Started By
Message
re: Youth Football
Posted on 6/19/15 at 10:24 am to Aux Arc
Posted on 6/19/15 at 10:24 am to Aux Arc
I started playing tackle when I was in 4th grade. Looking back on it, I probably should have stuck with flag for a couple more years. My brother never made it to high school football because he got too many concussions in middle school. He also started in 4th grade iirc.
IMO, the problem isn't kids hitting and hurting each other in peewee. Most of them aren't fast and strong enough to really do that. The problem is that they learn how to hit before they can hurt each other (leading with the head is effective), so then when they do get faster and stronger in middle school, they can do damage to brains that are very much still developing. In my now biased opinion, it would be better if everybody was learning during that time. It would be easier to teach kids not to lead with the head if they hadn't already picked up that habit.
IMO, the problem isn't kids hitting and hurting each other in peewee. Most of them aren't fast and strong enough to really do that. The problem is that they learn how to hit before they can hurt each other (leading with the head is effective), so then when they do get faster and stronger in middle school, they can do damage to brains that are very much still developing. In my now biased opinion, it would be better if everybody was learning during that time. It would be easier to teach kids not to lead with the head if they hadn't already picked up that habit.
This post was edited on 6/19/15 at 10:26 am
1
Posted on 6/19/15 at 10:58 am to Crowknowsbest
quote:
IMO, the problem isn't kids hitting and hurting each other in peewee. Most of them aren't fast and strong enough to really do that. The problem is that they learn how to hit before they can hurt each other (leading with the head is effective), so then when they do get faster and stronger in middle school, they can do damage to brains that are very much still developing. In my now biased opinion, it would be better if everybody was learning during that time. It would be easier to teach kids not to lead with the head if they hadn't already picked up that habit.
Wouldn't it be better to just teach them from the start not to lead with the head? Let them make the mistake of doing it a few times when they're too small to really hurt themselves or others, but correct it. That way when they CAN really screw stuff up, they're in the habit of tackling correctly? That's relying on the youth coaches to do their job properly, I know, but it's like riding your bike with training wheels. Why not let the kids have the extra protection (being unable to cause real damage) while they learn then when they're big enough they can do things properly?
Page 1 of 1
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News