Vent: I hate FOOTBALL!

[lindrusso]

Grrrrrr........

My 10 year old DS is doing football for the first time this year. It is turning into a nightmare, mostly because of all the friggin' equipment.

When you get the uniform, they basically throw all of the stuff in boxes, set it out and you go through the line and pick up what you need. Only I didn't really know what we needed and didn't even know what half the stuff is. We needed a jersey, pants, practice pants, a girdle, leg/thigh pads, shoulder pads, helmet, chin strap, belt and I feel like I am forgetting something.

Every time we get ready for FB, it's a frustration and so far he's only had to wear his helmet. :rolleyes: But today, 5 minutes before we are supposed to leave for practice, he informs me that they are supposed to be in full uniform. ARGH! First, the girdle doesn't seem to have a place to hold his cup, so that is odd. Then, we can't get all the stupid leg pads into the stupid pockets and have no idea where some of them are even supposed to go. Then, we have a really hard time getting the jersey on over his shoulder pads. DH ends up saying we may have to rip it. Yeah, that's a GREAT solution. :rolleyes: DS ends up in tears and doesn't make it to practice.

I'm having his friend next door come over tomorrow and show us how to get him dressed! I think they really need to have a "how to put on your uniform" night or a handout or something. We're clueless!

Sheesh - give me basketball any day - shoes, socks, a jersey and shorts and you're done! Baseball, easy. Soccer, no problem.

I'm blaming the uniform, but it's also my son's attitude that's making it miserable. I'm trying to encourage him to keep with it - I want him to be able to play at least one game before he quits, but this may be one sport he gives up on (he's a sports NUT). And I won't shed any tears, I can tell you. And certainly have no intentions of forcing him to play if he decided he doesn't want to, I just don't want him to give up playing just because the uniform is a pain.

Anyway, that's my vent. :rolleyes:

[charley]

I'm blaming the uniform, but it's also my son's attitude that's making it miserable. I'm trying to encourage him to keep with it - I want him to be able to play at least one game before he quits, but this may be one sport he gives up on (he's a sports NUT). And I won't shed any tears, I can tell you. And certainly have no intentions of forcing him to play if he decided he doesn't want to, I just don't want him to give up playing just because the uniform is a pain.

Anyway, that's my vent. :rolleyes:

The uniform frustration may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. I don't think kids should be playing such a violent game.

[lindrusso]

The uniform frustration may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. I don't think kids should be playing such a violent game.

I have mixed feelings about it, but I felt like I had to let him try it now - he's so small that he'll likely not get many more chances to play. DH has no problems with it at all, so even if I did object, I'd get outvoted...........

[mbrogier]

I'd be afraid that the smaller kids would get injured more.

I went through over 12 months of physical therapy after injuring my neck in a horseback riding accident. In high school PE, our teacher insisted that everyone play flag football. An overachiever tackled me and wrenched my neck back out. All that therapy ruined in less that 30 seconds. I'm lucky I didn't break my neck.

Rob broke his nose playing flag football. He's also had to have surgery because he couldn't breathe well because of the injury and allergies.

No kid of mine will ever play football.

[kima]

As I have posted before track and field is one of the biggest passion in my life. Right now I am glued to the internet and TV as the World Championships are on. :o :cool:
There are many, many reasons why I love the sport but the simplicity of the equipment needed is one of them. All a child needs is shorts, a T-shirt and shoes.
Another wonderful aspect of the sport is that there is an event for every body type-from small to big, skinny to heavy, fast or slow. It is also one of the few sports men and women do at the same time at the same venue.
That is my plug for the best sport in the world. :D :p

I do feel your pain. I remember taking care of my sister's boys and having to help dress them for hockey. I had no clue how to do it- they ended up half dressed at the arena and I nabbed the first dad I saw to take over. It was a nightmare!

[lindrusso]

Kima - I often think about track and field for him, but I guess we'll have to wait a while since they don't have that for kids his age. Something to keep in mind for the future.

His real passion is for baseball - a sport that doesn't require as much bulk. The pro players are usually pretty big, but at least you don't have to worry about him being mowed down by one. ;) He loves basketball too, but he's a real shorty, so I don't know how long he'll be able to do that.

I'm kind of hoping that he'll drop football next year and maybe that will free him up to play soccer. He's a very speedy little guy and I think he'd love a sport where he'd get to run a lot!

