http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/page...sal-factor

Just saw this. Pop Warner seen a 9.5% drop in participation the last 2 years. Have to think a primary reason of course are the head injuries. a lot of parents just aren't going to allow their kids to play football.

It will be interesting to see if these drops continue over the next 5-10 years. If so, how does that impact other sports- instead of an athlete going into football, do they go to baseball or basketball instead? How will that impact the entire dynamic of all sports.

While youth football participation may be dropping nationally, it is growing in Mississippi. I work closely with the Mississippi Youth Football Association and they added a number of new teams this year and some old teams started up again. I am in the sporting goods business and we sold more uniforms and equipment this year than in any previous year since I began working there.

That aside, I have always been in favor of children participating in a variety of sports and have encouraged the development of alternatives to the big three sports. In our small Mississippi town, we built an Olympic-sized pool (and now host state and regional meets), a dozen soccer fields (played year-round here), a number of new tennis courts, as well as youth baseball and softball fields. We also did it without raising property taxes or taking from the city's general fund. If communities make the effort to provide their children with options, more children can participate and enjoy recreational activities. It just takes a little commitment from adults who care about such things.

It will continue. The other factor, besides parents encouraging their sons to try other sports instead of football, is the trend towards kids playing just one sport year-round instead of being multi-sport athletes in school. The latter is having a big effect on football participation in high school already. I've heard about high schools that used to have 80-90 players on their team that now have only about 50 or so on the first day of fall practice. Back in the day high school sports relied on the best athletes playing two or three different sports for their high school.

(11-13-2013 05:43 PM)stever20 Wrote:  http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/page...sal-factor

Just saw this. Pop Warner seen a 9.5% drop in participation the last 2 years. Have to think a primary reason of course are the head injuries. a lot of parents just aren't going to allow their kids to play football.

It will be interesting to see if these drops continue over the next 5-10 years. If so, how does that impact other sports- instead of an athlete going into football, do they go to baseball or basketball instead? How will that impact the entire dynamic of all sports.

This is the issue the football powers, both college and pro, need to address. The problem is they cannot say they have solved the brain trauma problem because they do not understand it yet.

If it turns out little, regular hits to the head during normal play cause brain trauma then football is finished. If only the big shots, hitting the turf, etc. causes it then it can be saved. We do not really know at this point.

(11-13-2013 06:17 PM)Wedge Wrote:  It will continue. The other factor, besides parents encouraging their sons to try other sports instead of football, is the trend towards kids playing just one sport year-round instead of being multi-sport athletes in school. The latter is having a big effect on football participation in high school already. I've heard about high schools that used to have 80-90 players on their team that now have only about 50 or so on the first day of fall practice. Back in the day high school sports relied on the best athletes playing two or three different sports for their high school.

Overall nationally though, HS football participation is still higher than ever according to the stats I've seen.

In the Raleigh area, CASL (Capital Area Soccer League) has more participants than all other youth leagues combined. That includes all non-school related sports - baseball, football, basketball, Pop Warner, city leagues, little league, et. al.

(11-13-2013 06:17 PM)Wedge Wrote:  It will continue. The other factor, besides parents encouraging their sons to try other sports instead of football, is the trend towards kids playing just one sport year-round instead of being multi-sport athletes in school. The latter is having a big effect on football participation in high school already. I've heard about high schools that used to have 80-90 players on their team that now have only about 50 or so on the first day of fall practice. Back in the day high school sports relied on the best athletes playing two or three different sports for their high school.

There's definitely a lot more specialization going on compared to years past, and the more bad publicity football gets, the more likely it is that parents will push kids to other sports. I do think that the more we learn about the whole concussion issue, the more likely it is that we'll figure out ways to reduce those problems.

(11-13-2013 06:19 PM)Lurker Above Wrote:  

(11-13-2013 05:43 PM)stever20 Wrote:  http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/page...sal-factor

Just saw this. Pop Warner seen a 9.5% drop in participation the last 2 years. Have to think a primary reason of course are the head injuries. a lot of parents just aren't going to allow their kids to play football.

It will be interesting to see if these drops continue over the next 5-10 years. If so, how does that impact other sports- instead of an athlete going into football, do they go to baseball or basketball instead? How will that impact the entire dynamic of all sports.

