09-06-2014, 08:11 PM
This morning I coached my son's 11 year old youth football team. Our opponent was a better squad-more aggressive and talented across the board.Â
Early in the game we hung in there. Our team has one very gifted athlete who plays Quarterback and when able to get into space, is quick and powerful enough to out run or out muscle most any defensive player. We were losing 16-12 when he was injured during a tackle where he got caught up in pile and his shoulder was bent in a way shoulders don't like to be bent.
By the time the game was over, we had two players out of the game (possible concussion, the aforementioned shoulder injury) and two that were hurt (back bruise and helmet to the knee) that were out a significant amount of time but decided to go back in at some point (we check and check again before we let any injured player back into a game and ALWAYS leave the decision to go back in to the player after coach clearance). We ended up losing 44-12.Â
My son is one of the better players on the team and often plays most or all plays during the game, and he loves it. The camaraderie, the dynamics of the strategy and joy of making a play. Are the risks serious? You bet they are even at the youth level.
But to make a decision for him not to play based on the potential for injury is simply not something I feel I should do.
Early in the game we hung in there. Our team has one very gifted athlete who plays Quarterback and when able to get into space, is quick and powerful enough to out run or out muscle most any defensive player. We were losing 16-12 when he was injured during a tackle where he got caught up in pile and his shoulder was bent in a way shoulders don't like to be bent.
By the time the game was over, we had two players out of the game (possible concussion, the aforementioned shoulder injury) and two that were hurt (back bruise and helmet to the knee) that were out a significant amount of time but decided to go back in at some point (we check and check again before we let any injured player back into a game and ALWAYS leave the decision to go back in to the player after coach clearance). We ended up losing 44-12.Â
My son is one of the better players on the team and often plays most or all plays during the game, and he loves it. The camaraderie, the dynamics of the strategy and joy of making a play. Are the risks serious? You bet they are even at the youth level.
But to make a decision for him not to play based on the potential for injury is simply not something I feel I should do.