Not My Kids!

In recent news research is being brought to light that football and other high impact/severe contact sports are dangerous for kids, teens, and adults. Not dangerous as in, torn-ACL-no-more-football-for-the-season-dangerous, but dangerous as in, drooling-uncontrollably-for-the-rest-of-your-life-dangerous.

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence out there as well. A counter placed inside a junior league footballers helmet recorded over 900 hits in a single season. A college player suffered headaches so severe that he committed suicide and it was discovered at his autopsy that he had brain damage most likely suffered from his sport. Another piece of evidence of why my kids won't play football appeared in the news over the weekend. It happened on the football field one town over from where we used to live in Central New York. While most full contact sporting events do not end in tragedy there is enough evidence to convince me that there are enough other sporting events out there that will not possibly cause permanent brain damage.

A few years ago I learned a new acronym; MTBI, which stands for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. MTBI was something that Soldiers were suffering from when hit in Iraq or Afghanistan with IEDs. MTBIs were in addition to any external or other internal injuries suffered and, in a generic sense, were concussions. MTBI is not matter being taken lightly by the medical community in the military as it is being recorded in Soldiers long term medical files.

And when I first heard those same letters used in reference to kids sports and I turned up the radio.

My kids won't play football or any other sports prone to concussive injuries. This shocks some other parents who see 10 month old Grant, a hulking ninety-seventh percentile, 25plus pound baby who is already wearing 18 month old clothes and comment on him being a great defensive back some day. I am not denying my children the ability to play sports so much as I am protecting their future. Honestly. Some coach, scouting talent, or recruiter could tell me how great my son would be "Scholarship!" "ACC football!" "The pros!" and I'd send the man packing because to me it just isn't worth it.

What makes me ill is that there are now companies that are producing helmets and other protective gear to "concussion proof" your kid. It's like hawking gold in economically depressed times or medical alert buttons to the elderly ("I've fallen and I can't get up!"); play on people fears and they will open their wallets.

Samantha rows on crew which is a physically demanding sport that leaves her aching after practices. I have no problem with any of that. Could she get creamed by an oar? I suppose but the chances are slim. The boys will need to stick with running, basketball, or maybe even wrestling if Grant turns out to be as big as the doctor predicts.

And while I use the first person singular "I" throughout this entry I know that Lisa feels the same way as I do. Thank goodness.

Tennis anyone?