We need to do a better job of figuring out how we can protect players without becoming overprotective.
Growing up, I played every type of sport. When I got to middle school, I played football, ran track, and continued with those sports all the way through high school.
In my youth, my teammates and I were encouraged to always do our best. And, whether we won or lost, we could always hold our heads high and declare, “We did our best!”
Today it can be different, especially when it comes to injuries–something that we didn’t talk about much back then. In tackle football, for example, the big discussion is about concussions and head injuries. In youth soccer, a player isn’t allowed to head a ball until he/she is twelve. There have been rules changes in professional sports, too.
But how far do you go before you change a game fundamentally?
The stark reality is that sports can be physically brutal. Of that, there’s little debate. But where is the dividing line between doing what we can to protect players and being overprotective of players?
For my money, I think we’ve gone too far in the latter direction. And because of it, I think coaches are often coaching with hands tied behind their backs.
I’d like to see us get back to basics, which not only includes teaching youth how to play a game–and play it well–but helping them see that sports can be fun and a learning experience.
