OT 6 year old playing Pop Warner

[Dmcnabbrules]

Hello everyone. My six year old wants to play Pop Warner next year for the first time. My wife is against it and I am in the fence. I am just wondering if anyone here has kids who are playing or just finished with pop warner and how there experience went? How safe do you think it is?How often do they practice and how committed can 6 year olds be? Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments.

 

[bcubs9497]

It's safer than baseball. I can't tell you how many times I've been beaned, have broken fingers, and toes. Broke my right arm in 3 places when I was 11. I still have an imprint on my right index finger of the seam of the ball I fouled down the 3rd base line (inside fast ball) during my sophomore year in high school back in '82.

The most common injury I've seen in peewee football is a kid getting the wind knocked out of 'em. That, and bruises. Didn't see anything more serious until my son got to jr high school.

 

[ejz555]

It depends on the program and the adults running it. At 6 years old he should play flag football to start, which some organizations have dropped for "Tiny Mites" which is bad in my opinion. 5&6 yr olds shouldn't be playing tackle IMO. I pulled my kids from one organization run poorly and went to another, which is run very well and we have had nothing but positive experience with it. But many of the organizations are not run well... depends on where you live..

 

[sabach]

Coached Pop Warner for years. Serious injury is rare given the equipment and the new rules on limited contact in practice and tackling without using the head. The problem is that the risk does exist even if it is rare. Many parents are not willing g to take the risk and Pop Warner participation is down. That said, if you are worried about a concussion, don't play any sport because there is a risk in all sports, especially ones without helmets.

 

[Scooch]

Have you ever watched 6 year olds play football? It's like a slow motion pillow fight with kids wearing sumo suits. I imagine there's a 100X greater injury risk at recess.

That being said, get him to play hockey, it's much better.

 

[MadisonCuse]

I actually talked to a 8th grade coach about this and the Doctor the football program has on staff said up through 6th grade kids don't generate enough force to generate concussions through contact. That said our program does not introduce tackling until 4th grade.

 

[KaiserUEO]

Have you ever watched 6 year olds play football? It's like a slow motion pillow fight with kids wearing sumo suits. I imagine there's a 100X greater injury risk at recess.

That being said, get him to play hockey, it's much better.

totally agree.

theres no 'real' contact or i guess high speed contact, till about 10 years old, but the injury risk even then is low. and if a parent is concerned about football, i say let them start young when its that pillow fight you speak of, because by the time hitting might hurt, they might be done with football.

or at worst by then, they have learned the proper techniques etc...

 

[ImperialOrange]

Kaiser nailed it. IF you ever do plan on letting him play, let him play early so he can learn the game and proper technique prior to the chance of big collisions.

I only played 11th and 12th grade and didn't properly understand the concept of "head on a swivel" or not leading with my head until after my 3rd concussion. At that point, I was admittedly a bit gun shy to hit much of anyone.

Did HS football do away with the wedge on kick returns? 2 of mine were as the 9 or "wedge buster" on kick offs. I was too good at it for my own good apparently.

 

[NovaOrange]

I think that is the perfect age to start and others on this forum have already given you great advice. I will add this if your son is having trouble getting comfortable in his pads have him starting doing forward rolls in his equipment. As silly as it sounds the kids enjoy it and they usually stop complaining about the pads/helmet after doing that a few times.

 

[AZOrange]

I played my whole life. There's not a chance my kids play (and they want to). My body is busted

 

[MSOrange]

I played my whole life. There's not a chance my kids play (and they want to). My body is busted

You've played Pop Warner your whole life? Your body is busted? think about those poor kids a full grown adult is playing against!

 

[AZOrange]

You've played Pop Warner your whole life? Your body is busted? think about those poor kids a full grown adult is playing against!

dude I crush those kids week in and week out. They always ask me what's coming next and I just respond "Pain!"

 

[KaiserUEO]

dude I crush those kids week in and week out. They always ask me what's coming next and I just respond "Pain!"

in the off season, it was karate for az-o...

 

[Crusty]

My mother wouldn't let me play football (in the 60's!!), but let me play varsity basketball where I broke my nose three times. I got more injuries playing baseball - broken fingers, stitches, sprains and collisions at home (Mrs Crusty says that explains a lot).

Football however, is the only of these sports where violent contact is intended on every play. If I had a kid today, knowing what we know now, I would push soccer (even though I can't get into the game myself).

 

[AZOrange]

in the off season, it was karate for az-o...

You're so close here you don't even know...on guard!

 

[gocraz4dasu]

I personally would not allow it. My father played at Syracuse and I see how much it has taken a toll on his body. While it was definitely worth it for him to play football and earn a scholarship to get out of a bad area and improve his life, it has certainly affected how he has to live his life on a day to day basis. I grew up and didn't want to play when I was younger despite what all the coaches wanted because they all wanted me to play and be on their team because I was a big kid and son of a player. I only ended up playing a couple years in high school and decided it wasn't for me and wasn't worth the risk it posed because I did not need to play football to better my life like my dad needed to. Because of the scholarship he earned from Syracuse, he created a standard of living for himself and our family where I didn't need to escape a bad area. My father, literally three days ago, said to me that not continuing to play football might have been the smartest decision I have ever made. And I agree with him. That said it is on the forefront of his mind because he now needs back surgery as a result of his playing days, and this is on top of having both shoulders and knees replaced. Every step he takes looks painful.

As much as I love football and recognize what it did for my father, I will steer my children away from playing football. In high school, if they REALLY, want to play, I will allow them but they will understand the risks the game poses. They will have a long talk with their grandfather about it and make an educated decision on it.

 

[tipphill]

Hello everyone. My six year old wants to play Pop Warner next year for the first time. My wife is against it and I am in the fence. I am just wondering if anyone here has kids who are playing or just finished with pop warner and how there experience went? How safe do you think it is?How often do they practice and how committed can 6 year olds be? Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments.

 

[tipphill]

Hello everyone. My six year old wants to play Pop Warner next year for the first time. My wife is against it and I am in the fence. I am just wondering if anyone here has kids who are playing or just finished with pop warner and how there experience went? How safe do you think it is?How often do they practice and how committed can 6 year olds be? Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments.

don't do it. ---way to much lifetime risk particularly to a growing person---even terry bradshaw stated he would not want his children playing football---stay away from football

 

[BlackKnight76]

I'm no parent, but a good alternative may be having him play flag and then seeing if you're more comfortable with him throwing pads on once he's 10-12 or so.

 

[Orangetradition44]

Personally, I'm not a fan of flag. I've seen more serious injuries in flag than tackle tiny mites.

My son has a 4-stitch scar in his eye brow from flag, and I had to hold an open wound on a kids face together from a head on collision.

It depends on the program and the adults running it. At 6 years old he should play flag football to start, which some organizations have dropped for "Tiny Mites" which is bad in my opinion. 5&6 yr olds shouldn't be playing tackle IMO. I pulled my kids from one organization run poorly and went to another, which is run very well and we have had nothing but positive experience with it. But many of the organizations are not run well... depends on where you live..