Is Youth Football dangerous

Answer 1

At any age, football is dangerous because it is the ultimate contact sport, and kids are consistently coached to tackle and block with maximum effort. However, youth football is a lot safer for participants than the game played in highschool and higher levels. The primary reason for this is physics. Smaller, younger players don't move as fast as older players, and obviously they weigh less. They are less likely to injure each other in the course of the game because the forces involved are smaller. Youth leagues generally have division classifications where they control not only the players' ages, but also the weights of the players in the game. This is done not only to minimize the possiblity of heavier players injuring smaller players, but also to make the games more competitive. In my coaching experience, kids up to 10 years old are more likely to sustain general sports injuries, like dehydration, twisted ankles and muscle pulls, for example, rather than from contact with other players. The risk is similar to other sports, in my opinion. These kinds of injuries are prevented by proper stretching and conditioning. Protective equipment is not a panacea. There's no accounting for an awkward fall, which can happen in any sport and at any age. If your child will play youth football, be ready to see lots of bruises on his arms, and to see the wind knocked out of him with some regularity. These boo boos are very common and are generally not considered to be "injuries." Kids who are 11 or older may suffer the same general sports injuries, of course, as younger players. Because they are faster and bigger, they may also suffer bruised or broken ribs, wrist fractures and knee injuries caused directly by contact with other players. These are not prevalent, but they do happen. You should contact the organization you are considering joining and ask them about weight/age classifications and if they keep injury statistics. If you are interested, there are many youth football video clips that can be found on the internet, so you can see what happens at games, how the kids move and what the contact is like for younger ages. You should also attend a game or a practice to see what happens in person. In conclusion, if you assume that the weights and ages are appropriately classified, the rule of thumb is that the younger the players are, the safer is the game for them. This answer is about safety. The benefits for boys playing youth football are tremendous and many. If you are worried about your child playing football, you don't have to let him play. But be sure that you are making an educated decision, rather than letting fear dictate your decision.

Answer 2

Yes, people get hurt almost every game.

Answer 3

Yes and no. Injuries are common but safety equipment has steadily improved over the years to where player deaths - which averaged 20 per year in the 1950s and 1960s - now don't even happen.