Flag Football Vs. Tackle Football SWH ADDED!

Most boys start regular tackle football around age 5 here. So I would have never thought of starting flag football with a 9 year old.

But you have to do what you're comfortable with. I can say though, if he's not interested why not just skip it. He won't like it and won't put his all into the games.

I don't think a positive spin will help. He wanta tackle. You could ask the.pediatrician to talk with him. There is all sorts of information about why growing kids should not play tackle football. He's only 9. Time for tackle can be later.

I suggest this is a decision to be made by parents. I agree with your thinking. You might tell him that if he breaks a bone he could be suffering the rest of his life and never be able to play football. You are his parents. He's.9 and.isn't mature enough.to see the broader picture. Keeping him safe is your responsibility. For me.this would be non-negotiable. He can choose to play flag or not play at all.

I would sympathize with him while saying I believe tackle can hurt you. We made this decision because it's our responsibility to keep you safe. Perhaps you can play tackle later. Let's see how flag goes. Oops, that is a positive spin.

My dad, who was a high school football coach, did not allow my brother to play tackle football until he was 12. He considered the risk of injury too high for younger children, and he thought that flag football was a good way to learn the basic skills necessary to succeed in the game.

I think it's better to be honest and accept our kids feelings instead of trying to change them.

Marda had a great approach.Own your part in it. Take responsibility for his disappointment AND acknowledge that this wasn't his first choice. Let him know that, sometimes, adults just have to say "no" and that it's also okay that he doesn't like the result. We adults don't always like what is often deemed 'best' for us. And we might not like to have someone trying to convince us that we should like a choice they made for us without our knowledge.

Listen to what he has to say and decide--- together-- if he wants to do flag or just let it go and get your money back. It's better than trying to convince him that he should feel differently about it. I don't know about your 9 year old, but mine is way too smart for that. ;)

I wouldn't force him to play flag football if he doesn't want to. But I would be honest about why you're saying "no" to tackle football. If you have researched concussions and traumatic brain injuries, especially in the growing brain, then tell him. Youth soccer leagues aren't even letting kids head the ball until age 14 or so, and tackle football injuries are much worse. If you have talked to the pediatrician, tell your son that. (If you haven't, please do so.)

I think starting out with football after no experience whatsoever on any type of sports team is pretty tough. Specialized positions with specialized skills, tons of drills, and so on is a lot for a 9 year old to understand if he's never done anything before. At least on soccer (and basketball) teams, everyone learns to kick (or dribble) and pass, and there's more action on an ongoing basis.

Find out from him what the appeal is. Does he just like the idea of knocking people down? Does he think that's all the game is? (A lot of kids do - that's why I ask the question.)

But the bottom line is, you are the parents. You're going to make decisions he might not like. But it's best if you can explain your rationale.

My son (10) has played flag since he was 6. He really likes it. We never presented tackle as an option - it is NOT an option now and will never be an option. It is way, way too dangerous. My son knows several kids who have had concussions and have missed a lot of school. One still has headaches months later. He also knows that getting hit in tackle football (even without diagnosed concussion) damages your brain PERMANENTLY and is aware of NFL players who have dies with CTE. Plus flag football is FUN, they don't need hot and awkward pads and helmets and his friends play.

We started tackle here at 8 or 9 - flag isn't an option. However, if I had been given the choice, I probably would have only picked flag for safety reasons. What I don't understand is why you are negotiating this with a child? You - parent - says flag. If he doesn't want to play flag, then he plays nothing . . .

Don't worry about putting a positive spin, worry more about making sure your son understands who makes the final decisions for the kids in the family.

Good luck

I would let my kid play tackle, but that wasn't your question.
For issues where the answer is "no," that one word is a complete sentence. He doesn't have to be happy about it, but he does have to accept it.
He has two options - play flag, or don't play football at all.

My boys are 11 and 9 and have been playing sports since they were 4, 3 seasons a year and swimming in summer. They have both done flag football and it's the only football we will let them play. I saw too many injuries growing up and still see them. Plus tackle is SO time intensive. These kids start practicing now and don't stop until the season is over in December.

Locally tackle starts at 4 and some kids start that early, we don't. Our boys can play tackle if they want starting in high school...but not before then. And even then I won't like it.

