
My relationship with football
I have been a lifelong fan of football. Some of the earliest pictures of me are in 49ers gear. I saw the end of Montana, the peak of Rice and Young, witnessed the Catch II and III, and unfortunately watched them lose their perfect super bowl record. My family has been 49er fans forever, and I still make time to watch their games despite living in the heart of fair weather fan country, otherwise known as Minnesota. It was my favorite sport to play growing up, and if I had the opportunity and healthy knees, I would even consider still putting on pads and playing. As much history as I have with football, and continue to enjoy watching it, I in some ways hope that my sons both find other passions.
Football is a dangerous sport, that is without question. Of all the organized sports out there for youth or otherwise, none comes with the level of bodily risk that American football does. Many will argue that the violence of the sport is part of it’s appeal, and I cannot totally disagree. Big hits in the NFL and college are enough to get most football fans excited. The advancement of protective gear has essentially turned players into weapons against each other, and the glorification of big hits taught generations of fans and players that it was just the way football needs to be played. Some of this is changing, but injuries will never be removed, and likewise head trauma will probably not ever leave the game either.
Reliable studies have shown some interesting facts about CTE in the years since it became a huge issue for the NFL. For one, almost any participation in football at any level will lead to some level of brain trauma. Not all of us show symptoms, but that does not mean there has not been some sort of effect on us. The other thing these studies show is that it is not how long you played football, but when you started playing. People who started playing at an age of under twelve showed the highest likely hood of future clinical dysfunction. It did not matter if they played until high school, through college, or professionally, the consistent predictor was age that contact football was initiated.
Through the monetization of youth sports, all sports are played competitively starting at 6 or younger. That means you have kindergarteners playing tackle football risking long term brain trauma for little more than parent glory and financial gain for football organizations. Sports are good for kids, learning to work with teammates, to follow instructions, to learn coordination and get exercise. There does not need to be contact football at those youth ages though.
Youth football kids are generally group by size and age. That means you have individuals like myself who played center and defensive end in Pop Warner football, but reached all of five foot ten and 155 pounds in high school and spent time as a running back, quarterback and defensive back. What did I learn playing offensive and defensive line that helped me play high school football? Likely very little, and same could be said for almost everyone else on those 11 and 12 year old teams. Flag football teaches you all you need to know at those ages while avoiding the contact that causes the majority of football injuries.
I am not the type of parent that will restrict my sons from playing sports or participating in activities they have interest in, except for tackle football. They will not wear pads until high school, no exceptions. Once a kid reaches high school age they need to have autonomy over their decisions. All sports are a risk, and leaving the house every day itself is a risk, plus by high school age the highest risks of football in terms of head injuries has passed. This is assuming they even want to play. I will try and expose them to more soccer than I was, as I like the sport especially for kids growing up, and I think it is going to grow in America going forward as well.
I still love football. It was something that my mother and I bonded over growing up, and my best memories of high school are from playing football. Even winning a baseball championship playing at the Oakland Coliseum does not have the same high points as some of my achievements playing football, where we lost in the first round of playoffs. My Sunday’s are full of football, and if I had the time available, I would probably still watch college football all day on Saturdays as well. The sport has it’s problems, some are unique to football, others are not, but it is still a sport that I love to watch and will continue to follow despite it’s flaws. My mom and I are actually attending our first 49er game together this weekend when they play in Minnesota, and we will be proudly decked out in 49er gear.
