Should I let my son quit football?

He needs to do that too.

I'm just going with the assumption that:

• MTM had the conversation upfront about the time and dedication needed for football on top of schoolwork.
• MTM or Ms. MTM didn't push the son into this.
• His son doesn't already have a ton of other extracurriculars weighing him down.

Academics is important, but so are life lessons. There's something to be said for pushing through an unpleasant task and knowing that you can make it. There's something to be said for learning how to juggle priorities. And sometimes you have to let your child experience unpleasant (not dangerous) consequences. In a worst-case scenario, it is pretty hard for a bright teenager to ruin his academic life by Halloween of freshman year.

 

That's all true, but football is a voluntary activity. If the activity he volunteered to play is no longer enjoyable to him, there's no shame in walking away.

A lot of the "band of brothers" guilt regarding those who consider leaving sports is nonsense anyway. We're talking about a kid who harbors very little hope of seeing the field, other than a series or two. If he doesn't want to beat his brains in for little benefit, I think it shows logic on his part, not a character flaw.

As a parent, I draw the line you're drawing on involuntary activities that teach you how to live life ... like doing schoolwork, etc. That's the stuff you want to teach someone not to quit.

 

Living life is all about finishing things you start, often when you'd prefer not to.

 

Bubbler, I can see your side of it also. My feelings on commitment are the same whether it is sports, music lessons, Kumon, etc. I wouldn't keep the kid tied down for a full year with something he hated, but 15 year olds change their minds. A lot. Heck after the first game he may be in love again.

 

Eh, I'm not a fan of quitting. I'd encourage him to stay. Even if he doesn't enjoy practices, I doubt he'll actively regret he did it when it's all said and done. I didn't like (and was horrible at) 8th grade football, but stuck it out.I didn't like it, but I'm glad I did it. At least going forward I could say I had played.

If he doesn't want to play next year, more power to him.

 

I'd encourage him to finish the season. If he doesn't like it, he won't go out for the team next year.

 

I see your side of it as well.

 

Well damnit that's no way to get a fight started. We're slipping.

 

+1

 

This is a very solid point. Glad you spoke up, because that made me think about this in a different way than I had originally.

 

I think a point you may be missing is that the actual hitting has started now ... like full-on.
Maybe your child just doesn't like it. There's no shame in that. It's not for everyone. You said he liked summer practices, but doesn't like it now. I see a correlation. If football is torture for your kid, let him quit and chalk it up to a life's experience.
Christ, there's no glory in gutting out something you hate. There's just suffering through doing something you hate while you could be spending your time doing something more beneficial to your life and your future.

 

I side with dixiehack on this one. There's a better chance your son will regret quitting than playing, and 15-year-olds are indecisive, illogical and selfish. He made a commitment, and he should stick with it.