Injuries are a worry - I'm a mom ;) - but there is risk of injury everywhere and in any sport. I get more nervous watching him careen down the hill on his bike or scooter or climb a tree. :)

[lindrusso]

I'd be afraid that the smaller kids would get injured more.

If you saw these little peewees with all their equipment on, I don't know if you'd worry so much. They look so loaded down, I doubt they'd get up enough speed or power to do much harm! Seriously - N is really fast and would probably make a great receiver, but I'm not sure he can even see the ball, let alone turn around and actually catch it with all that gear on! :D

[mom2garret]

I know exatly how you feel because it used to be me. DS have been into hockey. Is first season was last year and it ran from Sept thru April. Then he decided to do a clinic, once a week from June thru this August. Now we are gearing up from the season again.

I make him start padding up 1/2 hr before we leave. Everything gets put on except shirt, elbow pads, helmet, gloves and skates. When we get to the rink, it takes maybe 10 minutes to finish. In the winter we add the shirt and elbow pads before we leave the house (not hot out).
The shirt is tough to get over the pads but you will get the hang of it. Put his head thru first, then kind of pull each shouldger over the pad and then uroll the rest straight down (I am assuming you are having the problem with shirt rolling and bunching up).

Have your friend help and it will all make sense.

As far as what charley said, at age 10 I doubt they are playing extremely violent. With all the correct gear and with coaches that are really watching, it is really safe.
DS is not allowed to check in hockey yet and he loves to play defense. During the clinic, he checked someone and was pulled over and talked to. I then got a hold of him and gave him a few uncertain words/rules of my own.
let's just say it never happened again.

Hope that this helps. Sorry for the lenght of my post :o
Jodi

[HejazSunKat]

I think they really need to have a "how to put on your uniform" night or a handout or something.

Sheesh! No kidding! This is supposed to be protective safety equipment they have to wear. Yeah, I think it would be a good idea to have a handout ready with a list of each piece of equipment they will need, someone should be available to assist the kids in picking out the equipment that will fit them instead of tossing it all willy nilly into boxes AND they should have a session on how to put it all on. This is a safety issue and I'd bring it up with whoever is running the team (whether it's a school or outside sports association). Protective equipment is useless or could do more harm than good if it doesn't fit or isn't being worn properly.

signed,
Linda-who-works-for-an-insanely-safety-conscious-chemical-company

[LittleBrownCat]

When you get the uniform, they basically throw all of the stuff in boxes, set it out and you go through the line and pick up what you need. Only I didn't really know what we needed and didn't even know what half the stuff is. We needed a jersey, pants, practice pants, a girdle, leg/thigh pads, shoulder pads, helmet, chin strap, belt and I feel like I am forgetting something.


Ummm...aren't there any coaches or equipment managers, etc. to go over this with you? :confused: How else are you supposed to know what goes where? Perhaps you ought to mention this to someone in charge, and see if there are any other parents as confused as you. It may not do any good for this year, but it might prevent some headaches next year.

I agree with Linda--all that stuff won't do any good if it isn't used properly. You might just as well send him out there wrapped in pillows!

[newtricks]

Alysha-

I could have written your post last year. I just could not handle the equipment, it took me weeks to get comfortable with it. Finding everything before every practice! Getting that rassafrassing helmet on ds's head! Forgetting cleats! Washing everything after every practice! Ugh, ds (about to turn 10) announced he wanted to try soccer this year. Ummmm, OK! :D

I don't know about your son but mine was not a lot of help last year so of course all the responsibility fell on me. 3/4/even 5th grade just seems young for tackle football. Ironically dh is the head coach for the flag football rec program in town. But that's where it ends for us apparently. :cool:

[do-lolly]

I have two tips for you. Put the pads in the pants and then don't take them out again. I just put the pants complete with pads into the wash. After a few times trying to get pads back in, I decided, I wouldn't do it again.

My second tip is to put the jersey on the pads before putting them on, then slip the pads complete with jersey over the head. DH played peewee football and this is a trick that he used. If you will notice, when HS players are walking with their equipment in hand the jersey and shoulder pads are already put together and the mask of the helmet is put in the neck of the shoulder pads, so they can carry all of it at once. When game time comes, they just slip the whole thing over their head.

