My son wants to quit football...

My son is going into his junior year of high school and he wants to quit the football team for some reason.  He's pretty non-verbal about it but my wife and I guess that he doesn't want to be a junior playing lots of JV and not much varsity.

He's an undersized kid, but he has a good heart and he could play a role on his team, which is always in the running for a state championship.  Monday is the first day of practice, and I sure don't want him to bag football....

I don't give a shit if he starts or not....I just want him to have some fun and to learn the many life lessons that come with being on a football team.  If he doesn't play, he'll just sit around the house....

Any advice, guys??  Thanks.

From the time 2pm to 6pm is the time most kids get into the most trouble.  If they're aren't on a team or club they have all the free time to hang out with there friends to cause trouble. 

Your son could have found a girl that he like so being on the team isn't going to help him at all by being with her.  Who knows why he doesn't want to play, maybe he know he suck at it and why waste the time.  GL

Please don't make him play if he doesnt want to .My dad was the same way when I wanted to quit football my senior year. I was a starter but played basketball and baseball also and just wanted sometime off and I liked football the least of the three. He made me keep playing football and I still regret not having more time to do things my senior year.Let him quit and get a job to get him some money or just hang out with his friends

Remember the rest of your life isnt for playing but your time in high school is

understand him and trust in your son i guess, it's the most you can do when they don't want to communicate with you at this time.

Get this, I know a woman with two preteen boys who prefer soccer over football.

This woman's husband went to Pitt on a football scholarship. Her cousin is Peter Warrick. There is another cousin who played in the NFL for ten years.

Clearly, there is a football pedigree there. I quip that I'd sew a football to their hands and force them to love the game so they'd more likely get a free education since soccer scholarships and academic ones (they send their kids to academically-rigorous magnet schools) are more difficult to attain. She shrugs it off and I'd tell her to at least guilt her kids into playing football by saying that if they excel, they could save mama and daddy 200K by not having to pay for college.

Oh, well.

Side note. She's from the same town where Adrian McPherson is from and practically everyone can not believe what happened to him. They say he was the sweetest most cordial, humble guy with all that talent they'd ever seen. He may still be sweet and cordial, but man, did he ever tread into the dark side.

Dont make him play if he doesnt want to. Try to find out what kind of sport he is interested, and support him if he wants to try that.

Even if it is figure skating or syncrom swimming

Thanks so much, guys.  I'll know how this plays out tomorrow...the advice has been very helpful, and we had a good conversation today. 

This is the right answer.  If he doesn't want to play but tell him he won't be sitting around the house doing nothing.  I would either have him get involved in another activity - maybe volunteer or something but if no activity - then he has to get a job.  sitting around the house is a big no, no.

beat him senseless...football players get all the poonany

He could join the glee club.

He could join the glee club.

good to hear