O-Net 2019

Dear Ann Landers, I'd like to respond to the letter from the woman whose son "Jeremy" was forced by his father to play football. I am an athlete. I played high school and college ball and spent six years as part of 'George Halas' infamous "Taxi Squad" in the early 1960s. When I retired, I spent many hours coaching pee-wee football for boys ages 10 to 12. Ann, watching those kids get hit and hit hard—and seeing the other coaches and parents pushing their children to get up and take it over and over again—really turned me off. Children that age are still developing physically. Hard hits can do permanent damage that may not show up until later. I know; I have knees that ache and buckle, back pain like you wouldn't believe, and I have had surgery on my spine. All of this from being hit by guys while playing a game. In grade school-level football, children who weigh 40 kilograms are sometimes pitted against others who weigh 54 kgs. These kids are poorly coached about protecting themselves, and I can tell you, the ones who really don't want to play are the most vulnerable. I speak from experience. Ex-Football Player   The writer believes that______.

1. Injuries in playing football can be avoided if players do not hit hard 2. Hard hits in playing football can make players stronger 3. Football is not suitable for pre-teenagers 4. Young football players are not hurt easily even if poorly coached 5. Children not wanting to play football can stand hard hits

Answer: 3. Football is not suitable for pre-teenagers