[badunnin]

Wait until it all starts to smell. ;) My hockey gear gets kept in the shed these days!

[do-lolly]

I looked up sports injury statistics, and this popped up over and over again. I find it interesting that basketball has the highest rate. Of course it doesn't tell what type of injuries, or the severity of them. I couldn't find that info in a neat little package like this. I'm sure it's out there, but it's early and I don't feel like spending hours looking it up right now. Anway, I thought this was interesting.

basketball
More than 205,400 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for basketball-related injuries.

baseball and softball
Nearly 108,300 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for baseball-related injuries. Baseball also has the highest fatality rate among sports for children ages 5 to 14, with three to four children dying from baseball injuries each year.

bicycling
Nearly 285,000 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries.

football
Almost 185,700 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for football-related injuries.

ice skating
Nearly 10,600 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for ice skating-related injuries.

in-line skating
Nearly 27,200 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for in-line skating-related injuries.

skateboarding
More than 50,000 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for skateboarding-related injuries.

sledding
More than 15,000 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for sledding-related injuries.

snow skiing/snowboarding
More than 35,000 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for snow boarding and snow skiing-related injuries.

soccer
About 75,000 children ages five to 14 were treated in hospital emergency rooms for soccer-related injuries.

trampolines
Nearly 80,000 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for trampoline-related injuries.

ice hockey
According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, over 18,000 young people under the age of 18 were treated in Emergency Departments for ice hockey-related injuries in 2001-2002.

[badunnin]

do-lolly - what also needs to be taken into consideration though is how many kids are playing each sport. As a percentage, the number of kids playing hockey that are injured is much greater than those statistics would lead you to believe. More kids play basketball than hockey, so more kids are injured.

[do-lolly]

I agree. That's what I was looking for, but this same list popped up every time. I'm sure that info is out there, it's just a matter of finding it. I think it's a quest now. We'll see what I come up with.

[dixie]

I have two tips for you. Put the pads in the pants and then don't take them out again. I just put the pants complete with pads into the wash. After a few times trying to get pads back in, I decided, I wouldn't do it again.

My second tip is to put the jersey on the pads before putting them on, then slip the pads complete with jersey over the head. DH played peewee football and this is a trick that he used. If you will notice, when HS players are walking with their equipment in hand the jersey and shoulder pads are already put together and the mask of the helmet is put in the neck of the shoulder pads, so they can carry all of it at once. When game time comes, they just slip the whole thing over their head.

Ditto to all of the above!!! keeping those dad gum pads in the pants is such a great trick.

i'm a dissenter on the "violence" of football...and am admittedly prejudiced since my brother played, my husband played thru college and my senior HS son has played for 6-7 years w/o injury... I think its worthy of note that the injuries sited above happened in flag football where there is no protective gear...and most coaches will tell you that many more injuries happen during back lot "pick up" games than on the practice or game field for the same reason. I know there are certainly horrible exceptions, but I'm not sure its a much bigger percentage than many other sports. Just MHO...

[zackaboo]

I agree. That's what I was looking for, but this same list popped up every time. I'm sure that info is out there, it's just a matter of finding it. I think it's a quest now. We'll see what I come up with.

And how is that supposed to make Lindrusso feel better? :confused:

[do-lolly]

i'm a dissenter on the "violence" of football...and am admittedly prejudiced since my brother played, my husband played thru college and my senior HS son has played for 6-7 years w/o injury... I think its worthy of note that the injuries sited above happened in flag football where there is no protective gear...and most coaches will tell you that many more injuries happen during back lot "pick up" games than on the practice or game field for the same reason. I know there are certainly horrible exceptions, but I'm not sure its a much bigger percentage than many other sports. Just MHO...

I agree. People talk about this sport or that sport being dangerous, but think nothing of sending their kids out to ride a bike without a helmet. Even worse, I have many friends who won't let their kids play certain sports but think nothing of their child jumping on a 500lb ATV without helmet, pads or boots and letting them ride through the woods. Same goes for skateboards. Did you know that diving into a pool causes more neck and spine injuries in kids than any other sport. I just learned that the other day. Anyway. I really would like to know what the percentages are for sports injuries, because I have boys too, and the above speech of mine is based on my opinion and not fact. I'm going to do research on this topic and start another thread about it. I'm sorry Lindrusso, I will not hijack your thread anymore.:o

[do-lolly]

And how is that supposed to make Lindrusso feel better? :confused:



Because I think a lot of people's knee jerk reaction to football is that it's dangerous. I think, especially for the age of Lindrusso's son, there are many more dangerous activities. I may be wrong, but I would like to find out for sure.

