Youth Football Participation Drops (Pop Warner)

[boone7247]

Pop Warner youth football participation drops; NFL concussion crisis seen as causal factor - ESPN

I am of the feeling that while I don't think football will die, I do believe the US will see a shift what sports are most important. If less kids play, I think that is the start of that trend. Just my opinion.

 

[cstrunk]

It's just a continuation of the wussification of America.

 

[BigLame]

more apt to get a concussion in youth soccer than football. I'd say it is more of not wanting sons to play for crazy adults who take the shtuff to frickin seriously.

 

[tleonwdm]

more apt to get a concussion in youth soccer than football. I'd say it is more of not wanting sons to play for crazy adults who take the shtuff to frickin seriously.

Agree and saw the same thing in my sons league this year (8th grade). Several non contact sports (cross country and golf specifically) were the of landing spots for kids leaving football.

Seem to have about the same level of attrition as past years due to some of the smaller size kids no longer enjoying the sport.

Really wonder what high school numbers will look like in 3-5 years?

 

[Incyte]

more apt to get a concussion in youth soccer than football. I'd say it is more of not wanting sons to play for crazy adults who take the shtuff to frickin seriously.

I'm going to call BS on your conclusion:

Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam

• For children seen in the ED and discharged, the sports most commonly associated with TBI were:
  • Football (29.1%);
  • Soccer (16.5%); and
  • Basketball (15.4%)

• For admitted patients, the most common sports were:
  • Football (24.7%)
  • Skateboarding/roller blading (16.1%); and
  • Baseball/softball (12.9%).

Read more: Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam
​

 

[boone7247]

I'm going to call BS on your conclusion:

Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam

• For children seen in the ED and discharged, the sports most commonly associated with TBI were:
  • Football (29.1%);
  • Soccer (16.5%); and
  • Basketball (15.4%)

• For admitted patients, the most common sports were:
  • Football (24.7%)
  • Skateboarding/roller blading (16.1%); and
  • Baseball/softball (12.9%).

Read more: Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam
​

I believe he meant youth football which would be younger than high school and middle school. But I think he is wrong to think that even subconcussive contact of youths could lead to problems in the future. Soccer you don't get very many subconcussive hits, where football it probably happens every play, at least every series.

 

[Judoka]

I wonder how much of it also has to do with the increasing trend towards specialization and also kids taking sports super seriously at a younger and younger age. If you aren't a naturally talented athlete your parents might point you elsewhere.

 

[Incyte]

I believe he meant youth football which would be younger than high school and middle school. But I think he is wrong to think that even subconcussive contact of youths could lead to problems in the future. Soccer you don't get very many subconcussive hits, where football it probably happens every play, at least every series.

Splitting hairs a bit but the particular study looked at ER visits for children 0-19.

And your comment regarding subconcussive hits is well put. I believe researchers at Purdue established subconcussive hits alone can cause lower cognitive skills for football players during the FB season.

 

[3TrueFans]

Football is dangerous, that's the bottom line. All sports have a certain level of risk but contact sports more than others obviously. You can call it wussification or whatever, but it's just people making different, maybe better, decisions based on the information they have.

We're just starting to scratch the surface of understanding the long term effects of football on adults, who knows what the consequences are for kids.

 

[IAStubborn]

Pop Warner youth football participation drops; NFL concussion crisis seen as causal factor - ESPN

I am of the feeling that while I don't think football will die, I do believe the US will see a shift what sports are most important. If less kids play, I think that is the start of that trend. Just my opinion.

It effected my family. I have pushed other sports on my kids even though my family has played college football for 4 generations. When you know all the facts on impact to your brain it is hard when it comes.to your kids.

 

[IAStubborn]

It's just a continuation of the wussification of America.

I agree on a lot of fronts in this regard but not on this one. It isn't just concussions the scarring on brain tissue from repeated small subcocussive hits decreases brain function significantly especially when you get older causing all sorts of problems. Call it what you want. I am all about winners and losers, keeping score etc. and if my kids want to play I am not going to stop them but I am not going to push it on them. If it was their knees, arms shoulders I wouldn't care (my left thumb and shoulder cause me all sorts of problems today but wouldn't change a thing) but brains are another story entirely.

 

[IAStubborn]

I'm going to call BS on your conclusion:

Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam

• For children seen in the ED and discharged, the sports most commonly associated with TBI were:
  • Football (29.1%);
  • Soccer (16.5%); and
  • Basketball (15.4%)

• For admitted patients, the most common sports were:
  • Football (24.7%)
  • Skateboarding/roller blading (16.1%); and
  • Baseball/softball (12.9%).

Read more: Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam
​

Thats just concussions too. Not accounting for the damage of repeated slight trauma.

 

[IAStubborn]

I believe he meant youth football which would be younger than high school and middle school. But I think he is wrong to think that even subconcussive contact of youths could lead to problems in the future. Soccer you don't get very many subconcussive hits, where football it probably happens every play, at least every series.

Also youth soccer is much more common than pop warner.

 

[royhobbs09]

I'm going to call BS on your conclusion:

Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam

• For children seen in the ED and discharged, the sports most commonly associated with TBI were:
  • Football (29.1%);
  • Soccer (16.5%); and
  • Basketball (15.4%)

• For admitted patients, the most common sports were:
  • Football (24.7%)
  • Skateboarding/roller blading (16.1%); and
  • Baseball/softball (12.9%).

Read more: Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam
​

Interesting, but you would need to know the total number of participants in high school football, soccer, basketball and baseball/softball before you could tell how valuable these stats really are. Many smaller schools do not field soccer teams, especially in the midwest, so I am guessing that the other sports still have more total participants.

