Should I Let My Child Play American Football?

Does your child have the right age (14 or over) to play football?

Does your child want to play football?

Does your child want to play football in their free time?

Is your child emotionally ready to play football?

Does your child understand the commitment?

Does your child understand it’s a contact sport?

Based on your answers, it is unlikely that you should let your child play American football. Your child does simply not have the right age yet to get into tackle football; it would be too dangerous. So, if your child is too young to play tackle football, consider letting them play flag football first, which is basically a non-contact version of American football. Then, when your child is physically and mentally ready for the next step, he or she could move on to tackle football.

Based on your answers, your child is displaying some signs that you should let him or her play American football. However, don’t put pressure on your child, let him or her decide if it’s the sport they would like to play. It’s never a bad idea to let a child try different sports to understand what they like the most. Playing football can be a great experience for kids, however, make sure to know the risks of this sport. And if your child has simply no interest in the sports, that is completely fine too! What matters is that your child is happy, healthy, and surrounded by the right people!

Based on your answers, your child is displaying the signs that he or she would love to play American football. That is great, because football is an amazing sport! However, make sure to know the risks and what to expect going in. If you think it’s still too soon for your child to play tackle football, consider letting them play flag football first. Flag football is basically the non-contact version of American football, which is a great way of getting to know the sports and culture. Playing sports in general is a great way for kids to learn valuable life lessons, such as sportsmanship, fair play, dealing with success and dealing with failure!