Should I let my son quit football?

I wouldn't but not under that "finish what you start" statuette. I would talk in terms of the experience that he missing out on. With games starting he is through the hard part of season. Practices will get easier.

 

Count me as one who thinks quitting a sport is a gateway drug to more quitting isn't always valid.

It is for some, but not for many.

And quitting, on its face, isn't always bad anyway. One of the best decisions I've ever made in my life was to quit my first job. It took me a long time to get a full-time job, but when I did, it was nothing like what was promised to me. Bad shit went on, such as delaying my benefits, etc.

I rode it out for two months and decided it was going to do me more harm than good to stay. So, after a lot of angst, I quit. I didn't feel good about quitting, but I felt worse about where this was leading me.

Seven months later, I got my first daily newspaper job. I'd have never got it had I stayed at the original job and my first daily job set me up for more career success down the road.

It also taught me to stick through some things that would cause others to quit, knowing it could be worse.

Don't get me wrong ... I have a lot of respect for those who "tough it out". I toughed out a lot in my life, I know the drill.

But if you have a choice? Life is too short. If you're making your life more miserable out of some unspoken ethic to "finish what you start", to a degree, you're wasting your life. You could be missing out on valuable time you could spend on something you enjoy and which could set you up on the path to greater happiness.

 

i think we all can learn a little bit from sweet, sweet brad at this point.

 

MTM, when you do sit down and have that conversation, one thing you might stress is which decision is more likely to be regretted when he's older?

I would guess there are three possibilities:

1) That he finishes out the season and then decides not to play next year or beyond -- probably no regrets;

2) That he finishes out the season and then decides to stick with football beyond this season -- again, probably no regrets ... maybe even great benefits.

3) That he does decide to quit -- this is the only decision I see him regretting later in life. Maybe he won't. But I would guess that no one goes to their grave thinking "I wish I had quit more things." Many do go to their grave, however, regretting that they didn't push through some of the hard things in life.

 

That's a good post. You may have been quitting your job, but you were not quitting on your dreams and goals for yourself.

If you quit something to peruse something else more doggedly, that's not quitting.

This is a good thread. Tough one. So many good points on both sides.

 

You're a classy guy, Sonner.

 

douches will be douches, dude. you know that. let it go.

 

When's Junction Boys on again?

 

He ain't quittin'.

 

Just so we're clear, that Kaffee quote wasn't directed at you.

 

If he quits football he is going to become a lazy malcontent hacky sack /frisbee kid.

 

I might remind him that signing up for a team is a commitment that someone should not take lightly, but besides that, if he really doesn't want to play, he shouldn't be forced to.

The academic courseloads kids get nowadays would be enough to stress me out. I haven't been in high school since the George H. W. Bush Administration!