Concussions, Football & Choice

With the Super Bowl tomorrow, the stories about the negative impacts of concussions and the NFL have once again become a national story line.

While stories like this one are truly tragic, it does not take into account every thing it should. Concussions are serious, but football is the only thing under scrutiny. Why? You can get a concussion simply getting out of bed, getting struck in the head, or from a car accident just to name a few examples. Yet, once again, football is vilified. Why?

No one ever seems to be able to answer that question. In this day and age, they do not even bother to try.

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Life is dangerous, but it is also a choice. You can choose to live your life on your own terms, or you can choose to live in fear of everything including your own shadow.

"He will never play football...” - Justin Timberlake

Then you have statements like this from everyone - politicians, the media, and celebrities - who proclaim the problem with football expecting the masses to fall in line.

To have anyone lecture me about their choice - assuming that I would dutifully fall in line - is insulting to say the least.

Yet, once again, here we are. We will be lectured by people about the perils of playing football while promoting the biggest football game in the world.

Whether your child plays football is up to each parent, each child. For my son, he played. He played every year from fourth grade right on through high school. Every time he stepped out onto the field, he felt more alive than ever. I was at each and every one of his games to see it in him for myself.

Who are you to deny anyone the right to choose?

Every football player at every level knows the risk of playing. But there is risk in everything you do. To live a life without risk is no life at all. It does not even qualify as existence.

If you are afraid, if you are afraid for your child to play - do realize what message you are communicating. A life without risk is what you should strive for in this world. It is your choice, but it is not my choice. It is not my son's choice.

My son played. If my grandson wants to play, I will be at every one of his games that I can make it to. I will want to see him realize that risk is worth the reward and the failure.

I will want them to know what living life really means.