Monday, September 10, 2012

A Texas High School Football Rant

The date is quickly approaching.  Tomorrow it will be a full year since I updated my blog.  I hate for that to roll up on side bars, so, out of pride I am breaking down to write something that has been on my mind.  I probably should spend a couple of months catching up on all of the fun we have been having over the last year, but that will come when I have more time.  Yeah, right...

Joe has started high school and has moved up to freshmen football.  Many of his buddies have dropped out to participate in other sports.  But Joe-verload has decided that this is his sport.  He is a big kid.  He is about 5' 11" and weighs 190.  He is not the biggest kid on the team.  Far from it.  Several boys weigh 250.  The freshmen are divided into two teams.  The Gold team is comprised of the smaller boys and the Purple team is made up of man-sized children.  Joe is on the Purple team. 

Joe's team lost the first game, but managed to break two bones of players on the other team.  Our quarterback ended up with a concussion.  This is a rough game.  When I have watched professional or college football I haven't been very concerned about the injuries.  To tell the truth, my biggest concern was how the injury would effect the outcome of the game or of the season.  As I sat on the bleachers watching the ambulance cart the kid with the broken leg away I had a change of perspective.  This could be my kid.  How could we incur all of these injuries for a freshmen football game?  And then there is the big question.  Why do we continue to do this?   Are the lifelong injuries these boys are going to experience worth the joy of the spectators? 

I have other concerns about the football environment, but this is Texas, and I know that my opinions will not change anything. 

Last night Joe came to me at the end of the day and told me he had been thinking a lot about football and had decided that he liked it more than ever, and that he wants to get better and prepare to play varsity in two years.  Clearly, we are not on the same page.

   

3 comments:

Megan said...

Dang. Too bad his passion did not fizzle out so that he could find refuge in the very safe swim team environment.

Fisher Family said...

First of all YAY!!!! You are back to blogging!! I have missed you! I feel the same way you do about football but It was my sons favorite sport so he played while I prayed for no injuries. Now my two oldest grandsons are playing and I really hate that they are but they love it too. In one of their games last Sat. on the other team one boy broke his hip and another broke his wrist. Is it worth it? Annie still deals with pain from her broken wrist from playing volleyball. If she could go back she says she would still play the season with the broken wrist. It was too important to her. I wonder in 20 years if she will still feel the same? Once again it is so good to hear from you! We wish Joe the best!

Unknown said...

I wish Joe-ver-load the best of luck... I'm glad that my Joe's football career was over after a kind of small injury.

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I am a stay at home mom but the clock is ticking. My husband and I only have one child left at home. I enjoy shopping and finding great bargains.