BTW, I orginally posted this in response to Charley's statement and the discussion that followed. I should have quoted her in my first post, but I didn't, that's my bad.

[ljt2r]

Because I think a lot of people's knee jerk reaction to football is that it's dangerous. I think, especially for the age of Lindrusso's son, there are many more dangerous activities. I may be wrong, but I would like to find out for sure.

BTW, I orginally posted this in response to Charley's statement and the discussion that followed. I should have quoted her in my first post, but I didn't, that's my bad.

I come from a big time football family--dad and 2 brothers all played in college, and one brother is a college football coach. However, none of my brothers were allowed to play until after puberty (i.e., middle school, 7th grade I think). Our pedi felt that the injuries that do occur in peewee football can really mess up growth issues (any pediatricians or orthopedic surgeons out there?). Have no idea if it is true or not and can't really tell you more, but that was the rule in my house.

I agree with those of you who think football as a rule gets demonized. Don't know if I think it is a good game for 10n yr olds, but that is probably my upbringing. We didn't play hockey in my family, so I have no idea about that, but baseball and basketball were definitely played at all ages.

[JoanneOR]

Alysha, OMG, I could have written your exact post a couple weeks ago when my 9 and 10 year olds started their football practices! I've gotten used to the equipment, but won't be sorry to see it go when the season is over. ;)

Do-lolly, I didn't know you could actually keep the pads in the pants when washing them! You have saved me and my boys countless hours of stress and frustration!! :D :D DH, too. He can't understand my need to wash their stuff after each practice. Um, well, the smell is a bit much! The boys can't get the pads back in themselves, but they try. They usually come downstairs ready to cry from frustration and DH shoves them back in for them. Then looks at me like why do you have to wash these so often?? Thank you!!

I have mixed feelings about this whole football thing. My older son Jameson played with his friends occasionally outside and liked it, so he said, sure, I'll play. My second son Ian reluctantly agreed. I think it's both alot more than either one of them bargained for. The practices are intense - two hours five nights a week. Jameson is OK with it - but he's not loving it. He's very competitive and always wants to finish what he's started. Ian hates it - gets upset every night when it's time to go. I think it's partly the physical work and partly because he's not real good at it. He is trying, though, and that's all we ask. I do worry about injuries, but both my boys will be on the B team and will only play the B teams of other schools, which are basically the newer kids. We haven't played an actual game yet - the first one is next weekend. I'm hoping they'll both enjoy it more once the games start. And, we only play seven games, so it'll be over soon! I'd be surprised if either one wanted to play again next year.

I have to say I almost worry more about injury in soccer than football, especially as the kids get older and stronger. Besides shin guards there's no protection. Jameson and my other son who is 8 both love it and are playing in the fall.

[mom2garret]

Wait until it all starts to smell. ;) My hockey gear gets kept in the shed these days!

HA! Garret keeps telling me it is all about the smell. Even after washing that stuff is ripe!
Jodi

[hollysmom]

Once again - I'm glad I have girls!

SSM

[mom2garret]

Once again - I'm glad I have girls!

SSM

I wouldn't trade it for the world! I love supporting him. Actually, DH and I could probably count on one hand the number of times we watched hockey on tv. I now need a hockey fix! When he played baseball after coming off hockey it was a slow, dying death for me. Not the same pace at all (he was still in coach pitch) :p
Jodi

[badunnin]

Once again - I'm glad I have girls!

SSM

Hey, I played hockey starting when I was 4, and played all through high school and college (and beyond!)

[lindrusso]

I have two tips for you. Put the pads in the pants and then don't take them out again. I just put the pants complete with pads into the wash. After a few times trying to get pads back in, I decided, I wouldn't do it again.

My second tip is to put the jersey on the pads before putting them on, then slip the pads complete with jersey over the head. DH played peewee football and this is a trick that he used. If you will notice, when HS players are walking with their equipment in hand the jersey and shoulder pads are already put together and the mask of the helmet is put in the neck of the shoulder pads, so they can carry all of it at once. When game time comes, they just slip the whole thing over their head.

