06/16/2026
Why I’m Letting My Son Play Football
My 12-year-old son has been playing flag football for a couple of years now. For as long as I can remember, he’s begged me to let him play tackle football.
And for just as long, I’ve said no.
It wasn’t because I didn’t think he could do it. It was because I was scared.
Not of the typical bumps and bruises that come with sports—but of head injuries.
I’ve watched NFL games. I’ve seen Concussion with Will Smith. I’ve sat through high school football games and watched some pretty hard hits. There was no way I wanted to willingly put my baby in a situation where he could get hurt.
So I kept telling him the same thing: Play flag football now, and if you still want to play tackle in high school, we’ll talk about it then.
My thinking was simple. By high school, he’d be bigger, stronger, and less likely to get injured.
Then I had a conversation with someone who completely changed my perspective.
He respected my hesitation as a parent, but he pointed out something I hadn’t considered: by the time kids get to high school, coaches are focused on competition. The younger leagues are where players learn the fundamentals, develop proper technique, and most importantly, learn how to tackle safely.
That really stuck with me.
When I heard Magnolia Oaks was starting a football team, I decided it was time to get more information.
I went to the first parent meeting with my guard up. I didn’t want the coaches thinking my son was automatically joining the team. I had a mental checklist of safety questions ready to fire off.
To my surprise, I didn’t need to ask many of them.
The coaches addressed safety from the very beginning. It wasn’t an afterthought—it was the main topic of discussion.
They talked about making sure players wouldn’t be put into pads before they were ready. They talked about taking things slowly and teaching proper technique. This is a middle school program. The focus is development, learning, and safety.
I also appreciated something else: the coaches respect parents.
If my son is grounded and I decide he isn’t playing in a game that week, that’s my decision. No pressure. No arguments. No trying to convince me otherwise. As a parent, that matters.
I signed Zack up for spring football and decided I’d keep a close eye on things.
And then he fell in love with it.
After watching practices and seeing how the coaches interact with the players, I genuinely felt like he was in good hands.
One thing that really stood out to me was when Coach Travis announced he’d secured a sponsor to cover Guardian Caps for the team.
The league doesn’t provide those.
This wasn’t something they had to do.
It was something our coaches believed was important enough to pursue because player safety matters to them.
That told me everything I needed to know.
They’re not just talking about safety. They’re backing it up with the drills they teach, the pace they follow, and the equipment they’re providing.
If you’re a hesitant, I get it. I was you.
Come to the parent meeting tomorrow night. Ask every question you have.
I’ll be there.
The coaches will be there.
And I think you’ll walk away feeling a lot better than you expect.
- ShawnnaLea Zemanek
