Is football an option for our kids?

In one of our discussion sections, we talked about how dangerous sports have become over the past years. It has gotten to the point where parents today are keeping their children from playing starting at early ages. Some students in class talked about how their high school sport injuries had kept them from competing at the next level. Too many concussions, blew out their knee, etc. So many horrible accidents are coming from an activity that we all love to do.

I had a similar experience. I played varsity soccer at Lake Travis High School, a 4A powerhouse that made it to the state finals my junior year. I also played simultaneously for Lonestar Soccer Club on the second team year-round. This is a lot of soccer and I loved every minute of it; however, it might have been a little too much. After suffering from a huge knee injury, I had to decide whether reconstructive surgery would be worth it. I very much had the potential to play in college but after seeing the dangers of any and all sports, I had to decide to just focus on my academics and play soccer on the side for fun. This was a heartbreaking decision for me. Soccer had been my life every since I was 4 years old. Although it might not have been something I was excited about giving up, it ended up being the right choice. I am currently super healthy and injury-free while still being able to play intramural soccer.

These types of situations are crucial to examine because they could make or break your future as well as your health.