Should my child play tackle football?
I just returned from the USA Football National Conference in Indianapolis. USA Football is a partner with the NFL and it's main objective is to promote safety in youth and high school football. There are a lot of myths about the safety of football and the data does not support the inaccurate reporting that is being done in the media. This not to say that injuries do not occur in football as there are inherent dangers in any sport or activity. The facts are that because of the advances in equipment design and concussion training for coaches football is safer than ever before. As a matter of fact, the data indicates that there are far more concussions and other severe injuries as a result of playing soccer and other sports than there are in football. Yes, football can be a dangerous game, but so can riding a skateboard, playing basketball, riding a bike and well you get the idea!
Unfortunately the unequaled benefits of playing "the greatest game" are not talked about in the media. During this conference we heard from numerous current and retired NFL players that spoke about the positive affect football has had on their lives. One such speaker was Nate Boyer.
Nate Boyer is a former U.S. Army Green Beret who came back from multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq unsure of what to do witb his life. Nate, not having played a down of football in high school, decided to try out for the University of Texas football team. Nate started as a long snapper for the Longhorns and was a first-team Academic All-Big 12 and an Academic All-American 2012, he spent part of the 2015 preseason with the Seattle Seahawks, but continues his service in the U.S. National Guard. Prior to joining the military, Boyer was a relief worker in the Sudan, building camps for refugees. You could say that football saved Nate's life.
As coaches, we are teaching the skills of playing the game of football, but more importantly, about teamwork, success, failure, and skills that will help them navigate through the challenges of life. No other sport does that......only football!!
