I had a discussion earlier this week with a parent named Danielle, on the fence, uncertain if playing youth football was something she wanted her son to continue with. With how the media has covered the head injuries in youth football topic this off-season along with the rising fees to play youth football, I understood her concerns.
We talked. This parent had injury risk as a primary concern. Her desire was to have her child play flag football over tackle football but this was quickly vetoed by her husband- ‘it is tackle or nothing’. Danielle talked in detail about the Va Tech study done by Stephan Duma, it was fresh in her mind. Luckily Pop Warner has made big strides by limiting the amount of hits in practice. This means the chances of a head occurring are dynamically lowered. YFO applauds the announcement by Pop Warner.
We then discussed the rising costs of playing the sport. She started counting the different expenses that she was being asked to pay:
1. Registration fee.
2. Late registration fee.
3. Volunteer fee (should she not volunteer, the organization would keep $100).
4. Youth football equipment (including cost of replacement mouthpieces).
A grand total of $500! I calmly thought this through. The facts are- the costs for registering a child to play youth football are high and are likely to go up. Parents and organizations must come up with creative ways to fundraise to bring these costs to a minimum. You can get your child to play youth football for close to free, just have to put in the work.
I asked her to keep the benefits of playing the game of youth football in mind. Her son will learn discipline, respect for elders, teamwork, physical fitness and much more comes from playing the game. I ended our discussion by reminding her that youth football promotes family time, something she appeared to be very big on. Read more about the benefits of playing the game at the Youth Football Online movement page.
Tell us your thoughts, did I handle this situation well?
Coach Bill Belichick with his family.
Photo credit: SportsIllustrated.com
Absolutely, the strides I see kids make from the beginning of the season to the end are amazing- and most times the parents grow more than the kids. Its hard to put your baby in what could be said is "harms way". No coach or league looks to put a kid in a bad position or at a bigger risk of injury. There are inherant risks in playing football, and most parents cannot afford the $300-400 piece of mind that comes with a high end helmet. But, coached properly and played properly- and most important SUPPORTED PROPERLY the game is certain fun and a large self worth growing experience for any youth. Parents certainy have the resources these days to educate and foster proper football techniques on there own, and it would be exceptable to question any coach (at the proper time) about any technique that strays from textbook. Facts are, football is a collision sport. If kids don't have a good idea what that is in a controlled enviroment of practice, they are more likely to see injury in a game ( in my opinion). I think this parent needs to decide if she wants to play football, it seems to me she might cause a negative atmosphere after every bump and create doubt within the child. Which only increases the risks. Any time I hear a parent talk about there fears or doubts, I remind them there child feels them and it effects there ability to grow. If Mom or Dad doesn't have confidance- how can they expect the kid to…
Do you where they are doing CPR recerts
Well said Coach Wayne! I think moms are natural worriers, that's why education on the benefits is so key.