OT sorta: California to debate banning tackle football for 12 and under

Yeah, I think whether this is "overreach" depends a lot on where they draw that age cutoff line.  12 is very reasonable, IMO.  I don't think it will meaningfully impact the sport; Michigan didn't just win the dang national championship because of tackling lessons that Mike Sainristil got at age 11.  

I tend to agree. I also wonder if this will increase football participation? The fear of hitting and being tackled isn't trivial and if kids can learn the game absent that... maybe that kinetic energy for some individuals could be overcome?

I started playing tackle football at 12. I immediately fell in love with the contact and became a very good open field tackler. I think 12 is the perfect age because tackle football helped me not be a little shit, have me that outlet at the right age

I agree with this completely.  We have three sons (7,8 and 12) and we let them all know they could not play tackle football until HS.  They all play flag football and I coach their teams.  It is a lot of fun, keeps them in great shape and it is very competitive.  The NFL actually sponsors our League.

We came to this decision a few years ago when I heard an interview with Chris Hutchinson (Aidan’s Dad, former UM All-American and Emergency Room Doctor).  He recommended not playing tackle football until HS.  I thought for those hard core football 🏈 fans with sons (such as myself) this was a good compromise and I think it makes sense.

When old guys repeat the notion that “the only reason people watch football is for the crushing hits,” I disagree with them vehemently.  That may have been true back in the 70’s, but my kids love it for the amazing athleticism and strategy that comes with today’s game.

There is a pretty strong tackle football culture in our school district, so this is somewhat tough for us to enforce, but I think it’s worth it.  If my sons are good enough athletes, they’ll have a place on the HS team whether or not they played 4th grade tackle.

Any word if they’ll also ban the mandatory football participation requirement for all youth 12 or younger as well?

/s

Lawrence Taylor for example didn’t play organized football until the 11th grade and is the best defensive player in NFL history

I think you're correct.

OP wrote: "... what happens in CA tends to spread to the rest of the country."

Given how politics work these days, I think it's equally likely that the Deep South would require participation in elementary school tackle football. :)

This seems like yet another reason that we should enjoy UM's championship run. If you squint, it's not hard to see a reduced recruiting base (and increased structural disadvantage) in the Upper Midwest because of injury concerns. Statistically, it's already happening.

Insofar as you’re talking about political banning, I would agree, but in terms of long term arc of the sport I don’t think that’s accurate. Flag is absolutely way more popular with younger kids down here than tackle at this point. To the point where it’s harder than you would expect to even find youth tackle football organizations (whereas flag is everywhere).

If its banned everywhere else then they don't need to ban in the south, you just won't be able to find it.

Flag football can confidentally advertise (and be accepted to advertise) everywhere whereas tackle will have some issues.

Network effect, after 50%+ play flag, tackle may fall off quickly.

That 50%+ may take 30 years, but lets watch and observe.

Maybe not never...but unfortunately it will probably only happen if a high-profile kid, or the son of someone of prominence, gets a TBI.

Dumb idea if you don’t want your kid to play tackle football then don’t. But implementing boundaries that individuals can easily set themselves is overreaching and reckless form of policy making. This is a pure free choice sport. 
 

Perhaps aggressive and better education teaching families that really push their kids into these sports about the risks of contact sports would be fair compromise. 

we have seen numbers in the past in this site on decline in number of students playing Football

Is that accurate for football, or just tackle football? I ask because flag football has exploded in popularity to the point where I would absolutely expect that more kids play football - flag and tackle combined - than ever did previously when it was (basically) just tackle.

My kid was in an under 12 tackle league this fall. A teammate got knocked out last play of a game. Like bad. His dad said he got the wind knocked out of him and was fine. I did not like that. I imagine that mentality doesn't really go away once the kid is 12 though. 

There are many areas/examples where we ALL need the community to step in and save us from ourselves. We didn't all start wearing seatbelts because we are wise and cautious.

Yes. It’s better if politicians make all the decisions, like mommy and daddy did before them. They’re the best people and it makes me very secure knowing I don’t have to worry about taking responsibility, especially when it comes to my kids.

there’s hardly a single decision that politicians ever made that helped the common man.

politicians make decisions that help them stay in office and become multi-millionaires. the rest is posturing and pandering 

Yeah, my kid (10) is playing flag football and soccer right now.  I've told him he can play tackle in 8th grade if he still wants to try.  Right now it's about developing coordination and avoiding the buildup of injuries.  

Some of our kids absolutely love football. My 10 year old sleeps with a football like it's a stuffed animal and checked his weight regularly to be sure he was able to play with pads as soon as he was able to. All his friends in school play and the parents get to know each other. It's rare for you to see a kid being forced to play.

For real. Stop trying to change football and ban things that other families love. Find a different sport.

I do think there should be changes in rules of tackling. There’d be far fewer significant injuries if rugby tackling rules were applied to (American) football. 
In also suspect if players weren’t so well armored there would be fewer Ronnie Lott style violent collisions. 

I haven't done a full review, but it's not about countable head -injuries- for young people, it's about repeated hits or "repetitive head impacts."

Neuropathologic and Clinical Findings in Young Contact Sport Athletes Exposed to Repetitive Head Impacts

CNN: It’s not concussions that cause CTE. It’s repeated hits, a study finds

Choosing to play football is an adult choice. College kids should get compensated for playing football, not just pros. High school is a gray area for choice because a person doesn't developmentally become an adult all at once, even though legally it's an on-switch at 18.