Should Responsible Programs Eliminate Tackle Football at the Youth Level

[madpolecat]

A colleague of mine texted me earlier today with the comment that...

“I don’t think the product we see on fridays has been better even though we keep playing at younger ages.”

I’ll never get it on here, but I would love to hear more HS coaches share their opinions on this.

[madpolecat]

Hhhh

[madpolecat]

I honestly would love to know if a single HS coach would endorse pee-wee football.

I know most of them don’t feel that they could give their honest views because of the way parents would react to such views.

[madpolecat]

Teaching “good technique” can not eliminate the little dings that add up on a still-developing brain. It might reduce some things, but the game is the game.

Also, all the teaching in the world will not counter the feedback a player gets when the crowd responds to a big-arse collision.

Or the parents who encourage that part of the game.

[Paladin]

I'm an ex- HS HC. I endorse flag. Too many macho idiots who will ruin the game. It's time for a sane approach so football can survive and continue.

[Bleeding Red]

More kids get hurt now after they have sissified football practice. They don't know how to properly tackle and block now because they don't hit all week as it is. How can we expect kids to do it on Friday night if they don't do it reasonably throughout the week?

Many more injuries in today's day and age than 20 yrs ago.

[enigmaax]

More kids get hurt now after they have sissified football practice. They don't know how to properly tackle and block now because they don't hit all week as it is. How can we expect kids to do it on Friday night if they don't do it reasonably throughout the week?

Many more injuries in today's day and age than 20 yrs ago.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say you have zero evidence to back this up, especially as it relates to the safety of a child’s brain.

Injuries might be up and some causes could be that humans in general are bigger, faster, and stronger and conditioning programs across the board are better. So the collisions are frequently at a higher impact. They also might be up because in the past, there was less regard for a kid’s health whereas now, there is less potential for a coach/parent to just say, “suck it up and get back out there.” It might be because we’re all pussified or it might be because we aren’t all @&?!ing idiots risking the long term health of our children over a silly macho facade.

[enigmaax]

I'm an ex- HS HC. I endorse flag. Too many macho idiots who will ruin the game. It's time for a sane approach so football can survive and continue.

Didn’t see this before my last post. Pretty well sums it up.

[Bleeding Red]

More kids get hurt now after they have sissified football practice. They don't know how to properly tackle and block now because they don't hit all week as it is. How can we expect kids to do it on Friday night if they don't do it reasonably throughout the week?

Many more injuries in today's day and age than 20 yrs ago.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say you have zero evidence to back this up, especially as it relates to the safety of a child’s brain.

Injuries might be up and some causes could be that humans in general are bigger, faster, and stronger and conditioning programs across the board are better. So the collisions are frequently at a higher impact. They also might be up because in the past, there was less regard for a kid’s health whereas now, there is less potential for a coach/parent to just say, “suck it up and get back out there.” It might be because we’re all pussified or it might be because we aren’t all @&?!ing idiots risking the long term health of our children over a silly macho facade.

No I just remember the amount of injuries then vs now. And I look around and see the guys my age, we all played, and we are fine. We aren't walking around slobbering on ourselves.

I don't need scientific information for something that my eyes ready show me. Most current HS coaches will agree. At least every one that I've talked to about sissified football agrees.

[enigmaax]

More kids get hurt now after they have sissified football practice. They don't know how to properly tackle and block now because they don't hit all week as it is. How can we expect kids to do it on Friday night if they don't do it reasonably throughout the week?

Many more injuries in today's day and age than 20 yrs ago.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say you have zero evidence to back this up, especially as it relates to the safety of a child’s brain.

Injuries might be up and some causes could be that humans in general are bigger, faster, and stronger and conditioning programs across the board are better. So the collisions are frequently at a higher impact. They also might be up because in the past, there was less regard for a kid’s health whereas now, there is less potential for a coach/parent to just say, “suck it up and get back out there.” It might be because we’re all pussified or it might be because we aren’t all @&?!ing idiots risking the long term health of our children over a silly macho facade.

No I just remember the amount of injuries then vs now. And I look around and see the guys my age, we all played, and we are fine. We aren't walking around slobbering on ourselves.

I don't need scientific information for something that my eyes ready show me. Most current HS coaches will agree. At least every one that I've talked to about sissified football agrees.

Lol...okay. I’m glad you’ve figured it all out.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

Here is a question; what do they do in Northwestern Ohio where the dominate league is the MAC? Some may not like the answer.

[bighead]

Yes !

[Raider6309]

I'm an ex- HS HC. I endorse flag. Too many macho idiots who will ruin the game. It's time for a sane approach so football can survive and continue.

I actually agree with you

[enigmaax]

Here is a question; what do they do in Northwestern Ohio where the dominate league is the MAC? Some may not like the answer.

Irrelevant. The question isn’t about how to dominate, it is about how to limit the risk to kids’ brains.

[79Tiger]

Leave it alone. Kids get hurt all the time for various reasons and not all of them have anything to do with sports.

[Tcat1]

The man who discovered CTE made a statement recently saying that every parent that allows their child to play football should be charged with child abuse. CTE is real, we better be proactive and make the changes needed to keep injuries to a minimum or football will be ended as we know it.

[Omega]

The man who discovered CTE made a statement recently saying that every parent that allows their child to play football should be charged with child abuse. CTE is real, we better be proactive and make the changes needed to keep injuries to a minimum or football will be ended as we know it.

What you said.

Common sense should dictate, but the legal system based on society's current morals will eventually decide. Using care giver norms from even the 1990's might sooner or later cause a parent to become involved with the criminal justice system in this day and age.

[Izladoom]

For every program like wheelersburg there is 100 that does not have the coaches at the pee wee level or even jr high to teach them proper technique. Then you have parents that push their kid so hard that they take all of the enjoyment out of it for the kids so yeah at most places make it flag football till 7th grade.

[madpolecat]

Here is a question; what do they do in Northwestern Ohio where the dominate league is the MAC? Some may not like the answer.

Please share, good sir.

Intelligent, thoughtful debate requires as much data as possible.

[captin midnight]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/m ... D9Vm28yiJ/

My wife is from another small town, Fort Loramie, near Coldwater/Marion Local school districts. They just started a football program in 2005-2006 season. They don't offer peewee football other than flag and have had immediate success making the playoffs a few times. I believe a big part of these programs success isn't just on starting them young and learning how to play/hit, but more importantly community support.

Also, in that area of Ohio, most kids are working on farms or involved in other discipline and/or learning opportunities at a young age. Sports in general help build respect, teamwork, work ethic and perseverance. Not saying this doesn't happen in SEOhio, because I grew up there, but IMO 2 different economies of scale and ways of life.

I tend to lean more towards what former football players at a high level would recommend. Bobby Carpenter on 97.1 The Fan in Columbus has discussed this topic several times. He played in High School for his Father at Lancaster, played at tOSU and then the NFL. He's stated he wouldn't want his children to start playing tackle football until Jr. High.