How Happy Would You Be If Your Kid Played Pro Football?

[milee]

Although many people associate football with fame, glory and money, recent discoveries indicate that the cost to the players' body and brain can be lifelong injury.  New findings on concussions and TBI (traumatic brain injury) in football players show that players' brains take a pounding that is thought to cause - in many cases - permanent injury to the brain.  Sad and scary.

One of my friends has a very intelligent son who plays football for a very prestigious private university.  This is the kind of university that most of us would love our kids to go to; he's getting high grades and has a good chance to have a stellar career.  This kid is not only smart, but a great athlete and has been invited to 2 of the tryouts called "combines" (sorry if I'm using the terms incorrectly) and did well enough that he's going to the combine in Texas that will be on ESPN in a few weeks. 

If you had a child who was both smart and athletic, how would you feel about him playing football? 

[whoisjohngalt]

I would HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ETA: I would feel the same way even if the kid was not smart at all

[swamp]

I would not want my children to,play any sports professionally. 

[The Captain]

Not goint to happen.  My child is smart and atheletic, but I don't think they allow girls on the team

On a serious note, you described my nephew to a T.  He dropped football his freshmen year in college after his third injury since HS (spiral fracture requiring 5 pins).  He decided being a cripple for the rest of his life was not the way he wanted to go.

[Deleted]

I would be ecstatic since I she may be the first female player in the NFL. That girl who just tried out to be a kicker was an epic fail.

[Deleted]

I would not be happy.

Swimming or golf maybe but not a sport that can lead to brain damage.

[Deleted]

On a serious note, I would be very proud and happy. Making an NFL team is an extremely hard thing to do that take lots of hard work and sacrifice that most people cannot handle. And if the kid is smart, too, you can open up a lot of doors in the business world by having professional sports experience. Big time businessmen love rubbing elbows with ex jocks.

[swamp]

Mar 19, 2013 10:23:41 GMT -5 @anne81 said:

I would not be happy.

Swimming or golf maybe but not a sport that can lead to brain damage.

You don't make any money being a professional swimmer. 

[milee]

Mar 19, 2013 10:19:35 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

I would HATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ETA: I would feel the same way even if the kid was not smart at all

{Milee pauses to make sure her flame suit is fully zipped up and intact.}

As much as it pains me to say this, I think I might feel differently if my kid wasn't smart.  If, for example, my kid was not college material or for some other reason wouldn't be suited to a trade in which he could support himself, then I might reluctantly conclude that pro ball would be a reasonable choice.  Sounds awful, but true. 

What could I say to him, "Son, go ahead and walk away from a chance to earn a reasonable salary for a few years and possibly build some contacts or fame you can parlay into some means of supporting yourself in the future.  We want to make sure your brain is fully intact for that retail job I'm hoping you'll be able to reach for."

[Deleted]

I'd be okay with it...if that's what they truly wanted to do. I will certainly try and keep up with the latest safety gear they could use.

I played all kinds of sports from the time I was 5 until I graduated HS. Football, baseball, basketball, track. I have bad knees....that were caused by track. So...just because it's low impact doesn't mean injury free.

[hoops902]

::And if the kid is smart, too, you can open up a lot of doors in the business world by having professional sports experience. Big time businessmen love rubbing elbows with ex jocks.::

Big time businessmen love rubbing elbows with ex big-name jocks.  I'm not sure they care about the guy who was on the practice squad who now has serious brain injury.

[Tiny]

I don't know enough about professional sports -  we mostly only hear about the 'first string' players... but aren't there alot of 'secondary' kinds of positions available?  Yeah, they probably don't pay the millions that the first string players get - but I suspect they are paid more than 50K a year... and maybe have alot of benefits and perks... and maybe somewhat less injuries? 

I think if my kid got thru HS and College playing a sport and didn't get seriously hurt, and had a bit of a passion or talent for the sport and was intelligent and had enough self esteem/personality/temperment to avoid the 'bad influences'  I'd be supportive of their goals to go 'pro' or be involved in some secondary aspect of 'pro' sports.    

I think I'd also spend some time and effort helping the kid figure out how NOT wind up financially broke when their 'career' ends.



ADDED:  the Chicago Tribune just reported the death of a 30 year old who was paralysed from the neck down back in 1999 playing HS foot ball.      There was another paralysed HS FootBall player (I think in has late 20's)  in the news last year who ran out of money for his 'care' and would have to depend on his family for full time care.    

[milee]

Mar 19, 2013 10:29:56 GMT -5 @financialtexan said:

True.  However, maybe I'm cold and heartless, because bad knees wouldn't worry me in the same way as a brain injury.  99% of the jobs/endeavors I can see my kids doing can be done with bad knees.  Can't think of a single one of them that can be done well with a brain injury, though. 

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2013 10:32:58 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I don't know enough about professional sports -  we mostly only hear about the 'first string' players... but aren't there alot of 'secondary' kinds of positions available?  Yeah, they probably don't pay the millions that the first string players get - but I suspect they are paid more than 50K a year... and maybe have alot of benefits and perks. 