Oh yeah, I had already decided that the pads weren't coming out, but when it came time to wash them, I might have taken them out, so thanks!

But your jersey tip is the BEST! I could kiss you! ;) We will give that a try.

And how is that supposed to make Lindrusso feel better? :confused:

That's okay, I took her post to show that football is NOT the only sport with injuries and maybe not the sport with the most. As I said, I'm not overly worried, but there are other sports I'd rather he played.

Well, wish me luck. He has practice tomorrow - we have to leave around 5:30 and I can assure you that we'll be starting the uniform at 4:00, even if he has to take it all off again before we go.

His coach left a message on the answering machine wondering where N was yesterday. I didn't call him because then I'd have to explain what really happened.......... :o

Thanks for the commiseration sports moms. :)

[tbb113]

Alysha - Michael didn't start playing until HS so he was capable of putting the pads in...but we almost always left them in the pants and girdle so they could be washed also. Ditto the comment about the jersey and the pads. Re the cup....he doesn't wear one and he is an offensive lineman. Re the smell...febreeze is my friend :) College level football is great...the equipment manager does the laundry :D

[Kristilyn1]

I agree, that anyone who automatically thinks that football is a stupid sport for young children or is too violent---should really look into it before they dismiss it. I was one of those "my kids will never play" mom. Until my son begged to play. My 11 year old---this is his third year. My 8 year old---this is his second year. They both adore it and neither has had any injuries whatsoever. The schedule sucks. The equipment shuffle sucks. But, if your kids enjoy it and you have good coaches---it's a phenomenal sport.

Some of the things I heard that simply were not true for our experience.

1. The parents are rowdy and disrespectful. The worst parents I've run into are baseball, not anything against the sport, both my kids have played and my youngest still does, but the football parents I've encountered cheer for BOTH teams and if you backtalk an official there's a really good chance our coach will kick your butt out of the game, though this has never happened to date.

2. Kids get hurt all the time. The injuries for the most part are pretty minor---a lot of stepped on fingers and twisted ankles. One of our orthopedic guys told me that the most common injuries they see that end up being serious or compromise further growth are baseball pitchers (parents who push them too fast, too young) and gymnastics---again, being pushed too far, too young.

3. It's all about winning, winning, winning. Nope. We have minimum play requirements and every single kid on the roster will play. Our coaches will put in the second string even if we are losing by only a small amount and it can make the difference between a win or a loss. Often times, depending on the age there are no play offs.

4. It's too strenuous, or the coaches expect way too much of the kids. Every year there might be two or three kids who really don't like all the practices or find the workouts too much. Every other kid that I know that plays, can't wait for practice and absolutely love it. It is the kind of sport that you probably should REALLY enjoy, since it is such a huge time commitment. The kids who don't enjoy it almost always quit or put in their year and don't return.

This is not meant to be a ringing endorsement of football and down on other sports. My kids play multiple sports and enjoy them all. Most are well run and organized and have the same child-centered focus. I just wanted to point out that some of the misconceptions are just that, misconceptions. Trust me, I had them too!

Regarding the washing of pads. Please check with your equipment managers as we have been assured by ours that washing the pads causes them to much more quickly break down and since equipment is the single biggest expense---they have begged us over and over to NOT wash the pads, ever.

I have made my boys attempt their own pad changing/equipping since day one. The first few weeks have meant I was doing most of it after they become frustrated but I still made them attempt it each time. Now they both do all their own equipment. Our coach advised us to only wash the stuff every other practice to cut down on pad meltdown (when the kids meltdown doing the pads). They shower afterwards, it's really not that big a deal.

Also, as an aside--the cup definitely does not go in the girdle. You need cup underwear of some sort. I agree though that an equipment lesson should be included in every equipment pass out night. There are many tricks out there to assist and it would be nice if everyone did them. If your son plays next year, you should definitely speak up and suggest it.

Kristi

[leightx]

I have no experience with actual football players (although I love watching HS and college games), but I did want to mention that this has been a really enlightening thread for me. I am one of those moms who was dreading my son deciding he wanted to play football. It hasn't come up at our house yet (he's only 7), but I suspect it will at some point. After all, we live in Texas, and football is king here, and Travis loves any and all sports. After reading all the comments, I'll probably be approaching it with a more open mind, although I hope we can hold him off until at least 5th or 6th grade.

