Obama: "If I had a son, I wouldnt let him play football"

[Darth Biscuit]

Damn this is a long ass thread...

I played football growing up, but my mom forbade me from playing varsity mainly for the same reasons, the possibility of serious injury... I was pissed at the time but I see where she was coming from.

Personally, I've played basketball forever, and have gotten hurt more doing that than anything else... broken fingers, twisted ankles and knees, etc.

My kids have little interest in sports, but they've played soccer, football and basketball... I've encouraged them to play but never pushed them to... neither one of them are very interested in sports, they'd rather do photography or get on the computer, which is fine with me too.

I see where Obama is coming from... unless there's the potential for college scholarships and/or pro potential, there may be too much risk playing football. If my kids were interested I would definitely look at it hard...

[Salescall]

i think you probably are smart enough. just remember that you are the parent. he's not the vessel that you are to live vicariously through, neither is his life predetermined that you need to funnel all his energies toward. your main job isn't to be his friend, but it's also not to insulate him from all harm...at least at that stage, but there is a responsibility to try and insulate them from unnecessary harm, and i think thats where the decision gets difficult.

look at the cost vs. benefit of this as well as the likelihood of success vs. long term damage. allow him a chance to make up his mind on this, but also let him know about other directions his life could take and let him know that true satisfaction in life can come in whatever direction you take and at this point in time there's little sense in limiting his world to just this.

i know two guys who had college and even pro guys looking at them as basketball and baseball players who had made their lives all about their sport who ended up walking away from it once they figured out that they were missing out on life and didn't like that their destiny had already been decided upon.

I know exactly what you mean. I've already steered him towards basketball and golf. He plays both sports just as well, but there seems to be a fire in him toward football that the others don't have. FYI, I also understand about devoting yourself to a sport for college aspirations. Did that myself and am trying to let my son be a kid and not train 24/7 like I did when I was his age. Sports need to be fun for kids.

[Green Eggs and Cam]

What sport would you guys let your kids play? Baseball where he'll stand there and have a kid with questionable control throw a 70+ mph heater at his head? Maybe soccer where some little punks are going cleats up into his leg and he's coached to do headers? Basketball where he'll get murdered every time he drives to the basket?

[Udogg]

My son played football when he was 5 and 6 respectively. Liked playing but decided to play soccer last year. Enjoyed it, led the league in goals. Now all he talks about is wanting to play football again. I don't know if my love for football is pushing him toward it or he honestly loves to play. I played football and understand the benefits and drawbacks. I will only let him play if he is fully committed to it. It's a very tough decision imo.

[PhillyB]

glad i'm having a girl

[tiger7_88]

glad i'm having a girl

Please to reference my cheerleading post above. :lol:

[rayzor]

glad i'm having a girl

congrats and having a daughter does take some big questions like this off the plate, but it also invites a whole slew of other problems.

you have a son and you pretty much only have to worry about him. you have a daughter and then you have to worry about everyone else's son.

wouldn't trade it, tho.

[Darth Biscuit]

glad i'm having a girl

Call us when she hits puberty.

[Mr. Scot]

glad i'm having a girl

You won't be in about 13 years :lol:

[TheRumGone]

my father didn't let me play football as much as I wanted to. And he was a standout QB at his High school. So i played baseball and soccer. Dad never missed a game, til i got a scholarship to play baseball 10 hours away from home. My father said it was a really hard decision for him.

[Mr. Scot]

My mom wasn't thrilled with me playing football. My dad didn't care (wasn't interested in sports).

I played from Pee Wee up through high school. Got hurt plenty along the way, though my best friend who played QB had it worse (two knee operations before he was in high school). Saw plenty of friends get hurt, but never anything debilitating. Granted, now that I'm getting up in years, some of the old injuries occasionally like to remind me that they're there :lol:

Do kids get hurt playing sports? Yes, and not just football.

Do kids get hurt not playing sports? Yes, plenty.

Do kids get hurt just being kids? Parents know the answer to that one.

Being that I coach flag football, obviously I'm gonna encourage kids to play. Some of the kids I coach in flag also play tackle, and I tend to give them advice on that too.

Bad things happen. I don't know that you can base your whole life around just trying to avoid them and have it be much of a life.

[CRA]

My mom wasn't thrilled with me playing football. My dad didn't care (wasn't interested in sports).

I played from Pee Wee up through high school. Got hurt plenty along the way, though my best friend who played QB had it worse (two knee operations before he was in high school). Saw plenty of friends get hurt, but never anything debilitating. Granted, now that I'm getting up in years, some of the old injuries occasionally like to remind me that they're there :lol:

Do kids get hurt playing sports? Yes, and not just football.

Do kids get hurt not playing sports? Yes, plenty.

Do kids get hurt just being kids? Parents know the answer to that one.

Being that I coach flag football, obviously I'm gonna encourage kids to play. Some of the kids I coach in flag also play tackle, and I tend to give them advice on that too.

Bad things happen. I don't know that you can base your whole life around just trying to avoid them and have it be much of a life.

I agree bad things happen....kids can't live in a bubble.

However, all activites don't come with the same risks. That is like saying if you cross a country 2 lane road it is the same as crossing I77 in rush hour....one is more dangerous.

also, with the way kids grow up these days and are trained...that also makes a dangerous sport more dangerous. Human body isn't suppose to go through what certain positions put it through IMO.

[Pejorative Miscreant]

Football will not exist.100.years from now with thinking like this..uh oh...

With the guys running DC (party agnostic) current projections says alot of other things wont exist 100 years from now. Football is way down the list of importance.

[rayzor]

I agree bad things happen....kids can't live in a bubble.

However, all activites don't come with the same risks. That is like saying if you cross a country 2 lane road it is the same as crossing I77 in rush hour....one is more dangerous.

also, with the way kids grow up these days and are trained...that also makes a dangerous sport more dangerous. Human body isn't suppose to go through what certain positions put it through IMO.

agreed on all points.