All posts tagged children’s sports

His father and I have spent the past few years making him listen to us cheer and hoot at the television during football games. We’ve shouted and jeered and made sure he understood what was going on whenever was possible.

We pause the DVR, replay, walk up to the screen to show him what has happened. We explain rules, and what the referee is talking about regularly. In short, we have created a 7 year old football fan.

Then he whispers to me,”Mom, can you tell Dad I really want to play football?”

What he doesn’t yet know, is that his Dad isn’t his biggest obstacle.  I am.

I played football, my high school offered an intramural style football for girls- CONTACT football, not flag football the way they do some places. I know how rough GIRLS were, much less boys.  I am a HUGE believer in the importance of sports in the lives of children.

But Football? MY son?

I’d like to start out by saying that the boy seems to have no natural athletic abilitly. He could certainly USE some sports exposure.

But he has this quality that I’m very very proud of………heck, it’s an actual organ in his body.

His brain.

Given the vast amount of information that continues to come forward from the NFL regarding the long term effects of concussion or multiple concussions I am going to be inclined, my young sports enthusiast, to say NO.

You may not play football.

I never thought I’d take such a motherly position. I always rather thought I’d be very proud of any strapping lad of mine who wanted to hoist on some pads and go to it.

But no. Not my son.

What do you think? Do your kids play football? Are you concerned? Would you allow your children to play such a rough contact sport?