So much for Pee Wee football

[Toga]

You're skeptical about any study that has ever been completed , so this is not surprising. Also, size and speed are all relative. Sure, 10 year olds aren't hitting with the same force as 20 year olds. However, if you get knocked to the turf and bounce your head off it at a relatively high speed, you can end up with the same effects, especially with brains that aren't fully developed and neck muscles that aren't strong enough to prevent violent whiplash. Watch this video and tell me there aren't violent collisions in youth football.

I believe part of the thinking is at that age the brain is in a more developmental and vulnerable stage.

 

[721Comstock]

But isn't it your brain that's telling you it isn't damaged? I mean, how can you trust it to tell you the truth?

Stupid brain!

 

[Alsacs]

Kids shouldn't play tackle football till 14 years old.

Young kids under 10 have no business playing tackle football. Teaching kids to play on the line and to rush the passer isn't safe.

Just let them play 7 on 7 or flag football till HS.

 

[CousCuse]

Kids should stay in their room and play video games, not much chance of any type of injury lying on their bed. That is what the majority of kids do now anyways. Real sports are dangerous and incur unnecessary costs to the healthcare system.

 

[Alsacs]

Kids don't play on big baseball fields till 13-14 because physically they all can't throw the ball across the diamond or down the plate.

Football should have flag football as the equivalent as little league baseball till the kids are older.

 

[Hoo's That]

I'm skeptical about this. Little kids are slow and weak. The collisions aren't that bad. Banning hitting when they are too weak and slow to do damage but allowing them to hit when they're strong and fast seems like doing something for the sake of doing it. Maybe the answer is to let kids play football and have fun until they're teenagers and then ban this stupid game after that.

I played pickup footballball all the time with my friends as a kid with no pads no pads and i didn't suffer no any drain bramage.

there was a two week span where everyone seemed to grow and kids were getting hurt bad where we all said NO MAS. then i played a safe sport like soccer where i got my brain and kidneys kicked in

I was thinking he same thing on sandlot or pickup football. I used to play that a lot as a kid, we played tackle, played for as long as we wanted and had no adult supervision like these kids do.

But sandlot football is more akin to rugby-style hitting than Pop Warner-type football is. When we played sandlot way back in the day, few, if any, kids in our games made a head-first smashing hit like you see on SportsCenter (the source of all that's wrong in sports). We also didn't have the constant butting of heads together or into chests in line play.

 

[Toga]

But sandlot football is more akin to rugby-style hitting than Pop Warner-type football is. When we played sandlot way back in the day, few, if any, kids in our games made a head-first smashing hit like you see on SportsCenter (the source of all that's wrong in sports). We also didn't have the constant butting of heads together or into chests in line play.

One learned quickly not to tackle head on.

 

[Newhouser]

Taking a header in soccer rattles your brain as well. Why no concern when children are doing this like football?

No money available to sue for damages.

 

[shandeezy7]

Taking a header in soccer rattles your brain as well. Why no concern when children are doing this like football?

Umm, there is a concern:

https://www.today.com/parents/no-more-heading-us-soccer-out-new-guidelines-youth-soccer-t54971

What does new “no heading” rule mean for soccer’s future in USA?

Implementation guidelines for U.S. Soccer's Player Safety Campaign: Concussion initiatives & heading for youth players - US Club Soccer

 

[tep624]

But sandlot football is more akin to rugby-style hitting than Pop Warner-type football is. When we played sandlot way back in the day, few, if any, kids in our games made a head-first smashing hit like you see on SportsCenter (the source of all that's wrong in sports). We also didn't have the constant butting of heads together or into chests in line play.

The point you make about the repetitive collisions on the line is valid. That doesn't happen in sandlot. And for instance a head hunting safety running full blast at the line and blowing someone up - generally doesn't happen in sandlot.