[lindrusso]

Also, as an aside--the cup definitely does not go in the girdle. You need cup underwear of some sort. I agree though that an equipment lesson should be included in every equipment pass out night. There are many tricks out there to assist and it would be nice if everyone did them. If your son plays next year, you should definitely speak up and suggest it.

Kristi

Thanks for the info and perspective, Kristi.

Seems like they SHOULD have a place for the cup in the girdle. It's bad enough there's so much to put on, but it gets kind of bulky with the cup underwear AND the girdle.

Regarding speaking up - um, maybe. But I'm afraid of getting roped into doing it and I'm not at all interested! ;)

We've had pretty good experiences with parents in all the sports we've done so far. In baseball, most parents were cheering good plays no matter what team. There are ALWAYS a few who can ruin it, but for the most part, we have not run into the nightmare sports parents, thank goodness.

I also like that N's football coach is very laid back. 2 practices a week. That's very doable - especially after baseball!

I have to look at the uniform again tomorrow - we were having a really hard time figuring out where all the pads go - seems like the pockets for the pads were either not there at all or seemed too small for the pad. Any tips there?

We shall overcome! :)

[ljt2r]

Growing up (in central Ohio) watching my brothers' sports, baseball was ALWAYS the worst. Have no idea why that should be. Although I did see/hear some obnoxious HS football parents. It's such a shame those parents give kids' sports such a bad rap.

[ClaraB]

Alysha, I feel your pain :o . Oldest DS decided to play football last year for the first time (7th grade). He lasted a week with all the gear, then switched to soccer, which he had been playing since grade 1. Thank goodness! This year he mentioned trying football again, and I reminded him that he wouldn't like the gear anymore this year than he did last. He's playing soccer again :p . I should have seen it coming - he quit hockey several years ago for the same reason.

Suggestion regarding ill-fitting pads - are they the right size for the pants?

[mbrogier]

I learned a lot in this thread.

I do remember there being so bad soccer accidents in high school and college, but Rob and I both played, BIL is a coach, and wouldn't have thought twice about letting any kiddos in our care play.

There was also a guy in my high school that was sterilized by a line drive in 8th grade softball. (yeah, everyone knew and talked about it) He married a girl that couldn't have children--perfect match. They are adopting lots of kiddos.

I just worry about neck injuries because I had one and live with pain 24/7. Rob had a couple of concussions from pick up hockey and has nasty headaches--but again, he wasn't wearing protective gear. Our generation wasn't really encouraged to wear protective gear--it was considered unmanly. :rolleyes: I have hearing damage because my dad mocked me for wanting earphones during gun range practice. He feels awful now; he didn't think once a year practice would leave me partially deaf in one ear.

I was that kid riding around on huge ATVs with no gear. We never thought about wearing any. It wasn't like we were on the highway or on a *gasp* motorcycle.

I think the pee wee football players are cute. They look like little sumo wrestlers trying to run in all that gear.

I'd sprinkle everything with baking soda. You can get huge bags at Costco now.
Alysha, I wish your son a good year with no injuries.

[do-lolly]

Regarding the washing of pads. Please check with your equipment managers as we have been assured by ours that washing the pads causes them to much more quickly break down and since equipment is the single biggest expense---they have begged us over and over to NOT wash the pads, ever.

Kristi


That's good to know. I had not heard this before. Darn it, now I'm going to have to wrestle with pads again.:(

[tbb113]

I mentioned this thread to my son...he informed me that Nike makes pants with the pads already sewn into the pants. I don't know the cost or if they come in smaller sizes...but if you really hate the hassle of the pads, it might be worth looking into

[Kristilyn1]

Thanks for the info and perspective, Kristi.

Seems like they SHOULD have a place for the cup in the girdle. It's bad enough there's so much to put on, but it gets kind of bulky with the cup underwear AND the girdle.

Regarding speaking up - um, maybe. But I'm afraid of getting roped into doing it and I'm not at all interested! ;)

We've had pretty good experiences with parents in all the sports we've done so far. In baseball, most parents were cheering good plays no matter what team. There are ALWAYS a few who can ruin it, but for the most part, we have not run into the nightmare sports parents, thank goodness.

