my kid play basketball, but if my kid somehow gets interested in football I wouldn?t stop them. But, if that happens, I?m going to make sure my kid goes to the gym and stock up on some body mass to avoid getting flattened. RACING CARS is a different story. I would absolutely put my foot down if my kid wanted to get into Nascar or some other racing career. Heck, I might even put some support with boxing or UFC or whatever. But I will NEVER support my child in a racing career. That is absolute death on wheels. I might be willing to see my son or daughter with a bloodied up face. But I could never watch them risk their lives by driving at such dangerous speeds. Risking ankle, joint, shoulder, and head injuries is something I?ll watch if it?s something that they want to do for a career. But risking their lives is where I draw a line.

 

[spartan231490]

Look, it takes a lot more than one or two concussions to lead to serious problems. If my kid wanted to play football, you're damn right I'd let them play, just watch out and if they started getting concussions, then pull them out. Football isn't some instant death spell to your brain, people who never play football get concussions. I knew a girl who got a major concussion in gym class. I think I got one from basketball when I was a kid. My sister got one playing tennis. Life happens.

Life is risk, try to wrap your kid in bubble wrap and all you'll do is ruin their life. The idea is to manage the risk, to minimize it, and there's no need to not let your kids play football to do that. Like I said, just pull them if they start getting concussions.

 

[jklinders]

So how many sports are we going to ban here?

Hockey is probably more dangerous than any of them. You are combining the full contact of gridiron football and speeds of up to around 35 mph. Rugby and Aussie Rules Football border on the violent at times and there is not even padding. So I guess there are out too.

But what about baseball? I have seen baseballs hit base runners when someone was trying to throw them out at first base. Really hard in fact. So maybe we should ban Baseball and Softball.

Someone already mentioned that concussions are possible from simply heading a ball in soccer. So I guess that's out now.

People drown while swimming so I guess we should ban that too.

yes, yes I know, slippery slope fallacy yakkity yakkity yak but let's get real here.

Getting real involves more than just stopping participation in these things. A significant percentage of players do get head injuries. Is the problem with the sport or with the rule set or the way the rules are enforced? The rule sets are generally put together with minimizing injuries in mind. The sports often have a full contact element and removing that would fundamentally change the way the sport is played. most of the major sports are taking serious the on site evaluation and treating of concussions. Schools should follow their lead and do the same.

In the meantime, players who repeatedly contact other players to cause head injuries should be removed from the sport and charges considered if the head was actually deliberately targeted. this is not a sport issue, it's a people issue. It would also help if fans didn't cry for blood as often as they do. Jesus, I cringe when I hear fans in a hockey game howl approval when a player smashes another plater into the boards hard enough to make them buckle.

 

[JemothSkarii]

Yeah, I'd let them play.

People have different interests. Some people only like certain sports. I'm not even a big fan of sports but I can enjoy watching them occasionally. Also Australian, so Cricket, Aussie Rules Football and Rugby are all big here. Cricket is surprisingly dangerous too. Had a batsman die not too long ago by taking a ball to the face with full protection.

Hell, when I was a kid I went nuts with physical activity (between vast quantities of book reading). Don't know how many kids I've seen drop on their head. As many people have said there's an inherent risk in everything and while some have higher risks than others, Football can be an enjoyable sport for some.

Variety is the spice of life after all. Besides, I'm sick of everyone calling to ban something lately. Sheesh, soon we'll have to stop kids from going to school so they don't stress out.

 

[default]

People can do whatever they like, but it's not natural to repeatedly slam your head and body around and into things. Humans just aren't built that way.

 

[Lost In The Void]

People can do whatever they like, but it's not natural to repeatedly slam your head and body around and into things. Humans just aren't built that way.

Its also not natural for a man to strap a plank of fiberglass and wood to his feet and slide down a mountain, but I'm doing that this weekend. Its not natural for a man to propel himself in a steel contraption at 110kph, but thats how I'm getting to the mountain. Using unnatural as an argument is pointless.

On a note for the entire thread, considering that most jobs also slowly destroy your body as a young adult/full grown adult, I'd rather have my little bastard have fun destroying his body than just do it to make a pay cheque. Of course I can also say blah blah I played all the violent sports as a kid and thus that makes it ok, but I won't. Ultimately if my kid wants to try a sport, I'll give him full play to try it, just like I was. Maybe he'll like baseball or soccer, or maybe he'll wanna be a front row in rugby, who the fuck cares?

Edit: Worst injury I've had in sports was probably breaking two fingers in rugby. Comparing that to some of the other stories on this thread apparently I was just a lucky ************.

 

[ZiggyE]

In my country they don't play much handegg, but if my kid wanted to play that or any other rough sport then of course I would let them. Yeah, they can get injured playing sport, but they can also get injured walking to school or catching the bus. I haven't read the rest of the thread so I don't know if prevalence of sports related injuries has been posted, but I can't imagine it being very high. If you're constantly trying to project your children from what might happen then you start to impact negatively on their lives.

Also I think the Romeo and Juliet effect may be applicable here. If your parents tell their children "no you can't play this sport" then I think it'll only want to make them do it more. When I was a kid, we weren't allowed to wrestle and play fight, but of course we still found a way to do it and that only added to the thrill of it.