However, I would argue that there are aspects of sandlot that are potentially more dangerous because it's not supervised and kids aren't taught to tackle properly. For example, the spinning and flinging tackles where one kid grabs onto the end of another's shirt or grabs them around one wrist with both hands and spins them in a circle and then lets go. I know for a fact I did that a number of times and the result was the other kid flying to the ground and smacking his unprotected head on the ground because he was trying to hold onto the ball and had no control over himself.

 

[PhatOrange]

I'm skeptical about this. Little kids are slow and weak. The collisions aren't that bad. Banning hitting when they are too weak and slow to do damage but allowing them to hit when they're strong and fast seems like doing something for the sake of doing it. Maybe the answer is to let kids play football and have fun until they're teenagers and then ban this stupid game after that.

I played pickup footballball all the time with my friends as a kid with no pads no pads and i didn't suffer no any drain bramage.

there was a two week span where everyone seemed to grow and kids were getting hurt bad where we all said NO MAS. then i played a safe sport like soccer where i got my brain and kidneys kicked in

The collisions are relative. If I remember correctly pop warner 7ys – 10yrs is based on weight which I think goes up to 90lbs. My 8 year old is 50 pounds and is the fastest kid in his grade. They’d be giving him the ball as a running back; they told me so. He’d be running into kids who are 2 years stronger and weigh more than twice his weight. These kids, same as the adults, put their heads down to tackle and take a hit.

8 hours a week of practice. For that age is nutz. These are full on oklahoma drill type practices.

I’ve personally seen 9 and 10 year old kids stand up wobbly, and I saw one kid once stand up and fall over. They’re smacking helmets pretty good.

We all played back yard tackle football with no pads. The difference is when you’re not wearing helmets you typically try and keep your head out of the way.

 

[bcubs9497]

I've never seen any serious injuries in my 6 years of coaching peewee football. Only started seeing serious injuries once the boys reached 8th grade and/or JV or varsity level. Saw plenty of little-leaguers clocked with a baseball, though.

 

[Finwad32]

You're skeptical about any study that has ever been completed , so this is not surprising. Also, size and speed are all relative. Sure, 10 year olds aren't hitting with the same force as 20 year olds. However, if you get knocked to the turf and bounce your head off it at a relatively high speed, you can end up with the same effects, especially with brains that aren't fully developed and neck muscles that aren't strong enough to prevent violent whiplash. Watch this video and tell me there aren't violent collisions in youth football.

Plain and simple, it's just not necessary. There's no reason to have young children play the game in full pads. There just isn't a reason.

 

[FasterCuse]

I'm skeptical about this. Little kids are slow and weak. The collisions aren't that bad. Banning hitting when they are too weak and slow to do damage but allowing them to hit when they're strong and fast seems like doing something for the sake of doing it. Maybe the answer is to let kids play football and have fun until they're teenagers and then ban this stupid game after that.

I played pickup footballball all the time with my friends as a kid with no pads no pads and i didn't suffer no any drain bramage.

there was a two week span where everyone seemed to grow and kids were getting hurt bad where we all said NO MAS. then i played a safe sport like soccer where i got my brain and kidneys kicked in

This explains what's wrong with you...

 

[Millhouse]

But sandlot football is more akin to rugby-style hitting than Pop Warner-type football is. When we played sandlot way back in the day, few, if any, kids in our games made a head-first smashing hit like you see on SportsCenter (the source of all that's wrong in sports). We also didn't have the constant butting of heads together or into chests in line play.

You and your friends sound like a bunch of WOOSIES

I used to JACK. PEOPLE. UP.

(Double checking that I wrote UP)

(Checking again)

(Once more to be sure)

Chip used to be the king of helmet to helmet collisions of a different sort. Oddly enough he never could wear a helmet (due to his giant skull)

 

[cuse10]

Umm, there is a concern:

No more heading: US Soccer out with new guidelines for youth soccer

What does new “no heading” rule mean for soccer’s future in USA?