I think if my kid got thru HS and College playing a sport and didn't get seriously hurt, and had a bit of a passion or talent for the sport and was intelligent and had enough self esteem/personality/temperment to avoid the 'bad influences'  I'd be supportive of their goals to go 'pro' or be involved in some secondary aspect of 'pro' sports.    

I think I'd also spend some time and effort helping the kid figure out how NOT wind up financially broke when their 'career' ends.

The lowest paid player per year on a professional football team runs around $495k. This is if they are on the active roster. Practice Squad guys usually get around $5k per week during the season...so minimum around $85k for 17 weeks of practice since they aren't taking the hits the active roster guys are taking.

[Deleted]

I assume this would entail me having to actually watch pro football? .... I'm gonna say no.

[milee]

Mar 19, 2013 10:32:58 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I think if my kid got thru HS and College playing a sport and didn't get seriously hurt, ...  I'd be supportive of their goals to go 'pro' or be involved in some secondary aspect of 'pro' sports.    

That's the problem with the brain injuries, though.  They're not always immediately obvious.  Many of the players who turn out to have substantial injury didn't even know they had a concussion.  The experts are starting to think that it's not so much a single hard knock that's the problem, but instead the repeated beating that normal play results in. 

Most of these guys don't have obvious brain injuries and the scientists don't have a good way to study their brain until they're dead and they can dissect it.

So how do you know your high school and college player didn't get hurt? 

[swamp]

Mar 19, 2013 10:35:40 GMT -5 milee said:

Mar 19, 2013 10:29:56 GMT -5 @financialtexan said:

True.  However, maybe I'm cold and heartless, because bad knees wouldn't worry me in the same way as a brain injury.  99% of the jobs/endeavors I can see my kids doing can be done with bad knees.  Can't think of a single one of them that can be done well with a brain injury, though. 

I agree with you. I have shoulder issues from collegiate swimming, but it hasn't hampered my ability to make a living. However, if I got these problems from a piddley DIII program, I can't imagine the pounding a obody would take in DI. 

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2013 10:35:40 GMT -5 milee said:

Mar 19, 2013 10:29:56 GMT -5 @financialtexan said:

True.  However, maybe I'm cold and heartless, because bad knees wouldn't worry me in the same way as a brain injury.  99% of the jobs/endeavors I can see my kids doing can be done with bad knees.  Can't think of a single one of them that can be done well with a brain injury, though. 

I've had probably at least 2 concussions in my life. One from getting hit in the head with a baseball and the other getting hit on a football field.

They aren't fun by any means but if you're a pro athlete you know the risks (whether they say so or not) and are getting paid handsomely to do it.

If you're an average talent in the NFL you're making around $1-2mil per season minimum. If you play for 5 years and save/invest your money wisely and not worry about having a huge mansion and 7 Maserati's then you should be fine. The problem is that these guys are generally bad with their money and are broke a couple years after their career.

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2013 10:30:38 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

::And if the kid is smart, too, you can open up a lot of doors in the business world by having professional sports experience. Big time businessmen love rubbing elbows with ex jocks.::

Big time businessmen love rubbing elbows with ex big-name jocks.  I'm not sure they care about the guy who was on the practice squad who now has serious brain injury.

I don't agree.  Ok, maybe the CEOs of the Fortune 50 want to rub elbows with the big names, but there are lots of lower tier business guys out there that will take any athlete.  Heck, even kids that palyed for and didn't even start on UCONNs basketball teams were loved by local businesses. 

[milee]

Mar 19, 2013 10:38:51 GMT -5 oped said:

I assume this would entail me having to actually watch pro football? .... I'm gonna say no.

There are worse things.  And I know because I've sat through quite a number of school plays and recitals. 

I mean, really.  Let's be honest.  99% of what parents have to watch or - maybe even worse - listen to, for the first 18 years of a child's life are torturous acts of love.  I don't care if it's violin, acting, baseball, karate, speech, whatever, it's incredibly boring to be around for hours and hours and hours and hours.

[Tennesseer]

The young man mentioned in the OP is still young. The NFL is looking into ways to reduce head injuries. By the time the young man is out of school, and if he's lucky enough to be selected for a professional team, hopefully the NFL will have a solution and head injuries will be reduced.

In most contact sports, there is always a possible chance of serious injury. Even swimming and diving have risks. Golf? Probably not but I suppose some bad tee shot could injure another golfer or spectator.

During high school, a friend of mine, a member of the school's baseball team, received a serious head injury when he unknowingly walked into the practice swing of another player.

Injuries happen.

[swamp]

Mar 19, 2013 10:42:20 GMT -5 milee said:

Mar 19, 2013 10:38:51 GMT -5 oped said:

I assume this would entail me having to actually watch pro football? .... I'm gonna say no.

