[Chickensoup]

This has been going on for at least 10 years in our town. My son played football in a child league for two years and then he played Jr HS Football. In Jr High school football he practiced five days a week and had games two days a week. He also had to suit up and warm the bench for the two Sr High School games. He was in his suit all the time between early August and Thanksgiving. Then they wanted him in three times a week BB all Jan to May to work on speed.

He told his coach that he was going to miss a practice to go hunting with a man from church, a rare treat. He was chewed out viciously. The level of chewing out on the team was grim in general.

Finally in his last season he said, I don't want to do this anymore, I have a lot of things I like to do, dirt bike, hunt, fish and see friends. I lose it all to football. I don't want this sort of life. It is not that important to me. Made sense to me.

These are kids and it is a game. Many kids left that year, most recruited by the soccer team where they were not verbally abused and had a life schedule that was not pretending that any of the kids had an actually career in soccer.

[GeronL]

Coaches that verbally abuse the kids should be out of there.

[Kip Russell]

Finally in his last season he said, I don't want to do this anymore, I have a lot of things I like to do, dirt bike, hunt, fish and see friends

Sounds like he has a level head on his shoulders, good for him. Society puts waaaaay too much emphasis on sports.