In case you've been living under a rock, ALL MS and HS sports teams practice or play games 5 - 6 times a wk. You either play a play a school sport or you don't - football, like every other sport in MS is M- F. You can choose to not have your son play, but critiquing all the parents of the ~3M US youth football players as having no basis to speak is probably not going to get YOU much respect. And perhaps you probably haven't noticed the fairly large overlap of football and lacrosse players, so you are basically alienating a MAJORITY of people on this board with your 'assessment'. Thus, you end up on the short end of that basis for your argument; based upon THAT, most would think YOU, not me, should keep your opinions to yourself. And, having played football all the way through the NCAA level, as well as coaching football and lacrosse at the youth level, I've got more to offer on this topic than your casual, at-a-distance reading about it. Lastly, I've already read the study, and this is an 8th grade board - the BU study particularly focuses on the effects of playing before the age of 12 - what age are typical eighth graders in NY??[/quote]
I understand that it's an 8th grade board but thanks for explaining that as well as how MS and HS sports work. Did your son just start playing this year? I seriously doubt that. Given the self selection of who reads and posts on this board, I bet it's safe to guess you had your son playing tackle at the first opportunity - 3rd grade. Tell me I'm wrong. And if I am wrong, then why didn't he play tackle in 3rd grade? I'm sure he was playing lax back then.
I am absolutely fine alienating all 3 million of those kids' parents. I guarantee you that you are in the MINORITY. I live in one of the major lax towns on the Island and the vast MAJORITY of the MS and HS lacrosse players play soccer or run cross country in the Fall. My son is also on one of the best club teams in this age group, which draws from towns all over, and only 3 out of the 22 boys on his team play football. Anytime it has come up in conversation with those three parents, I've told them straight to their faces how I feel about it.
Finally, I would venture to guess that for most of the people reading this post, their sons have a significantly higher chance of playing college lacrosse than football. Why waste time with a sport where the downside (brain injuries and other physical issues) is so much greater than the upside? Life is hard enough with a functioning brain.
