little boys, big hits . . . the dangers of youth football


Deuce

Deuce

Well-Known Member
** Be sure to click on the link and watch the video **

The first-ever study to measure the head impacts among youth football players has found that some hits absorbed by second-graders are as forceful as those in the college game, and that unlike in high school and college football most of the severe hits occurred during practices.

Results of the joint Virginia Tech-Wake Forest study, released Wednesday to ESPN, prompted calls for the elimination of high-impact practice drills that do not replicate game situations.

Most of those hits were modest in force, as measured by sensors installed in the padding of helmets. But some topped 80 g's, similar to "some of the more severe impacts that college players experience, even though the youth players have less body mass and play at slower speeds," the authors wrote. Boys of grade-school and middle-school age often lack the neck strength of teenagers, among other factors that can make them vulnerable to injury.

"I am shocked to see that these children receive levels of brain trauma comparable to college football players," Nowinski said. "At one-third to one-fourth the mass of the average college player, it appears they deliver and receive nearly the same force to the brain on each hit."


http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_...-kids-football-head-hits-severe-college-games
 
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Having officiated hundreds of youth games, I am not a fan of my kids playing much youth football either. Flag football, basketball, track, etc. are all ok. Wait until Jr. High or High school for tackle.
 
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It was the last game of the year (last season), my son's 9-10 year old football team was on the verge of losing the first round of a playoff game they were playing. There was was less than 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. The play is run from scrimmage with a run play up the middle. Among the mass of humanity of blockers and tacklers and a cloud of dust, there was a huge cry heard. When the dust settles and both sides go back to their respective huddles, there is a body still lying on the field...almost lifeless. I see the the number 28 on the jersey and I tell the wife, "that is 'J' still on the ground". We rush out to the field where others are also attending to him, and the first thing we heard him say when we got to him was, "I felt a something shoot up and down my spine". It was asked if he could move his legs or hands and slowly, but surely, he was able to do so. THANK GOD! He was eventually taken to the hospital for additional testing where it was confirmed that all tests conducted were negative. He left on his own power where all we eventually had to treat was the headache that eventually went away.

I say all of this to say, based on my own personal experience, I understand why some of those parents in the video would have their children play another sport. I also understand L. Arrington's point that you can't go through life being scared over what could happen, but I don't think you can refute logic that all of those hits over time can have long term implications on one's body.
 
DallasCowboyGirl said:
Way to be a downer this morning Deuce...SMH...Lord protect my child, In Jesus Name!
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Sorry about that, DCG.

Didn't mean for the topic to bother anyone, just wanted to re-enforce what a lot of people probably already know, but don't tend to talk much about.
 
We use to play in the streets on concrete and in roughed up fields. Why is this happening so much now?
 
This is one of the reasons why I won't let my son play football and he will be 9 this year. Football is a very "physical" and dangerous sport. When you take vicious hits, they shoot you up and you don't feel parts of your body for days. :smh: I'm sticking to baseball and basketball. :tup:
 
kellis said:
This is one of the reasons why I won't let my son play football and he will be 9 this year. Football is a very "physical" and dangerous sport. When you take vicious hits, they shoot you up and you don't feel parts of your body for days. :smh: I'm sticking to baseball and basketball. :tup:
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Hey K, if you don't mind me asking...how long has your nephew played? Did he play when he was a kid?
 
CEE DOG said:
We use to play in the streets on concrete and in roughed up fields. Why is this happening so much now?
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That's the same thing that I was thinking. I myself starting playing organized football when I was 8. In general, is this current generation really much faster and stronger??? (shrugging shoulders)
 
CEE DOG said:
We use to play in the streets on concrete and in roughed up fields. Why is this happening so much now?
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Its kinda odd, but when you play with a helmet on, you get a false sense of security. And consequently, you play the game in a more wreckless manner. When you play street ball, you're probably NOT wearing a helmet, and probably not crashing into each other head-on. Did you see the head-on collision in the video? :eek:
 
BulldogM.Ed.23 said:
In general, is this current generation really much faster and stronger??? (shrugging shoulders)
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I think so. When I was in high school (1963-1967) and in college (67-71) there were no year-round training as there is today. Many professional athlete had jobs during the off-season. And there wasn't the big difference in salary as there is today. My salary on my first job after college was $8000.00, most professional football players were making $25,000.00. Professional athletes salaries is what is driving parents and kids to put more emphasis on sports today than they did in my era. When I look at my high school year book most of my male classmates wanted to be teachers, doctors, scientists, soldiers, or businessmen. Today the majority of black boys aspiration is to be a football or basketball player.
 
Yes, this current generation is much faster and stronger than past years. They train year round and start on the weights a lot earlier. Speed is emphasized a lot earlier is sports in general, not just football. The football IQ is developed early on. You have middle school quarterbacks reading defenses and calling audibles. For those of you who really watch youth football, you can see the difference in kids who have been playing football "very competitvely" and those whose parents just put them out there for the first year. The kid that has not been playing (sometimes year-round) is slower and does not have the same awareness as others on the field. That lack of awareness, sometimes causes them to take some unnecessary hits. Always keeping your head on a swivel, knowing when to get down when running the ball, not running with your body open allowing others to get good hits on you.
 
If I ever had a son (which is highly unlikely) he's not playing football. People are talking about the big hits suffered during the games being the problem. It ain't.

The sub concussive hits taken in practice or in games over time are the problem. It don't matter if it youth football, high school or even the NFL, any blow to the head is damaging to the brain. Helmets don't prevent concussions. Why? The helmet can't stop the brain from moving inside the skull.

