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> So today, I put on football camps and work with kids in the small town of Aledo, Texas, where I live, and I work with my own boys, coaching them up, too. Thi

> So today, I put on football camps and work with kids in the small town of Aledo, Texas, where I live, and I work with my own boys, coaching them up, too. This is a fantastic story, and a wonderful recovery, but getting to the end of it and coming across this line... it's great that he's helping coach these kids, but it would be even better to steer them in a direction where they won't end up with the same story, or worse. Never making it, but still having the same symptoms. There are other sports, way less impact. I grew up playing soccer, and even there they, at least in the US, as I understand it from my nephews, heading the ball is illegal until high school. Concussions are problems in all sports, but American Football is just about the worst, and on top of that does so much other damage from the heavy hits. Concussions are perhaps the most prevalent and biggest problem.

switchbak 9y ago
I played a bunch of high school football, and had a very severe back fracture that I'll be living with forever. I'm functional, but have to keep very on top of things to not suffer chronic pain. I used to be absolutely obsessed about football, and getting used to not playing anymore was a real challenge to my identity. I look back on it now though (that was > 20 years ago now), and I wouldn't choose to play the game again. It was an amazing way to push myself, and I learned a lot about character and determination. The cost really isn't worth it though, and I've seen a bunch of people pay even higher costs than me. I also think - if I had kids, I wouldn't want them to play the game. It's just too dangerous, and that danger is built into how the game is played. People in the business often say "don't hit with your head" but watch any game, and you'll see lots of head contact on every play. The cumulative effects of that alone, not even counting the big hits - I think is quite substantial. Unfortunately I don't see the game or the protective gear actually changing much to lessen the degree to which these (predictable) injuries happen. And to a great extent, more protective equipment means people just hit that much harder - often times still injuring, but in ways that are harder to see.
erentz 9y ago
Right. I found this dissonance a really unexpected ending to the story.
T_D_K 9y ago
> I grew up playing soccer, and even there they, at least in the US, as I understand it from my nephews, heading the ball is illegal until high school. Maybe in a Rec league, but if it's any level of competitive play then they'd have been heading the ball since grade school.

switchbak 9y ago

I played a bunch of high school football, and had a very severe back fracture that I'll be living with forever. I'm functional, but have to keep very on top of things to not suffer chronic pain. I used to be absolutely obsessed about football, and getting used to not playing anymore was a real challenge to my identity. I look back on it now though (that was > 20 years ago now), and I wouldn't choose to play the game again. It was an amazing way to push myself, and I learned a lot about character and determination. The cost really isn't worth it though, and I've seen a bunch of people pay even higher costs than me. I also think - if I had kids, I wouldn't want them to play the game. It's just too dangerous, and that danger is built into how the game is played. People in the business often say "don't hit with your head" but watch any game, and you'll see lots of head contact on every play. The cumulative effects of that alone, not even counting the big hits - I think is quite substantial. Unfortunately I don't see the game or the protective gear actually changing much to lessen the degree to which these (predictable) injuries happen. And to a great extent, more protective equipment means people just hit that much harder - often times still injuring, but in ways that are harder to see.

erentz 9y ago

Right. I found this dissonance a really unexpected ending to the story.

T_D_K 9y ago

> I grew up playing soccer, and even there they, at least in the US, as I understand it from my nephews, heading the ball is illegal until high school. Maybe in a Rec league, but if it's any level of competitive play then they'd have been heading the ball since grade school.