Despite football safety concerns, one former player wants his kid to play
Aug 24, 2016, 5:04 AM
It’s finally football season. For fans, it’s an anticipated time.
But for parents, deciding if the game is safe for their children to play can be tough. It isn’t for one former Arizona Cardinal.
“I want my son to play at least one year of football,” said Bertrand Berry, or B-Train, from Arizona Sports 98-7 FM‘s Off the Edge show.
The former NFL defensive lineman says there are many different elements of the game that kids can learn from and carry into everyday life — from working with the different personalities in a team setting to getting knocked down and getting back up.
“Just give me one year,” Berry said. “And if you want to go past that, that’s your decision.”
Parents still need to use common sense when it comes to concussions, he said.
“If you see a dramatic behavior change in your child where one day he’s acting a certain way, then all of a sudden after practice, or a week of practice maybe he’s acting a little bit different,” Berry said, “that’s a telltale sign that something may be going on in his head.”
Parents are more hands on with questions about concussions as more information about the issue becomes available.
“I still think there’s so many positives. They outweigh the negatives, and yes, concussions and injuries are a part of the game,” Berry said. “But there’s also lots of great lessons that can be learned from the sport.”
That’s provided it’s played in the right ways and as safely as possible, he said.
