Addressing the parent who won't let their kid play...

Why do you say those things? 

I let them know I understand the concern. I then try and tell them all of the rule changes that have been added to increase player safety. I also let them know all of our paid coaches are heads up certified and have done a clinic with SAFE football. Here is the link to an article our paper did that I share in our parent meeting as well.https://www.dcourier.com/news/2015/jul/10/prescott-high-football-coaches-learn-ins-outs-of-/ I stress we are only in full pads one day a week. In my experience, a lot of these kids are basketball players that I am trying to get out. I share with them some data I have compiled with our trainer about injuries. Without mentioning that we are a run-first offense I share with them in the 6 years I have been Head Coach we have not had any serious injuries at Wide Reciever. Obviously none of this can guarantee the player will not get injured, but I at least want them to leave the conversation knowing how serious I take the safety of the student-athlete. Just my opinion.

Because they are concerned about safety, and football is not a safe game. They believe football is a violent activity. They are not wrong. Why would I try to convince them otherwise?

If they tell me their kid isn’t playing because of grades- i can argue against that. Demonstrate the fallacy of the “he needs to work on grades” statements.

If they tell me their kid isn’t playing to concentrate on other sports, I can make an argument against that. Demonstrate the benefits of multi-sport participation and point out the numerous multi sport athletes.

If I was approached by parents interested in football but concerned with those issues I can have a talk with them and point out some of the facts mentioned in this thread. Can explain how things are done differently now etc.

I can NOT guarantee their son will be safe or that the violent nature of the sport will not negatively impact their child and I do not wish to be the one to try and talk them out of decision based on their (correct) concerns

Say your piece, let them make their decision and walk away. He's not your kid and you don't know what's best for him.

I have never gotten one of these kids out for football. I have put forth every effort to try, and still to this day try. I have one kid who wants to play, comes to workouts, films our games, is built like a solid fullback, mom won't let him. Apparently when he was 5 he fell off a four wheeler landed on his head and went blind, when he was 6 fell off a tail gate and the same thing happened. According to the kid, he remembers the events and his words "i wasn't really blind i just couldn't see for a few seconds"

Had a parent with twin boys both athletic, neither played any sports until their 9th grade year, I talked to the mother several times about football but neither ever played....they ran track as freshmen. The first brother got carted off in an ambulance after suffering a concussion in Home Economics, where he opened a cabinet above reached for something below and raised up and hit is head, 20 minutes later has a seizure and concussion diagnoses. Second brother running the 300 hurdles hit a hurdle just before the curve, didn't look bad I was in the end zone walked over to see how he was doing when he looked up with his lip quivering then I looked down...he tore his patella tendon.

I always talk about the positives of playing football, we keep them accountable for their grades, we push them to be better citizens, we develop skills that you can't learn in a classroom environment. Like said above, my coaches are heads up certified and we did this before it was mandatory but still can't convince the parent who has already made up their mind.

I have had much better luck convincing kids who "don't like football" to come out and play, I have yet to have a kid come out turn around and say, "I regret playing football" but have had several say, "I regret not playing sooner"

I'd ask them if they are planning on letting their child play any other sports, and then i'd address the statistics we have that document concussions per sport at our school. When i was at my old school, football was not the leading cause of concussions for the five years we started keeping track of concussions in all sports. Basketball, Water polo, Lacrosse all had more concussions (not per kid, but total team concussions). If the parent says yes johnny will be playing blank (for us it was either baseball, basketball, or lacrosse) we would then inform them of how those sports were also at risk of concussion, and most of those sports were statistically higher risk for a concussion at our school.

I'm with those who'd thank the parents for their time and walk away. Why waste your time? Even if you do change their mind there's no way in hell the kid makes it through the season without getting a concussion. 

Reminds me of the story of a couple guys I practiced rugby with one summer.  One of them a few years later playing in the front row in an old boys game broke his neck when a scrum collapsed just as it came together (because the other side wasn't quite ready), although those on the scene said it didn't look like a bad incident when it happened, other than the sound of a vertebra breaking, and he wound up quadriplegic.  Something like a year later a teammate who also played in the front row was slicing vegetables in his kitchen, cut himself, fainted, fell against something and broke his neck, wound up at least a paraplegic if not a quad.

You ain’t getting him. Move on.

I hate motorcycles, should call them donor-cycles. Think it’s insane to ride one. If someone came up to me and said “Your son needs to ride a motorcycle they are just as safe as cars blah blah blah...” I’d tell him to _ off and walk away.

Probably the same way these parents feel about football.

Hilarious.

I used to try to talk kids and their parents into playing. Got a couple I never thought I would. Toward the end, I realized if a kid said "No, my parents..." or "No, I want to..." it wasn't worth my time. They weren't playing or they weren't kids I wanted around. Now if a kid said no, and quietly blushed or looked down I'd work on him. Have the kids go after him to. I had a really good success rate with those. The parents said ones? Idk that I got more than 2 of those in 20 years. And one of them I played HS football with his dad.

One of our team Ortho Dr’s use to say “Two things humans should never do jump into water head first and ride motorcycles.”  A cop on staff would always say “Motorcycles the safest vehicles on the road....until the moment of impact.”

And this thread has been hijacked...

This is not something I have to deal with on a regular basis. I have told parents that if they really do the research the numbers are very low and the risk/reward is worth it in my opinion. My son got a concussion his freshman year. We followed the return to play protocols and he is fine. Education of the parents by rational people is key.

Had a parent say their kid was a genius, Ivy kid and FB could cause his IQ to drop from any concussion he might get. Big kid who would have started soph year. He's not a genius and he still plays baseball and basketball. I said good luck and didn't look back. He wants to play but Mom is in charge. It is what it is.

Great ideas coach. Thanks for the feedback