I personally have a tough time with this. Anyone else have a son playing football and worrying about major injuries?
I'm going through the exact same thing with my youngest son, Alex. He played varsity last year as a sophomore and will start this year at linebacker and also play some running back. First game is Saturday!
He works so hard all year long and is crazy about football! His two older brothers also played, but they preferred lacrosse. We've been pretty lucky with injuries. My oldest had a bad concussion his senior year. I held my breath until the season was over! Alex has had a couple of concussions, one towards the end of last season.
The biggest scare I've had was in early July. The coach called me around 8:30 AM (practice had been going for only 2 hours) and said the paramedics had been called. Alex started hyperventilating during a water break. His heart was racing and they couldn't get it to come down. They decided he needed to be checked out so I meet them at the children's hospital Emergency Room. After some fluids and a couple of EKG's they sent us home. We had to see his pediatrician before he could practice again. We also took him to a sports medicine specialist for a stress test and evaluation. They think it was probably dehydration that caused the problem.
My 3 boys have played on many teams,... basketball, football, soccer, & lacrosse. I've seen way more injuries in football than everything else combined!
My oldest was on the field as a senior when a boy on the other team was paralyzed. The game film showed it was an accident. He & a teammate went for a fumbled ball and just hit wrong. That was 7 years ago and the young man still isn't walking.
Last May Alex was playing at a 7 on 7 tournament when another boy, 16 years old, collapsed and died on the field. The last I read in the news media, they were not sure what caused the death. Your heart breaks for that family!
Football is a tough sport and scares me like crazy! My boys are very competitive and love sports! The practices, weight-training and focus on teamwork have had a positive effect on their development. It teaches them to set goals, work hard, and work within the structure of a team sport.
We've had many coaches who have been great role models for my sons. In fact it was a lacrosse coach who helped my 2 oldest sons find a college experience where they could play Division 1 lacrosse.
Good luck with your son and the football season! Remind him to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest. Here's to an injury-free season!