FoxTrot Classics by Bill Amend for October 09, 2010

She’s your sister; ulterior motives are what she does.

Of all the sports, football is the worst on a young body. That’s the only sport I did not allow our sons to play. While Nab is right about sports in general, it’s hard to keep them out entirely. But football does more long-term damage than any other. BTW, I wrestled for years and managed to escape unscathed, but then, I wasn’t all that intense.

Yeah, I kept my boys off the football field, too! Best thing I ever did. A couple of their classmates who made the team were seriously injured. One never recovered from a back injury.

Our son when in HS coach wanted all boys and girls learn football, our son never tried out for football wasn’t interested in any sport.

Yeah, but the worst injuries I ever witnessed watching high school events were at my daughter’s gymnastics meets.

Second place goes to the pole vault during track season.

Brr, I wouldn’t send my kids even to soccer.

What a bunch of wuzzes.

When my son wanted to play football in high school (he had already played little league and soccer) the entire family had a collective heart attack. When I brought him to our pediatrician before his freshman year I brought up the subject. His advice was to make sure he was exercising and running every day to build up his stamina and muscle strength. My son took it very much to heart and when he started playing he was in such good physical shape (thank God and the Dr.) that he escaped with a lot of bruises and a sprained ankle and not much else. The week before he started playing we suffered the loss of a soccer player on the field and the massive injury of a baseball player playing what they call “Fall Ball” in my town. I think you take a chance with your children playing any sport: gymnastics, cheerleading, tennis, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey ( I could go on and on). I also think there comes a time when you prepare them as best you can. My son was not the star player on the team but he enjoyed the experience so much and was so happy I really am glad we did not deny him. We did pray and cross our fingers a lot (according to our separate beliefs) but he survived. And to kittenpah, my son took a gymnastics course one summer and stopped because he said it was ‘too scary”. I think if he had taken it up I would have been hiding in a closet somewhere from fear during his performances.

A female friend of mine also suffered a back injury from playing football in her 20’s with friends. She still hasn’t recovered 15 years later and has a hard time working (computer work) due to the pain.

I think the 2 least dangerous sports are soccer and baseball.