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[QUOTE="Townie72, post: 1540874, member: 780"]
The risk of injury in youth football is extremely low.

I was involved over a 7 yr. period with a large youth football program in Bethesda, MD. It was at the "Select" or most competitive level. For four years I was the Adminstrative officer.

The club fielded five teams in five different weight classes up to 120lbs. There were about 20 players per team or 100 boys a year. We played about 10 games a year and had practices 5 days a week from mid-August to Mid-November. In a seven year period I was there the five teams combined played about 350 games and had over 2ooo team practices.

During that seven year period during practices and games, we had two injuries ... a dislocated hip and a broken finger.

The kids, however, did get hurt. It invariably happened before practice started with kids climbing on playground equipment or trees or playing a rough game they called "Maul Ball" without pads, helmets or supervision. You know, the stuff athletic boys do when left to themselves. Once practice started, the risk of injury fell to zero.

Parent's who are spooked by injury myths are denying their sons a great athletic and character building experience.

I had trouble getting them to pick up their rooms. These coaches had them in goal line stands in the driving rain and enjoying it.

The danger is --- if you can call it one --- is that many will then want to play high school football, which is more dangerous and some will play in college.
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