As medical research provides more and more evidence that young athletes’ development could be permanently hampered by repeated blows to the head, players on youth football teams are bound to suffer if adults shirk their duty to protect them. All too often, they do: At a now-infamous Pop Warner football game in Southbridge last month, players from one of the teams, Tantasqua, were being taken off the field with serious injuries almost from the beginning of the game. Southbridge’s lopsided victory margin — variously reported at 34-0 and 52-0 — was an obvious hint that the game should have been stopped. Subsequently, it became clear that five children from Tantasqua, ages 10 to 12, had suffered concussions.
The teams have been pointing fingers; Tantasqua accuses Southbridge of violating a variety of league rules, while Southbridge officials insist that monitoring Tantasqua players should be up to that team’s coach. But those who coach, manage, and referee youth contact sports — or simply place their children in them — should understand that they are all responsible for children’s well-being.
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There is actually a school of thought that suggests taking off the helmets would reduce injury.Flag football is crazy-fun to play and it's funny to watch players run like they're doing an Ed Grimley (Martin Short) dance impersonation while trying to evade the tackle.
There was no Pop Warner when I was a child, so my parents didn't have to make any decision in that regard, but kids who have not yet reached puberty have no business in a contact sport. It's not really up to anyone but parents. They should be responsible for deciding what their children can and cannot do.
When I was in junior high school in Florida, kids who were 14 or 15 could play interscholastic football, but there were stringent rules to prevent injury, including a requirement that players be barefoot and with only soft padding. No shoes means your feet slip on the grass. Shoulder pads can become more of a weapon than a protection.
My personal opinion is that no responsible parent should allow their child to play football or soccer until they're teens. No matter how much your child wants to do something, sometimes the only correct answer is "No."
Not this adult! I did not let my children get involved in contact sports, and that even includes baseball, for the very reason that many overzealous parents and coaches ignore basic safety and promote winning at all costs. Coaches also put their games above any other activity of children participants so that other activities are deprioritized. These kids have to be available at all times otherwise they are cut from the team. Parents and their surrogates become programmed to ignore safe driving to be able to get to practice on time. It is sad when a child has to scream to a parent surrogate to step on the gas to make it to practice time.