I mean, really.  Let's be honest.  99% of what parents have to watch or - maybe even worse - listen to, for the first 18 years of a child's life are torturous acts of love.  I don't care if it's violin, acting, baseball, karate, speech, whatever, it's incredibly boring to be around for hours and hours and hours and hours.

Tee ball. Enough said. 

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2013 10:38:51 GMT -5 oped said:

I assume this would entail me having to actually watch pro football? .... I'm gonna say no.

See...you could list things you watch and I could make the same excuse.

"No son you can't be an actor because you may end up on CSI:Sheyboygan and I couldn't support you by watching!" *Not saying you watch CSI necessarily

[Deleted]

Also, if you are trying out for the NFL you have already played roughly 12 years of organized football and taken lots of hits. Yes, the NFL are the best of the best, so they are bigger and faster and hit harder, but DIV I football players are no slouches either. And I don't know the average career length of an NFL player, but I imagine it is 5 years or less. So you are not talking about all that much more playing time.

Now if you are talking about discouraging kids from getting into football in the first place, I am with you on that one. I would encourage an athlete to take up baseball over football.

[hoops902]

I gotcha, I was interpreting "big time businessmen" differently than you intended I think. 

I would also say that there is a BIG difference between basketball and football.  I would also expect a college backup basketball player to have more success than a practice squad football player.  I would name about every basketball player on my alma mater, even the bench guys.  I couldn't name the practice squad tight end on my favorite pro team. 

I think a kid could have great business connections locally from being a member of the football team.  I'm just saying the specificity of professional experience may not add anything if they weren't a star.  And in many cases the adoration is REALLY local. 

[Deleted]

Mar 19, 2013 10:46:13 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Also, if you are trying out for the NFL you have already played roughly 12 years of organized football and taken lots of hits. Yes, the NFL are the best of the best, so they are bigger and faster and hit harder, but DIV I football players are no slouches either. And I don't know the average career length of an NFL player, but I imagine it is 5 years or less. So you are not talking about all that much more playing time.

Now if you are talking about discouraging kids from getting into football in the first place, I am with you on that one. I would encourage an athlete to take up baseball over football.

I believe the average is 3 years. Obviously the stars are going to play longer than that and probably drive up the average a little...but not enough to cover the many more players that are just bench warmers that will never truly see the field in any real capacity.

The 3 years is probably a talent evaluation period and most aren't cut out for the Pros...of any sport.

[hoops902]

::In most contact sports, there is always a possible chance of serious injury. Even swimming and diving have risks. Golf? Probably not but I suppose some bad tee shot could injure another golfer or spectator.

During high school, a friend of mine, a member of the school's baseball team, received a serious head injury when he unknowingly walked into the practice swing of another player.::

There's a big difference between freak accidents, and brain trauma which may be consistent with a standard part of the game.

[Deleted]

My uncle died yesterday at the age of 61.  One of the things they noticed when they did a brain scan was that he had the brain capacity of an 80 year old due to (most likely) a bad car accident and multiple concussions sustained while playing football from youth until College.  

Don't think it's worth it so I won't push my kid to play, however I probably wouldn't stop him either.

[milee]

Mar 19, 2013 10:46:13 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Also, if you are trying out for the NFL you have already played roughly 12 years of organized football and taken lots of hits. Yes, the NFL are the best of the best, so they are bigger and faster and hit harder, but DIV I football players are no slouches either. And I don't know the average career length of an NFL player, but I imagine it is 5 years or less. So you are not talking about all that much more playing time.

Now if you are talking about discouraging kids from getting into football in the first place, I am with you on that one. I would encourage an athlete to take up baseball over football.

Same page, Archie.  I wouldn't let them play to begin with. 

And as much as I worry that having to watch hours and hours of baseball for year on end would literally kill me with boredom, I'd much rather they play baseball.    Unlike oped, I actually enjoy watching football.  But the guilt of understanding what it is doing to the players' brains does color my enjoyment of the sport.  It's similar to how I feel about boxing.  It's exciting and entertaining, but just feels dirty to know you're watching someone who is probably causing himself at least some form of brain injury (maybe it takes years to manifest, but it's still there) for our entertainment.  I don't want to have to think about those issues when I'm watching my entertainment.  Feels too close to dog and cock fighting to me.  Too many moral issues to be purely enjoyable.

[giramomma]

Mar 19, 2013 10:52:00 GMT -5 @missmargarita said:

I would be fine with it.  But I guess based on some of these repsonses, I'm a bad parent... I let my 9 yo play tackle football this past season.. he had a blast. 

Same here. Except, we may do tackle at age 10, only because I'm not sure yet how all his activities will fit together.

Now, pretty much for everything my son is doing, we as parents have to read about all the signs of concussions and turn in paperwork saying that we understand what a concussion may look like.

I want my kids to be happy in their adulthood. I'd rather them take risks, than sit at a "safe" job for 40 years. I have my reasons for not taking any risk in life. But, I gotta say, counting down the years until retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when you start doing it before you turn 30.