Football Games

Football games have dominated American high school events for as long as anyone can remember. The attendance at high school football games is greater than any other sporting event that most high schools host. For the players, it’s a huge commitment of time and effort that begins shortly after their summer break starts and doesn’t end until late in the fall. It can be an equally huge commitment of time for parents as well.

Most parents don’t just commit to attending all of their son’s football games, they also commit to transportation to and from practice when their child isn’t driving yet. There is usually a financial commitment involved, too. Equipment not supplied by the team doesn’t always come cheap, and some schools have had to revert to pay-to-play programs due to budget cuts.

Even if all you are committing to is attending their football games, unless you love the game so much that cold weather and a long season doesn’t faze you, it can sometimes be a hassle to tie up every Friday night at a football field. To survive a football season requires a good attitude. The coach and team expect it of the your child, so you should expect it of yourself.

Before you allow your son to sign up, make sure you are fully aware of the commitment expected from him and from yourself. If you feel like it will put a serious strain on other areas of your life or on theirs, then discuss it with you child. If this is what they truly want to do, it’s up to you to help them make it a possibility. Be sure they are completely aware of what is expected of them and what they can and cannot expect of you.

Some football leagues have unscrupulous coaching staff and methods. Be sure to talk to other parents who have been a part of the program before and be sure that there are people in charge who you can reasonably talk to if a problem arises in scheduling conflicts or conflicts with your child’s academics.

Resign yourself to the fact that you will need to be supportive of your son. Remember that the actual season usually consists of only 10 or 11 football games. When you put the few years your son may play football, or any other sport, into perspective, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal compared to the rest of their lives. They only have these opportunities once in life, with a plan in place and communication open, you can survive football season and maybe even enjoy it.