Youth Football and I'm pissed

[Hawk]

that and there is also a problem with parents too. There are far too many parents that think their kid is going to be the next Joe Montana or Wayne Gretzky and want their kids to win at all costs...including playing hurt, cheating, playing dirty.

Sports is sports is all good...but not when they are 8, 9 and 10 years old!!!!

[TarPanther9180]

This is crazy you bring this up because I had an incident at a Pop Warner football game as well recently but mine is a little different but along the same lines.

So my younger brother, much much younger than I, is a very good athlete and a very good football player for his age. His pop warner team has been together for probably four years and has won their "Super Bowl" twice in that span. He plays RB/QB/WR on offense and corner on defense. The coach's know him and how he can play because they've had him on their team for so long.

It's towards the end of the season and his team has only lost one game and is going to get in the playoffs. They are playing the other best team in the league so it should be a good game. He is playing like absolute trash, he looks scared on defense, not running hard on offense, etc. I know something is wrong.

At halftime they are down big so I go down near the field and give him a "pep talk" which includes me calling him a pussy and telling him to step it up. I know that's probably mean but with brothers I think it's a bit different and it's acceptable, spare me.

The volunteer trainer for the team comes over and pulls me aside and says "Take it easy, I think he got a concussion on the first drive of the game and that's why he's playing like that" which sent me into a rage.

I immediately went over and pulled the head coach away and told him how irresponsible it was and he said they "needed to win this game" that's why they kept him in. I have no caused a scene and have an assistant coach holding me back. What made me so mad is this coach is also a local HS coach and just volunteers his time for the youth and is well respected in the community. A 10 year old kid with a concussion and you are forcing him to play in a meaningless game without consulting me (his gaurdian)?

We had to be seperated multiple times and I ended up taking him out of the game and we left. This was a big deal and the board called me in for a meeting the next day and had a hearing about the whole thing. I told them it was unacceptable that this type of thing could happen at the risk of a child's safety. The volunteer medic was not allowed on sidelines anymore and if they wanted to have a trainer there they needed to be certified with the league. They also told me they were going to institute a coach's training course where they could educate coaches on this.

I didn't want him to get fired because he is a great coach and teaches the kid's the right way, this just blew my mind.

Sorry for the long post, I just thought it fit with this kind of thing.

I hear ya. That is a big problem with a lot of coaches, they will play kids that are hurt. Head injuries are nothing to play with. Like last night, when our QB went down. He came off the field crying, holding his head, and was dizzy. He felt better later on (said he just had a headache) and wanted to play. We REALLY needed him because if he was in there, I think we could have won. But, we didn't let him go back in. You should NEVER jeopardize a kid's health to win a game.

Note* I checked with his dad earlier this morning and the player is doing just fine.

[TarPanther9180]

that and there is also a problem with parents too. There are far too many parents that think their kid is going to be the next Joe Montana or Wayne Gretzky and want their kids to win at all costs...including playing hurt, cheating, playing dirty.

Sports is sports is all good...but not when they are 8, 9 and 10 years old!!!!

Yeah, parents... I could go on another rant about them.

[TheRealDeal]

that and there is also a problem with parents too. There are far too many parents that think their kid is going to be the next Joe Montana or Wayne Gretzky and want their kids to win at all costs...including playing hurt, cheating, playing dirty.

Sports is sports is all good...but not when they are 8, 9 and 10 years old!!!!

Yeah I was pretty furious. I felt the coaches should have known something was wrong when they saw how he was playing. In the large scheme of things these games really mean nothing. It's nice to win but not at the risk of serious injury with your head.

He has a lot of talent. Maybe I can find Jimmy's old QB coach and see if he wants to work with another 10 year old. Naw just playing. I'll never get him any kind of specialized coach. If I did that I'd have to pay for a tutor as well because I don't want him to think sports are more valuable than school.

[TheRealDeal]

I hear ya. That is a big problem with a lot of coaches, they will play kids that are hurt. Head injuries are nothing to play with. Like last night, when our QB went down. He came off the field crying, holding his head, and was dizzy. He felt better later on (said he just had a headache) and wanted to play. We REALLY needed him because if he was in there, I think we could have won. But, we didn't let him go back in. You should NEVER jeopardize a kid's health to win a game.

Note* I checked with his dad earlier this morning and the player is doing just fine.

Props for swallowing your pride and looking out for the kids

[SOJA]

damn that sucks....but please change your avatar its causing my brain to melt

[TarPanther9180]

Update. The ghetto ass team played in the championship game last night. They lost 34-0 to our arch rival team. I never pull for our rival team, but damn that was sweet they beat the Hell out of the ghetto team like that! What comes around goes around!