Implementation guidelines for U.S. Soccer's Player Safety Campaign: Concussion initiatives & heading for youth players - US Club Soccer

To the point that people are talking about banning football outright or that the sport will be dead in a matter of decades? No. There was a thread here not too long ago about this same issue and a poster said that people will go running to soccer in droves. It isn't a well known matter.

 

[Millhouse]

You're skeptical about any study that has ever been completed , so this is not surprising. Also, size and speed are all relative. Sure, 10 year olds aren't hitting with the same force as 20 year olds. However, if you get knocked to the turf and bounce your head off it at a relatively high speed, you can end up with the same effects, especially with brains that aren't fully developed and neck muscles that aren't strong enough to prevent violent whiplash. Watch this video and tell me there aren't violent collisions in youth football.

i didn't say there weren't any. that marco's come hither look at the end of it is creepier than the editing.

 

[Millhouse]

The collisions are relative. If I remember correctly pop warner 7ys – 10yrs is based on weight which I think goes up to 90lbs. My 8 year old is 50 pounds and is the fastest kid in his grade. They’d be giving him the ball as a running back; they told me so. He’d be running into kids who are 2 years stronger and weigh more than twice his weight. These kids, same as the adults, put their heads down to tackle and take a hit.

8 hours a week of practice. For that age is nutz. These are full on oklahoma drill type practices.

I’ve personally seen 9 and 10 year old kids stand up wobbly, and I saw one kid once stand up and fall over. They’re smacking helmets pretty good.

We all played back yard tackle football with no pads. The difference is when you’re not wearing helmets you typically try and keep your head out of the way.

I do think kids can get hurt. But if you're concerned about long term brain damage, banning it when they're little but not when they're big isn't going to accomplish much. We are ok with brain damage if the people are really good, this just prevents brain damage of guys that aren't good enough to play later (which is fine with me)

 

[Millhouse]

Plain and simple, it's just not necessary. There's no reason to have young children play the game in full pads. There just isn't a reason.

kids football is idiotic and boring even if you ignore risks. bunch of midgets wobbling around, can't throw, can't catch, can't do anything.

 

[Briancuse]

Kids shouldn't play tackle football till 14 years old.

Young kids under 10 have no business playing tackle football. Teaching kids to play on the line and to rush the passer isn't safe.

Just let them play 7 on 7 or flag football till HS.

My mom wouldn't let me play until Freshman year of Hs, I always said I would let my kids play as early as they wanted, I have done a 180.

 

[PhatOrange]

I do think kids can get hurt. But if you're concerned about long term brain damage, banning it when they're little but not when they're big isn't going to accomplish much. We are ok with brain damage if the people are really good, this just prevents brain damage of guys that aren't good enough to play later (which is fine with me)

I’m concerned about the long term damage and so that’s why I don’t let my kids play. For some other parent that’s on them. For anyone older than 18, here’s the info, you’re making the decision to play for yourself. Nobody is forcing you to play.

 

[Briancuse]

One learned quickly not to tackle head on.

Its the key to not getting hurt, but it isn't is easy as you think when your out there and things happen really quickly.

 

[Toga]

Its the key to not getting hurt, but it isn't is easy as you think when your out there and things happen really quickly.

It is when some overgrown kid is rambling towards you.

 

[shandeezy7]

To the point that people are talking about banning football outright or that the sport will be dead in a matter of decades? No. There was a thread here not too long ago about this same issue and a poster said that people will go running to soccer in droves. It isn't a well known matter.

Maybe part of it is that regardless of the sport's growth in the U.S., people just don't care about soccer, especially on primarily a football/basketball board. There's certainly been an uproar in recent years regarding the amount of concussions in soccer. It shouldn't be surprising to you, though, that the number one sport in the country would receive the overwhelming amount of attention regarding this issue, especially when it is optically far more violent than soccer.

 

[pacusewife]

I could see myself booted off our youth league board if I even suggested or mentioned anything like this.