 

[royhobbs09]

Interesting, but you would need to know the total number of participants in high school football, soccer, basketball and baseball/softball before you could tell how valuable these stats really are. Many smaller schools do not field soccer teams, especially in the midwest, so I am guessing that the other sports still have more total participants.

Guess I should have read on. This seems to encapsulate the ratio:

[h=2]Concussion rates are increasing in high school sports.[/h]The current rates per 100,000 athletic exposures (an AE is one athlete participating in one organized high school athletic practice or competition, regardless of the amount of time played), according to the two most recent studies [SUP][8,10][/SUP] are as follows:

• Football: 64 -76.8
• Boys' ice hockey: 54
• Girl's soccer: 33
• Boys' lacrosse: 40- 46.6
• Girls' lacrosse: 31- 35
• Boys' soccer: 19 - 19.2
• Boys' wrestling: 22- 23.9
• Girls' basketball: 18.6 - 21
• Girls' softball: 16 - 16.3
• Boys' basketball: 16 - 21.2
• Girls' field hockey: 22 - 24.9
• Cheerleading: 11.5 to 14
• Girls' volleyball: 6 - 8.6
• Boys' baseball: Between 4.6 - 5
• Girls' gymnastics: 7
• Girls' swim/dive: 2
• Girls' track/field: 2
• Boys' track/field: 2
• Boys' swim/dive: 1

 

[thatguy]

It's just a continuation of the wussification of America.

wrong. It has more to do with the fact that most people don't want their kids to grow up to be borderline ********. Its going to become a class sport much like lacrosse and baseball/hockey, except opposite. The less educated of our population will still play football, while people with more education will move to less contact.

Like everything else in our country, it comes down to socio-economics.

 

[IASTATE4LIFE]

Guess I should have read on. This seems to encapsulate the ratio:

Concussion rates are increasing in high school sports.

The current rates per 100,000 athletic exposures (an AE is one athlete participating in one organized high school athletic practice or competition, regardless of the amount of time played), according to the two most recent studies [SUP][8,10][/SUP] are as follows:

• Football: 64 -76.8
• Boys' ice hockey: 54
• Girl's soccer: 33
• Boys' lacrosse: 40- 46.6
• Girls' lacrosse: 31- 35
• Boys' soccer: 19 - 19.2
• Boys' wrestling: 22- 23.9
• Girls' basketball: 18.6 - 21
• Girls' softball: 16 - 16.3
• Boys' basketball: 16 - 21.2
• Girls' field hockey: 22 - 24.9
• Cheerleading: 11.5 to 14
• Girls' volleyball: 6 - 8.6
• Boys' baseball: Between 4.6 - 5
• Girls' gymnastics: 7
• Girls' swim/dive: 2
• Girls' track/field: 2
• Boys' track/field: 2
• Boys' swim/dive: 1

I always laughed when the idiot on the track team walked in front of the discus flying at his head.

 

[oldwiseman]

It's just a continuation of the wussification of America.

Apparently you don't have a child. I played football. Absolutely love it. Got knocked out on the field momentarily and stayed in the game because that's just what you did. Do I want something to happen to my son. Absolutely not. If he wants to play, that's his call. But calling it wussification is exactly what's wrong with guys who think being tough is more important than the health of their own children. So you aren't tough if you don't play a sport where traumatic brain injury has been found to be prevalent. This comment is just stupid.

 

[BigLame]

I'm going to call BS on your conclusion:

Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam

• For children seen in the ED and discharged, the sports most commonly associated with TBI were:
  • Football (29.1%);
  • Soccer (16.5%); and
  • Basketball (15.4%)

• For admitted patients, the most common sports were:
  • Football (24.7%)
  • Skateboarding/roller blading (16.1%); and
  • Baseball/softball (12.9%).

Read more: Concussion Statistics for High School Sports | MomsTeam
​

There was a study by the Mayo Clinic that I was basing my conclusion on, and it seemed pretty legit and thorough. I cannot find it, but in looking for it I found this article about another study from the Mayo Clinic:

JOHN DOHERTY: Unexpected results in Mayo Clinic football study

The first study I mentioned did show the probability for other more severe injuries (broken bones, etc) was higher for football, but not significantly more than youth soccer and I think LaCross or ice hockey (can't remember which).

Boone7247 stated correctly though - my basis was on 'youth', which was either 9th or 8th grade and below. Hope I can find the original study/article. I suffered more than 1 concussion during my days, so that could be why I'm not having any luck.

No problems with anyone not wanting their child playing football. But I think when the speed of the game starts to increase, in particular in middle school levels and you have some boys maturing quicker and they are playing ahead of the curve, I wouldn't doubt the number of concussions may increase and also hits that may not lead to a full concussion but can also start adding up to cause problems may also increase dramatically.

The youth game will depend upon the quality of coaching and implementing the better ways to play, in particular tackling. Used to be hit with 1 shoulder and wrap, which led to quite a bit of the initial contact occurring to the helmet/head/shoulders. Now it is 'Heads Up Football'. Think it is laid out at USA Football.

 

[00clone]

Apparently you don't have a child. I played football. Absolutely love it. Got knocked out on the field momentarily and stayed in the game because that's just what you did. Do I want something to happen to my son. Absolutely not. If he wants to play, that's his call. But calling it wussification is exactly what's wrong with guys who think being tough is more important than the health of their own children. So you aren't tough if you don't play a sport where traumatic brain injury has been found to be prevalent. This comment is just stupid.

I don't think he was being completely serious....or maybe, I guess.

Personally, love football, but yeah, don't want the brain injuries for my kids. Therefore...PUNTERS!!!!!