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WaPo Piece on Declining Football Participation


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1 hour ago, Impartial_Observer said:

Young men today don’t play football for a variety of reasons. Many because it’s too hard, which is exactly why young men need this game, because it’s hard. 
That being said if tackle football were to be restricted to 7th grade up, I wouldn’t be mad about it. 

Curious....what makes the game safer at 12-13 vs 11-12?  Feels like a false comfort.  

I'd hate the thought that kids would be denied learning the game itself and what the game teaches you until middle school so people feel more comfortable.  There is so much competing for a youth's attention, and love of the game can start much earlier than 12 years old.  If there is truly a quantifiable risk/safety issue,  (I've read many studies that conflict) then why wouldn't we push for the same restriction for other sports, such as girl's and boy's soccer, competitive cheerleading, etc.  As Temp says, what is the risk of kids sitting on the couch as home??  It is not zero.

Just my opinion.  

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1 hour ago, Bash Riprock said:

Curious....what makes the game safer at 12-13 vs 11-12?  

Hormones. 😀

But sort of serious….. now that our junior high has been a part of our building for a few years, there are kids I see in jerseys who look like they are 10 years old tops. There are also kids who look like they drive to school and could get by in a bar with a fake ID. 
 

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7 hours ago, Bash Riprock said:

Curious....what makes the game safer at 12-13 vs 11-12?  Feels like a false comfort.  

I'd hate the thought that kids would be denied learning the game itself and what the game teaches you until middle school so people feel more comfortable.  There is so much competing for a youth's attention, and love of the game can start much earlier than 12 years old.  If there is truly a quantifiable risk/safety issue,  (I've read many studies that conflict) then why wouldn't we push for the same restriction for other sports, such as girl's and boy's soccer, competitive cheerleading, etc.  As Temp says, what is the risk of kids sitting on the couch as home??  It is not zero.

Just my opinion.  

Not sure on your age analysis but physically there’s a hell of a difference between 2nd/3rd graders and 7 graders. 

Yea, I’m clearly in the sit at home on the coach camp. Unbelievable!

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35 minutes ago, Impartial_Observer said:

Not sure on your age analysis but physically there’s a hell of a difference between 2nd/3rd graders and 7 graders. 

Yea, I’m clearly in the sit at home on the coach camp. Unbelievable!

Been associated with youth football for a decade plus. I understand the physical differences between 2nd graders and 7th graders. But they don’t play each other and I have to hope most responsible leagues have age appropriate divisions. Younger kids aren’t typically bringing the force of older kids. I get all leagues aren’t the same when it comes to coach selection, development and safety, but some coaches I’ve experienced at the middle school level have no business being on a sideline. The same with equipment condition and kids being fit properly at middle school. I just don’t prescribe the game is safer for middle schoolers.  
 

I have not seen a high incidence of head type injuries during my time associated with youth football and injuries in general not out of the norm with other sports. 
 

But hey, I respect your views. As stated before, football not meant to be everyone’s game. 

Edited by Bash Riprock
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Dumbest article I've ever read. All I got from that is that is that Trump supporters and black people are more ignorant that Biden supporters and white people. Sad that the Washington Post would even post such discriminatory garbage. 

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21 hours ago, Bash Riprock said:

Been associated with youth football for a decade plus. I understand the physical differences between 2nd graders and 7th graders. But they don’t play each other and I have to hope most responsible leagues have age appropriate divisions. Younger kids aren’t typically bringing the force of older kids. I get all leagues aren’t the same when it comes to coach selection, development and safety, but some coaches I’ve experienced at the middle school level have no business being on a sideline. The same with equipment condition and kids being fit properly at middle school. I just don’t prescribe the game is safer for middle schoolers.  
 

I have not seen a high incidence of head type injuries during my time associated with youth football and injuries in general not out of the norm with other sports. 
 

But hey, I respect your views. As stated before, football not meant to be everyone’s game. 

