The severity of injuries, including concussions, to kids playing youth tackle football can be as traumatic as to the big brutes playing college and NFL football. A high school and youth tackle football coach - and a parent of athletic sons and daughters who've had their share of injuries - after his son suffered a concussion Alan Jackson became fully aware of the devastating injuries children can sustain on the field. The more he researched long-term effects, the more worried he became about allowing kids play anything other than flag football before their bodies are strong enough to take full-force impacts. In his book Alan comprehensively discusses tackle football at the youth level; the coaches who manage the sport; the upsides and pitfalls of today's equipment; and what parents can do to help prevent injuries to their children. He reached out to professionals in the industry (Coaches Mike Miller and Matt Wells; receiver and tight end John Madsen; and Connie Jones, Certified Athletic Trainer) to get their take on whether kids should be allowed to play before age 14, and the safety of equipment today. Going beyond just discussing parent and coach involvement in making sure equipment is up-to-date and is fitted well, he discusses the history of helmets; proper tackling techniques; conditioning to prevent injuries; the signs of a concussion; and studies about correct protocols to allow a player back on the field. Alan challenges the overall safety of youth football, including playing hurt versus injured just to win a game. Putting the responsibility on the coach's shoulders, he discusses good coaching versus bad coaching, and whether to allow a kid to play based on their fear factor. Realizing the increased awareness among the NFL and sports experts about the long-term ramifications of repetitive concussions, he discusses an interview with Tom Farrey titled Study: Impact of Youth Head Hits Severe, where Lisa McHale - the wife of former NFL player, Tom McHale -- shared how their life was negatively impacted by the game of football. He also discusses how the responsibility of making sure their kids can enjoy the sport while being protected falls on parents' shoulders: * Every parent should ask if tackle football is safe for their children. * Do they allow their children to play tackle football without knowing the potential risk of injuries? * Do they understand the potential long-term effects of suffering a concussion? Or do they accept the responsibility of sending them in to play without doing their due diligence? * Should their kids only play tag football until age 14? * Do they understand the potential harm to their kids because of their body size? Are they too small or too weak to play? Do they even want to play? Alan presents both sides of the argument of to play or not to play tackle football (especially before age 14). Since their children's safety is paramount, parents need to trust their instincts to guide them to a correct decision and leave their ego at the door.
About the Author: Alan Jackson's primary passion is his family, including his wife Tish and their five children. His second great passion is helping others through trying times, or to find ways to make their lives better. An entrepreneur at heart -- and having been self- employed since age 22 - he built multiple successful businesses, including having a real estate portfolio valued over $10 million in only three years. During the economic the nationwide economic and housing bust when he lost the entire portfolio, he wrote Strategies for Avoiding Foreclosure: A Real Estate Expert's Guide to Keeping Your Home and Preventing Bankruptcy to help others who might have or will be facing possible foreclosure on their property. As a coach of many sports in Riverton, Utah, he's witnessed first-hand the damaging, traumatic injuries kids can get while playing on the field. Not only was his book Youth Tackle Football: A Guide for Teaching Safer Football and Preventing Injuries written because of his tremendous passion for coaching youth sports, he wanted to educate parents and coaches on the potential long-term effects of concussions and other kinds of injuries due to ill-fitting equipment, and lack of education about how to properly prepare kids before playing. Through his due diligence and many months of research - including interviewing coaches, a football player, a certified sports therapist, and the many articles, white papers and videos on concussions incurred while playing football - Youth Tackle Football also helps parents determine if their children are ready for the full-body impacts that can occur while playing the sport. And what age is appropriate to allow them to switch from flag football to tackle football. "The responsibility falls on us as parents (yes, that includes me) to put the time and effort into becoming educated on proper techniques. We can no longer sit on the sidelines at games and think we're doing our part to support our children." Alan's coaching experience ranges from high school football, accelerated baseball, accelerated basketball for boys and girls, and girls' softball. With his guidance and support, all his children have excelled in their own sport of interest.