I think you made a very wise decision to not play tackle (at least at this age). I think you can put a positive spin on it while being firm in your decision at the same time. Let him know that flag will be an awesome way to learn the game, and will make him a better player later on if he decides to play tackle (or continue in flag). And of course point out how many friends he is going to make and how much fun he will have. It's ok to sympathize with him if he's still upset ("I know you're disappointed because you think tackle would be more fun. We will not allow tackle in this family until age X. I think you're going to be a great football player on this team, and can't wait to see how much fun you have. If you'd rather not play at all, we understand and will find something else for you to do."). It's possible to be positive, sympathetic, and firm.

they offer flag football here through 7th grade. Even in middle school they don't play tackle until 8th grade. Flag football is the same concept minus the pads. The plays you run are the same, you learn to be agile to avoid getting your flags pulled. My son used to want to play tackle but he was watching some NFL games and saw the hits and he is perfectly content playing flag. He is 11 now. With all the concussion stuff going on and the pros saying they don't want their kids playing tackle, especially so young there is no reason to rush into tackle if flag is offered. Especially never playing a team sport before. My nephew played tackle about that age (if not younger) and he would have bruises all over his arms from the helmets, and didn't like getting laid out. He doesn't play anymore and his football years were short. My son has been playing tag for 5 years and still loves to play.

I worked with a man who played football up through college.
He DID NOT ALLOW his son to play football in any shape or form AT ALL.
He said it's just not a healthy sport.
With all the repeated concussion brain damage that occurs that they are just now starting to look at seriously, we're very glad our son was never interested in it.
Granted your child is 9 and they are more light weight at that age but they continue playing into high school and college and I've seen the size of some of the high school players.
Any sport where 6 or more 300lb guys can jump on top of you is just no place I want any child of mine to be.

There is a lot that goes into learning how to play tackle football. My son started out about 8 years old. He had to lose a few pounds to make the team (teams were by weight and age). The organization that sponsored the tackle football taught the boys how to fall when hit and how to hit to knock a player down and roll without being hurt. I don't know if they still do this as it has been over 30 years ago. The teams were like mini pro teams.

There was a lot of practice drills, running for conditioning done weekly before the Saturday morning games. So you as parents will be involved in the sport.

If son is upset about not getting to tackle someone then he does not get to play football. He can play it later in high school when he tries out for the team. We don't always get everything we want in life. A chance for life lesson.

The best to the tween/teen years. My son played from age 8 to 17 but he loved the game and was co-captain on his high school team.

the other S.

You can't, it is a joke. Why didn't you tell him you were signing him up for flag before you did so he could say never mind?

I am not saying I think football is a great sport or safe but if your kid wanted to play football why did you sign him up for a different sport. Why didn't you just say no? It just seems like you are trying to kick the can down the street instead of making your decision known.

It's an easier way to learn skills and positioning, I would think, without trying to learn how to hit and take a hit safely. We have a tackle football league in my are for kiddos age and there were a couple of scary injuries a few years ago - fractured vertebrae, broken arm, concussion. I would be much more comfortable starting with flag football.

My son only played flag as a little guy. One thing I made sure to point out to him was when we happened to be driving by the field on hot August day and saw all these little guys practicing in full uniform! My son hates to be hot and those images sealed the deal.

The other thing that helped is that I think he really trusted my decision when I told him it is a dangerous sport and he could get hurt for life. He never questioned my choice. We also exposed him to many other sports so he could find things he loved.

One of his baseball buddies got a serious concussion in hockey practice over the winter. He missed 2+ weeks of school, his grades are really dropping and his personality has changed drastically. The kicker.........his parents kept him in hockey and he will be playing football in the fall. :(

Has he tried flag football before?

If not - arrange a fun game with family and friends. Let him see for himself if it's for him. Sometimes kids who haven't played sports like the idea of a sport - but don't know much about it.

We did this with hockey. We had kids over and played hockey on our ice before our kids tried out. One decided (himself) to wait for a few years.

Some sports organizations have open-house days for just this purpose. Or summer day camp or even weekend camps - for this reason.

We've had to say no before - and with good reason. We just say no. No debate.

Tell him that if he does well in flag football, then he can try tackle. He has to show that he can do well on the team before he gets to go to the higher league. Don't waiver on it. He has to earn it. Don't bother to talk about safety with him. He doesn't care about that. He isn't mature enough to understand and thinks you're just "holding him back". Instead, tell him that he has to earn the privilege. THAT, he will understand.

You can have your son read some of the reports that are out. Check the dates of article written. Some may have been written 5 or 10 years ago. He might be swayed to play flag-football for a few more years after reading a few stories.

http://www.today.com/health/playing-tackle-football-12-im...

http://ideas.time.com/2012/11/06/why-kids-under-14-should...

edit: I agree with Diane B. that starting any team sport (let alone tackle football) would be tough for most 9 year olds. Is he in 3rd or 4th grade?

I think you have got a lot of great advice here and I don't have much to add other than I 100% agree that flag is the way to go to start out. My son started with flag football that was offered through his school at about the same age your son is now. It's still competitive and a good way to learn the rules of the game. Since it sounds he is new to team sports it will be good for learning how to be apart of a team.
I am not sure if he feels this way or not but it he feel that flag football is a baby form of football maybe take him to a part or community college to see that bigger boy and men play it and have fun doing it.
Hang in there. Once he starts to play and becomes a part of the team his feelings will change. Once the games start I am sure he will have fun and really get into the sprit of things!!