I also like that N's football coach is very laid back. 2 practices a week. That's very doable - especially after baseball!

I have to look at the uniform again tomorrow - we were having a really hard time figuring out where all the pads go - seems like the pockets for the pads were either not there at all or seemed too small for the pad. Any tips there?

We shall overcome! :)


Yes, if you speak up---you probably WILL get roped into doing it! LOL

Regarding the pads. I'm wondering also if you have too small pants and too big pads. It should be a little time consuming---but we are talking 5 or 10 minutes to get them in. You do turn the pants inside out first? Lay pants on bed. Put pads in so the curve of the pad is looking at you, if that makes sense. Then turn pants back the right way out. Regarding girdles. Put girdle on, stuff pads in then. I hate to even say anything because this may be all "well, no $#!t Sherlock!" for you.

Kristi

[lindrusso]

Regarding the pads. I'm wondering also if you have too small pants and too big pads. It should be a little time consuming---but we are talking 5 or 10 minutes to get them in. You do turn the pants inside out first? Lay pants on bed. Put pads in so the curve of the pad is looking at you, if that makes sense. Then turn pants back the right way out. Regarding girdles. Put girdle on, stuff pads in then. I hate to even say anything because this may be all "well, no $#!t Sherlock!" for you.


I think the pads are a little on the small side, but the good news is, we did it!! :D Woohoo! And NOTHING about any of it was in the "no $hit" category for us! :)

It was much easier today - we were all calm, we had plenty of time and I had more than a few tips to help us out. It's amazing how HARD something can look when you're not in the right frame of mind!

And do-lolly - that tip about the jersey worked like a charm! Thank you, thank you!

We still had a little trouble and N was getting in a bad mood again - he mentioned quitting again. I told him that I would not force him to play, but that I did not want him to quit until he had played at least one game. I didn't want him to quit over the equipment and not even try the real deal! He loves sports so much that I really felt he needed to give it a try - I could see him really regretting some day, or even later this season, if he didn't give it his best effort.

Today after practice he was in a much better mood and seemed to have enjoyed practice. He said he and one other boy will be playing quarterback. :)

We'll see how the rest of the season goes, but at least we have the danged uniform figured out!

Thanks again everyone. :)

[helene]

I think that a kid should not be registered in a sport if he can't get dressed for that particular sport.

My 3 kids do different sports and it's the same rule for each one of them. You want to join that sport you have to be on your own.

I may seem mean but my youngest son wanted to play hockey for years. I said no until he was 8 and ready to dress himself. The first night before practice I put everything in order on the floor and it took him 2 times and he got it right. He was the only child in the dressing room that could dress himself.

I'm not better than any parents, it's just that at the time I had a full time job, 3 kids, a husband gone most of the time (military) and I could not handle anymore of my shoulders. So they had to learn really young to help as much as they could. My daughter left for university in August and she can cook homemade meals, do her shopping, etc. She called and she was really glad that she learned it at home.

Maureen: I'm with you with Track and Field. Love the sport. My son (16) was on the team at his school in NS. Here in the Valley I heard there is a local club. So he may be looking into it. I encourage him to do so. As you said anybody, from any background can do he sport.

[lindrusso]

I think that a kid should not be registered in a sport if he can't get dressed for that particular sport.

My 3 kids do different sports and it's the same rule for each one of them. You want to join that sport you have to be on your own.

Well, honestly, that does seem a bit harsh to me, but I can see your point.

It was a learning curve for BOTH of us. He can do most of it now, but still needs a bit of help only because it's very hard to get the shoulder pads up over his head without someone lifting from the top.

I don't mind helping him. For me, it's better than leaving him on his own and have him in tears and quitting a sport he'd otherwise have a great time playing. We ALL need help once in a while and I'd feel like I was punishing him if I left him completely on his own.

But I can understand an overworked mother who wants their kids to do as much on their own as possible. :) My oldest is extremely self-sufficient. The youngest - the one in football - we're still working on him. ;)

[helene]

I'm glad you did not take me wrong. I got lot's of parents with weird looks because I was the only one not going in the change room. At the end of the day you do what's best for you and now that I'm not working maybe I would have help him a little bit more.

Now he is 13 and the parents are not allowed in the change room. Good thing :D

Hope your kid enjoy his football season. It's better than hanging around in the streets and do nothing in his life.