Should I let my son quit football?

My 15-year-old son decided to join the freshman football team at his high school over the summer because most of his friends were playing.

He's not the most athletic kid and never showed interest in the sport, but he enjoyed the summer workouts.

Now that the season and classes have started, he's not liking it at all.

He has a heavy academic load (algebra, biology, chemistry), and football takes a look of time, starting with zero period weightlifting at 6:45 a.m. and ending with practice until 5:30 p.m.

He is not as good a player as many of the other boys and gets sore and tired from running around in pads in 90 degree temperatures.

He is the third- or fourth-string offensive guard, but is expected to get playing time in some games.

I don't want him to quit, but he's really not liking it. He shouldn't be stressing so much in the first semester of high school, especially since grades show he is on his way to an academic scholarship.

We talk about being part of the team and not letting others down. He said he will still go to games and support his teammates, but he doesn't want to play.

He's also concerned about how to tell the coach that he doesn't want to play.

How do I convince him to stay? Or should I?

 

If your son's problem with football isn't "The coach is mean to me," but a concern about being able to handle the workload, it's not even a question. Let him focus on his schoolwork. Once he settles in, see if he wants to try a different extracurricular activity.

And no coach with a soul would hold that reasoning against your son.

 

This. High school is overwhelming for some to begin with. If he's taking a difficult course load (and it sounds like he is) and he's not having any fun and feeling like he's being run ragged, let him quit. The coach will understand.

 

If he doesn't want to play, he should quit. There's no reason for him to continue if it's going to make him miserable.

I had the same issue with one of my sons about hockey. Not all kids want to play sports. It's not a character deficiency.

Support his decision, whatever it is.

And yes, the coach would support his decision unless he's a douche

 

I say this as the mom of high school football players: There's so much else a kid can do in high school, let him decide for himself. Football takes so much time and commitment, don't make him stick with something he's not enjoying, especially if he wants to use the time for schoolwork.

 

What Swenk said. Bang on

 

OK, i'll be the bad guy.

Freshman football lasts until what, mid to late October? For two remaining months, I would lean towards making my son keep his commitment (assuming he doesn't want out because of hazing, abuse or fear for safety.) After the final gun, if he wants to burn his pads on the 50, go for it.

 

Honestly, I'm more concerned that he's taking biology AND chemistry.

 

How about "keeping his commitment" to his schoolwork, which it clearly sounds like he wants to do?

 

Kids need to learn to multitask.

 

Not sure how this is a question.

You're wary of "letting" a kid who is a third-stringer "quit" football, while his academics are top of the heap?

He is a 15-year-old boy who doesn't want to play football anymore. You don't get to "let" him do anything.

He gets to choose whether it's worth it.

 

Make him play or you will be deprived of the pleasure of calling the local paper to complain about coverage of the freshman team.

Then, encourage him to try just as hard as the varsity team players.