This is the issue the football powers, both college and pro, need to address. The problem is they cannot say they have solved the brain trauma problem because they do not understand it yet.

If it turns out little, regular hits to the head during normal play cause brain trauma then football is finished. If only the big shots, hitting the turf, etc. causes it then it can be saved. We do not really know at this point.

I am certainly not claiming that what I'm about to say solves the head trauma issue, but it will certainly help. When I played chin straps were tightened to prevent the head from rattling around inside a loose fitting helmet. Proper technique was taught for applying a hit. We were taught never to dip our heads before an impact and preferably to strike the waist or slightly above or below it. We didn't grab ankles unless we were already too low to strike the waist. We never went head first for the knees and we didn't tackle high.

I think many injuries could be prevented if the players were required to strap that helmet on properly and tackle correctly. It certainly won't solve the whole problem but it would help. There is little excuse for so many helmets to fly off.

Head trauma is a part of soccer too. It will not be the panacea sport of choice. I guess if parents want their kids to be reasonably safe, yet well conditioned, tennis would be the choice. The truth is no sport is safe because life isn't safe. That's why none of us get out of it alive. I just don't want to see Big Brother telling us what we can do. Let me assume the risk and let me pay for it with my insurance so that the government can't sneak its claim upon my life through their programs.

I paid for football with a nasty case of heat exhaustion (bordering on heat stroke / yes I played when only sissy's needed water at practice) and a knee. I would play again if I had my life to live over (only I wouldn't take salt tablets and I would insist on water or a sports drink).

Bicycling, surfing, snowboarding, skiing, motocross, equestrian, volleyball and rodeo can be added among many other sports to those causing brain trauma.

I played football most of my childhood, and honestly in hindsight, I could have held off with tackle football until at least 8th grade and it wouldn't have affected my skill level throughout high school. I love football, but I have a 14 year old son who is a large kid (5'10" and 180lbs, ding!) and I prefer him to stay focused on academics until at least 9th grade. Anyways, just my .02.

(11-13-2013 07:45 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(11-13-2013 06:19 PM)Lurker Above Wrote:  

(11-13-2013 05:43 PM)stever20 Wrote:  http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/page...sal-factor

Just saw this. Pop Warner seen a 9.5% drop in participation the last 2 years. Have to think a primary reason of course are the head injuries. a lot of parents just aren't going to allow their kids to play football.

It will be interesting to see if these drops continue over the next 5-10 years. If so, how does that impact other sports- instead of an athlete going into football, do they go to baseball or basketball instead? How will that impact the entire dynamic of all sports.

This is the issue the football powers, both college and pro, need to address. The problem is they cannot say they have solved the brain trauma problem because they do not understand it yet.

If it turns out little, regular hits to the head during normal play cause brain trauma then football is finished. If only the big shots, hitting the turf, etc. causes it then it can be saved. We do not really know at this point.

I am certainly not claiming that what I'm about to say solves the head trauma issue, but it will certainly help. When I played chin straps were tightened to prevent the head from rattling around inside a loose fitting helmet. Proper technique was taught for applying a hit. We were taught never to dip our heads before an impact and preferably to strike the waist or slightly above or below it. We didn't grab ankles unless we were already too low to strike the waist. We never went head first for the knees and we didn't tackle high.

I think many injuries could be prevented if the players were required to strap that helmet on properly and tackle correctly. It certainly won't solve the whole problem but it would help. There is little excuse for so many helmets to fly off.

Head trauma is a part of soccer too. It will not be the panacea sport of choice. I guess if parents want their kids to be reasonably safe, yet well conditioned, tennis would be the choice. The truth is no sport is safe because life isn't safe. That's why none of us get out of it alive. I just don't want to see Big Brother telling us what we can do. Let me assume the risk and let me pay for it with my insurance so that the government can't sneak its claim upon my life through their programs.

I paid for football with a nasty case of heat exhaustion (bordering on heat stroke / yes I played when only sissy's needed water at practice) and a knee. I would play again if I had my life to live over (only I wouldn't take salt tablets and I would insist on water or a sports drink).

Bicycling, surfing, snowboarding, skiing, motocross, equestrian, volleyball and rodeo can be added among many other sports to those causing brain trauma.

