a lot of parents live vicariously through their children pushing them to do things they never did or were never good at and the children don't want to do...now some parents will forbid their children from doing the things they want to do
Posted on 12/01/2013 8:03:42 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
For Eddie Mason, the decision wasn’t difficult. The NFL veteran’s 10-year-old son, Tyler, won’t play tackle football until high school.
Mr. Mason’s decision wasn’t a result of the burgeoning national discussion about football’s role in brain injuries. Instead, he believes children should learn the game’s fundamentals without tackling. Mr. Mason, who played three seasons at linebacker for the Redskins before retiring in 2003, sees a problematic culture infecting football’s lowest levels that’s inextricably connected to the safety concerns.
“This brash kind of mindset, the underdog mindset,” Mr. Mason said, “this hard-core attitude kind of deal about who hits the hardest [is part of the issue]. If you look back over the last eight to 10 years, players showing up in the NFL are technically unsound. We’re eight to 10 years behind developing fundamentals for how to play the sport.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Besides a lawsuit?
The point of this article is valid. Fundamentals in football, like in too many sports, are a vanishing art. I don't favor kids playing tackle football until they've been trained to play properly. The whole point in some of the new rules changes at the college level are to encourage wrapping up and tackling properly instead of leading with the head. That, in too many cases, still has to be taught.
Play the right way and you get fewer injuries while preserving a popular and great game.
All other things being equal, that doesn't sound like a problem.
I have no doubt they could develop a better helmet to protect against brain injuries. Most likely, it would be too expensive for HS or pee wee football teams. In order for the helmet to fit properly, it would probably have to be custom made. You might even need to shave your head to ensure a perfect fit.
The same with basketball, and you can adjust from 5 on 5, 4 on 4, full court, half court etc. down to one on one.
I still play twice a week (three times some weeks) but those fifty year old kids are killin' me!
A lot of girls out at HS baseball games as well.
Football is going to go the way of boxing. You can already see it in the types of people who play professionally.
I had a couple of hits in high school football that darn near paralyzed me. You can feel the shock going down your spinal cord.
When you put it in those terms, you're right. Football, or other competitive sports, are only a part of what kids need to develop into functioning adults. They also need mental, scholastic, ethical and spiritual preparation to be worth a crap as adults.
But, sports teach valuable lessons that marching band, Boy Scouts and other activities just can't do as well. Most of all, on the playing field, I learned the lesson that life isn't fair. Whether it was the 108-22 loss on the basketball court when I was 12, or taking a back seat to the coach's son on the football team, I learned that no matter how unfair somethings are, you just have to deal with it, keep your head high, and drive on. Playing sports taught me how to work hard and give 100% in the face of adversity. It taught me that I wasn't the be-all-and-end-all, that I was part of a unit, working together to meet a goal. Yes, I even got hurt playing football and basketball...and those times taught me to recover and get back on the horse, so to speak.
Yes, sports are valuable, mentally, ethically and physically, to the development of kids. To deny kids the experience of playing on a team is to deny them valuable lessons and experiences that will help them throughout their lives.
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
Not currently, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Might as well try.
Works the other way, too. I never played hockey or soccer as a kid, so I don't really get an urge to watch them; can't quite relate to them like football, basketball, etc.
a lot of parents live vicariously through their children pushing them to do things they never did or were never good at and the children don't want to do...now some parents will forbid their children from doing the things they want to do
14 year olds don’t operate mult-millon dollar farm equipment.
Also, farming is more essential then a game where men run around in tight pants trying to jump on the guy with the ball.
Thanks for the book rec ...
I recall too in HS even 40+ years ago trying to get intramurals sanctioned using school grounds was problematic, where average students could participate (All-male Parochial).
The Admins & most teacher/coaches couldn’t be bothered to organize things b/c it took away from the JV & Varsity programs; however a few of the “jocks” were good eggs who helped with monitoring the events, officiating, equipment, etc. in those leagues that did come about. I imagine some of these guys went on to be successful coaches, of the kind you’d want involved with your kids.
The theory is that with leather helmets the players would stop thinking of their head as invulnerable and stop using it as a weapon. That theory is mostly driven by how often these concussions are caused by helmet to helmet hits, guys are clearly leading with their helmet, and doing a lot of damage to themselves and others with it.
My son and his friends care far more about European soccer, especially the English Premier League, than the NFL. I do believe our kind of football is in danger.
hogwash...I played flag football when I was young and it was awesome without the injuries of pop Warner. Played a year of pop Warner too and it took most of the finesse and fun out of the game with all of the pads weighing down a 100 lb kid. If you look at other pro team sports like basketball and many others, great contact sports but without the extreme contacts. So why does it have to be so with football? It doesn’t.
ping
My parents were very good about that. Even though my father was really into hunting, he never pushed me into it. I tried it a couple of times, but quickly came to the conclusion that while I enjoyed the end result (a goose dinner), it wasn't worth the time spent out in cold & wet weather. They also encouraged me to spend my time on those activities which I did enjoy.
I’ve heard a theory that one part of the many reasons for the resurgence of pitching becoming more dominant in the last few years is because tall lanky white kids are opting to play baseball instead of trying to compete with tall lanky black kids in basketball, especially at the higher levels. Look how many clubs are bringing out these flame throwing relievers throwing 95+ one after another.
Freegards
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