There was a Purdue study done a few years ago chronicling the affects of hits to head on high school football players. Researchers said those kids had taken 1,000 hits to the head -- in practice. As a result, some of the kids suffered short term memory loss, trouble concentrating in school, mood changes etc.

The late Chris Henry had the brain function of an elderly man. Yet, he was never diagnosed with a concussion.

The problem with football is football itself.
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kendrick said:
. . . any blow to the head is damaging to the brain. Helmets don't prevent concussions. Why? The helmet can't stop the brain from moving inside the skull.
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Excellent point, Kendrick. And as I alluded to earlier, some researchers believe that the helmet is the problem. There was one study that suggested that the helmet should be eliminated. Yes, eliminated. Crazy, you say? Well, again as i alluded to earlier, the helmet creates a false sense of security. Eliminate the helmet, and grown men (or little boys) will not be slamming into each other head first at full speed - that's their argument.

Don't get me wrong, Deuce isn't advocating eliminating the helmet, that's just what some researchers suggest. Others are quick to point out that eliminating the helmet would cause players to play differently and would also COMPLETELY change the game of football. And the fact of the matter is, that few people are willing to completely change the game of football, even if it meant reducing injuries, and possibly even saving lives.

Something to think about.
 
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Deuce said:
Excellent point, Kendrick. And as I alluded to earlier, some researchers believe that the helmet is the problem. There was one study that suggested that the helmet should be eliminated. Yes, eliminated. Crazy, you say? Well, again as i alluded to earlier, the helmet creates a false sense of security. Eliminate the helmet, and grown men (or little boys) will not be slamming into each other head first at full speed - that's their argument.

Don't get me wrong, Deuce isn't advocating eliminating the helmet, that's just what some researchers suggest. Others are quick to point out that eliminating the helmet would cause players to play differently and would also COMPLETELY change the game of football. And the fact of the matter is, that few people are willing to completely change the game of football, even if it meant reducing injuries, and possibly even saving lives.

Something to think about.
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Yeah, I've read stuff about folks suggesting removing the facemask and/or helmet altogether. I've even heard someone say maybe the field need to be wider. Interesting research to say the least. However, football players would need some head protection.

I mean, the reason the helmet was created was to prevent skull fractures and head lacerations. I know the NFL and equipment companies are trying to do everything possible to make the sport safer, but it's impossible.

I watched the video provided in the thread and while I understand where Lavar Arrington is coming from, he's misinformed. He should not have used the word sissification to describe those who don't want their kids to play tackle football. He's obviously not aware of the studies or the research.

He should talk to Chris Pronger of the Flyers and Sidney Crosby about what head injuries can do to you. Pronger has to spend every day in a dark room because he suffers from severe post concussion affects. Crosby, who is 23, might never play again because of concussions.

Maybe 30 years from now we might not football. I don't know.
 
I remember when we use to play street ball teams or neighborhood as teams. Westlake Rd played Simpson Rd and I was the qb. Well we ran a qb fake and I got hit and cut my knee open. I still kept playing doing the game and didn't go home until we finished the game. I had to get 15 stitches. Never phased me at all about stopping during the game. Maybe these kids are faster, bigger and stronger, but their skin and hearts are weaker.
 
CEE DOG said:
I remember when we use to play street ball teams or neighborhood as teams. Westlake Rd played Simpson Rd and I was the qb. Well we ran a qb fake and I got hit and cut my knee open. I still kept playing doing the game and didn't go home until we finished the game. I had to get 15 stitches. Never phased me at all about stopping during the game. Maybe these kids are faster, bigger and stronger, but their skin and hearts are weaker.
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Dude, you can't compare a cut to brain injury or the short and long terms affects of blows to the head. :smh:
 
CEE DOG said:
I remember when we use to play street ball teams or neighborhood as teams. Westlake Rd played Simpson Rd and I was the qb. Well we ran a qb fake and I got hit and cut my knee open. I still kept playing doing the game and didn't go home until we finished the game. I had to get 15 stitches. Never phased me at all about stopping during the game. Maybe these kids are faster, bigger and stronger, but their skin and hearts are weaker.
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Cee, if this was about cuts to the knee, hands, or even a few broken bones I don't think there would be an issue. But this is about constant blows to the head and the potential long term effects of those blows.
 
Cee, they are bigger and faster. I agree they are not as mentally tough but physically, it is a lot more dangerous now.
 
jsupop33 said:
Cee, they are bigger and faster. I agree they are not as mentally tough but physically, it is a lot more dangerous now.
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It's ALWAYS been dangerous. Football was probably more dangerous in the late 1800s and earlier 1900s than it is now, considering nobody knew anything about the short and long term affects of playing the sport.

Heck, college kids were literally dying on the field back the day at such a rate where Teddy Roosevelt threatened to abolish the sport.
 
kendrick said:
It's ALWAYS been dangerous. Football was probably more dangerous in the late 1800s and earlier 1900s than it is now, considering nobody knew anything about the short and long term affects of playing the sport.

Heck, college kids were literally dying on the field back the day at such a rate where Teddy Roosevelt threatened to abolish the sport.
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Ken, calm down man. Some of us make it out without severe trauma.
 
I've lobbied with my son to hold off on my 8 year old Grandson who really wants to play. I would prefer middle school but right now I'm working on getting him to at least wait two more years of basketball and baseball.


Off all the sports, I think you can play football the latest and still make the transition.
 
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