[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by bivenator

I am glad that I have daughters and don't have to make the call on whether to let my son play football. Hearing my patients complain of all the aches and pains caused by football injuries would make it a hard decision for me. Throw in the concussions and I can see why some parents opt out. I played organized sports all during my formative years and well into my 30/s so I understand the importance and the fun.

My friends son is undersized and plays corner. My buddy tells me he has to turn away when the 170lb running back turns the corner and his kid has to make the play.

My wife has 7 sisters. One has had two eye surgeries due to an ATV accident and detached retina. Another tore her ACL/MCL twice while playing basketball and volleyball. Per a report I read a while back, the highest rate of concussions in high school sports is in girl's soccer, but the total number is lower than football due to the lower number of kids playing. Every activity has risks. It's a bit of a sore point for me, as my parents didn't like sports and didn't allow me to play football. So instead of playing the only sport that I was really any good at, I spent my high school drunk. Guaranteed that I put my life at greater risk (a lot) than anyone on the football team. I'm sure I would have still drank in high school, but the risk of being kicked off of the team has a way of keeping kids straight. It also would have given me something to be a part of, which was the underlying issue.

Originally Posted by berettafan

youth sports have really become a huge thing in our house. happens to be baseball for us but the point I think is to be in a competitive sport that teaches hard work and effort to bring results.

Originally Posted by porsche4life

I disagree with this. You can learn this in other ways. I didn't play sports, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone around me who thinks I haven't worked hard to get where I'm at.

Originally Posted by Moses

Most of us spend our lives on "teams". Family, a sales team, a construction crew...

Team sports taught me how to be a better teammate in life. When your friend drops the game winning touchdown pass or strikes out to lose a game, we learn to be supportive and encouraging instead of critical and judgmental. Great life lessons. I'm not saying these attitudes can only be developed through team sports, but it sure helps.

Amen to that. Lots of ways to learn those life lessons, but sports are a great teacher.

Sid, you were an Eagle Scout, right? That's another organization that (when done well) can teach some fantastic life lessons.