My issue isn’t age discrepancies. I’m more concerned with young undeveloped necks supporting young undeveloped heads, with an additional 3 pounds added to it. Football also requires a certain amount of mental maturity to play the game and 56’ers struggle with it, much less younger kids. I understand younger kids don’t hit hard enough to hurt each other. Yes you’ll get the odd kid falling wrong, I get all that. I think there’s enough evidence that there could be a link between CTE and other brain related diseases and repeated trauma to the head. The info’s out there, I’m not here to debate it, just stating my opinion. 
Quite possibly the larger issue is how many slow developers do we lose because they were out in a no win situation, get the shit knocked out of them and say screw this. If you’ve been involved in youth Football for 10 years I’m sure you’ve seen the 4th grade runt that grows up to be an all conference lineman. I’m sure you’re also aware of the 4th grade phenoms that never even see the field or play in HS. 
 

I’m interested in growing the game. If we don’t adapt, and I feel like the NFHS has done a great job with recent rule changes that moves us in a positive direction. I am not advocating for banning tackle football under 7th grade. I feel like we’re at a place where we can still accomplish the fundamental skills we need without full contact in 56ers, and if the powers that be see fit to do such a thing, I wouldn’t be mad about it. 

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17 hours ago, Impartial_Observer said:

My issue isn’t age discrepancies. I’m more concerned with young undeveloped necks supporting young undeveloped heads, with an additional 3 pounds added to it. Football also requires a certain amount of mental maturity to play the game and 56’ers struggle with it, much less younger kids. I understand younger kids don’t hit hard enough to hurt each other. Yes you’ll get the odd kid falling wrong, I get all that. I think there’s enough evidence that there could be a link between CTE and other brain related diseases and repeated trauma to the head. The info’s out there, I’m not here to debate it, just stating my opinion. 
Quite possibly the larger issue is how many slow developers do we lose because they were out in a no win situation, get the shit knocked out of them and say screw this. If you’ve been involved in youth Football for 10 years I’m sure you’ve seen the 4th grade runt that grows up to be an all conference lineman. I’m sure you’re also aware of the 4th grade phenoms that never even see the field or play in HS. 
 

I’m interested in growing the game. If we don’t adapt, and I feel like the NFHS has done a great job with recent rule changes that moves us in a positive direction. I am not advocating for banning tackle football under 7th grade. I feel like we’re at a place where we can still accomplish the fundamental skills we need without full contact in 56ers, and if the powers that be see fit to do such a thing, I wouldn’t be mad about it. 

I guess I am a data guy....I go off injury research and what I have seen through my years of youth football coaching and youth football admin. (BTW, you don't need to use the word "if" regarding my experience)  I am not reading nor have I seen a higher incidence rate of head injuries with youth football.  I do see people responding to emotion.  Safety is a massive focus on our particular league and has been for years.  If you have data specific to youth football that show strong evidence of higher rates of head injuries vs other sports with no head protection, thanks for sharing.

Absolutely there is a risk of kids that don't enjoy the game as a youth and choose not to come back.  If was no different back in my day as a player and our son's,,,but that risk occurs at both youth and middle school levels.  There is still absolutely size and skill separation at middle school...sometimes even worse as physical maturity is highly variable at the middle school level.  Yes I have seen the stud youth football player that doesn't lead to the young man being a strong varsity player and vice versa.  I have seen that occur in all sports....that isn't isolated to football.

Our league teaches and monitor's techniques to reduce head injury potential....they are taught the correct way as a child that carries with them as they grow in the game.  Habit building is a critical attribute.  It may be different in your area, but for years middle school football coaching in our area was suspect when limited to teachers coaching.  That has strengthened over the years with coaching coming outside of the particular schools.  

We do very much agree on growing the game...perhaps different paths to get there.  But in my neck of the woods, there is no doubt our youth football program has grown the game and is a critical variable into the high school program's success.  I am just looking for hard data to eliminate this valuable opportunity for kids, and not just an emotional "warm fuzzy" for adults that would push to take it away.  

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