I played football with a kid for years, and he never got hurt playing football. Then one year playing soccer, he broke his collarbone, playing the "safe" sport.

I think it will continue to drop until parents realize the head injury issue is not unique to football.

(11-13-2013 06:17 PM)Wedge Wrote:  It will continue. The other factor, besides parents encouraging their sons to try other sports instead of football, is the trend towards kids playing just one sport year-round instead of being multi-sport athletes in school. The latter is having a big effect on football participation in high school already. I've heard about high schools that used to have 80-90 players on their team that now have only about 50 or so on the first day of fall practice. Back in the day high school sports relied on the best athletes playing two or three different sports for their high school.

All true.

Plus, football is the most expensive sport to play, from the standpoint of a family trying to scrape together the $$$ for cleats, uniforms, insurance, etc.

(11-13-2013 08:08 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I think it will continue to drop until parents realize the head injury issue is not unique to football.

It's not Unique to football, true. But does anyone honestly deny that head & spinal injuries are more common in football than (say) rowing, or basketball, or tennis, or baseball?

(11-13-2013 08:24 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(11-13-2013 08:08 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I think it will continue to drop until parents realize the head injury issue is not unique to football.

It's not Unique to football, true. But does anyone honestly deny that head & spinal injuries are more common in football than (say) rowing, or basketball, or tennis, or baseball?

Head and neck injuries in baseball usually occur at home plate, and against the walls in the outfield and down the foul lines. High inside fastballs can be an entirely different matter. But from a standpoint of playing it is still the greatest game ever invented. I do understand why its pace isn't as popular as it was in the less electronic age.

http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/99021...l-athletes

Reported H.S. Concussion Rates

Rates per 10,000 athletic exposures, as reported by athletic trainers, by sport:


Sport

Boys

Girls


Football 11.2 NA
Lacrosse 6.9 5.2
Soccer 4.2 6.7
Wrestling 6.2 NA
Basketball 2.8 5.6
Field Hockey NA 4.2
Softball NA 1.6
Baseball 1.2 NA

Source: National Academy of Sciences, Datalys Center (2010-

I don't really understand the reasoning behind little kids playing football. I would rather let my kids play basketball and soccer until they are teenagers so they can become athletic and just have fun. If they want to play football then just go outside and play with the kids at school or in the neighborhood.

(11-13-2013 09:13 PM)TrojanCampaign Wrote:  I don't really understand the reasoning behind little kids playing football. I would rather let my kids play basketball and soccer until they are teenagers so they can become athletic and just have fun. If they want to play football then just go outside and play with the kids at school or in the neighborhood.

Yeah, I agree with this.

(11-13-2013 07:52 PM)Knightsweat Wrote:  I played football most of my childhood, and honestly in hindsight, I could have held off with tackle football until at least 8th grade and it wouldn't have affected my skill level throughout high school. I love football, but I have a 14 year old son who is a large kid (5'10" and 180lbs, ding!) and I prefer him to stay focused on academics until at least 9th grade. Anyways, just my .02.

I started in the 4th grade, if definitely gave me a leg up when I started playing in middle and high school because my technique was so much better than other my age who were just starting.

(11-13-2013 09:20 PM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(11-13-2013 07:52 PM)Knightsweat Wrote:  I played football most of my childhood, and honestly in hindsight, I could have held off with tackle football until at least 8th grade and it wouldn't have affected my skill level throughout high school. I love football, but I have a 14 year old son who is a large kid (5'10" and 180lbs, ding!) and I prefer him to stay focused on academics until at least 9th grade. Anyways, just my .02.

I started in the 4th grade, if definitely gave me a leg up when I started playing in middle and high school because my technique was so much better than other my age who were just starting.

That's when I started as well.

(11-13-2013 08:24 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(11-13-2013 08:08 PM)HeartOfDixie Wrote:  I think it will continue to drop until parents realize the head injury issue is not unique to football.

It's not Unique to football, true. But does anyone honestly deny that head & spinal injuries are more common in football than (say) rowing, or basketball, or tennis, or baseball?

I don't think they are as common but any active and physical sport will have those injuries. The only safe sport is probably is probably golf.