What age should players start playing tackle football

[sheppy]

Coaches, administrators, parents give me your opinion on the age that kids should be allowed to play tackle football?

All opinions matter.

[Blaze45]

 2 points to make on this topic

This really all relative to how well organized and coached these leagues /players  are. Sound fundamentals and technique is a must for these leagues to be any benefit. Taking a kid and letting them do what they want the way they want because they happen to be bigger than the other 7-8 year old's absolutely does more damage than good. Eventually they will be in middle school and high school and get beat like a tied up goat because they were never properly coached. 

I would let a kid play tackle at any age that truly "wanted" to play. I think more now than ever kids are playing at a younger age because their momor dad said it was something they were going to do. Granted sport provides so many building blocks for young men and women preparing for life. It also build resentment for a game that they never loved , but learned to hate all in order to make dad happy and give him something to brag on around the water cooler. 

That being said if a kid has a true desire to play the game and to be coached and challenged to do things he may or may not wanna do. I say let them do it. A kid who is passionate about something should have the chance to see if it is really all they think it is . 

[Gerry Bertier]

My personal opinion is middle school. Kids can play flag up til then to help with agility and coordination. At that point you significantly lower chances of long term head injuries. 

[bounder]

And then go home and play unsupervised tackle in the backyard, like boys always have.

[strongx]

 Let the kids play when they want to play. It beats video games. Very few 7-8 hit hard enough to hurt anybody. Yes, you do have to look out for the crazy coaches.

Edited February 3, 2018 by strongx

[Lost Old Dad]

Quote

 

Same age as Little League Baseball, so basically 6 or 7.  That's when I started.

[Bravey]

I say as young as they want too .. if they get to later in their middle school and high school some get burned out but most dont ... and the ones that do may pick up baseball or basketball instead if they havent been playing .. I coached 9 and 10 year olds for years .. never had a kid hurt other than scrapes and bruises .. you teach tackling properly   .. I had 3 kids  in 2 diifferent years after football season go home after seasons and 2 of them fell out of tree and broke arm ... the other got run over by his brother on bicycle and broke his thumb  .. so !!!!!!!!!!!!

[sx1234]

You could make an argument for as young as possible, or you could make an argument for not at all- Just depends on whose Kool Aid you wish to sip from.  In my opinion though, don't take parenting advice from message boards!

 

[SdotBears]

14 hours ago, sx1234 said:

You could make an argument for as young as possible, or you could make an argument for not at all- Just depends on whose Kool Aid you wish to sip from.  In my opinion though, don't take parenting advice from message boards!

 

[STARSNBARS]

5 hours ago, SdotBears said:

[HTV]

1 hour ago, STARSNBARS said:

Hmmmmm.  I think those guys sit a few rows down and to the right of the press box at The Skeeter on Friday nights in the fall.  

[STARSNBARS]

5 hours ago, HTV said:

Hmmmmm.  I think those guys sit a few rows down and to the right of the press box at The Skeeter on Friday nights in the fall.  

HTV if'un eye cain git tha littull fellers two shave we mite bee abull two git tham inn pee-wees att Mairvul......