Very interesting interview. I started playing football at 13 in 2013, and I delved into it deeply. Chris Borland’s retirement never quite sat right with me, and in many ways I related to his apprehensions with the sport. It’s alarming looking back on it that I resonated so much with his sentiment at the age of 14, but it didn’t keep me from pursuing it further. I finally quit after a season of college, and I believe it had really been brewing within me for a few years. Looking back, I think I got lucky concussion-wise, but I ended up with disc herniations, a knee reconstruction, and shoulder issues along with nerve issues in my hands and feet. I am in no way anti-football, but I do believe that delaying full-contact competition is a great idea overall for injury mitigation, especially in the context of concussions. I don’t regret playing football at all, I honestly believe it sent me down a far better path than I otherwise would’ve been on sitting in my room alone on my computer, which is what I did mostly before the age of 13. So happy I stumbled upon this interview! Great work folks.
Also, I agree with his “sports specialization” point; I was a football-only kid, and had never played a sport before it. My provincial-level coaches HAMMERED the point of being multi-sport athletes, but my high school and minor football coaches at the time were more worried about the kids not being available for every practice and game. It’s important to let kids be kids, and if a kid is a great athlete and is working hard in other avenues, I don’t believe he or she should be penalized for exceeding the expectations in some ways.
Thank you so much for this feedback and for watching! We're so thrilled that you've enjoyed the episode, this is an extremely important subject to us as mental health professionals and anyone who will share their experience drives the conversation forward. Hope you enjoy the rest of the mini-series Tackling Stigma! If you've enjoyed this series, you should also check out our newest show The Circle of M with Marcus Smith II. New episodes air every Thursday!
I've been waiting to hear what Chris had to say after all the concussions in the NFL lately!
Thank you for listening! We're so grateful for Chris sharing his experience and take on football safety.
Very interesting interview. I started playing football at 13 in 2013, and I delved into it deeply. Chris Borland’s retirement never quite sat right with me, and in many ways I related to his apprehensions with the sport. It’s alarming looking back on it that I resonated so much with his sentiment at the age of 14, but it didn’t keep me from pursuing it further. I finally quit after a season of college, and I believe it had really been brewing within me for a few years. Looking back, I think I got lucky concussion-wise, but I ended up with disc herniations, a knee reconstruction, and shoulder issues along with nerve issues in my hands and feet. I am in no way anti-football, but I do believe that delaying full-contact competition is a great idea overall for injury mitigation, especially in the context of concussions. I don’t regret playing football at all, I honestly believe it sent me down a far better path than I otherwise would’ve been on sitting in my room alone on my computer, which is what I did mostly before the age of 13. So happy I stumbled upon this interview! Great work folks.
Also, I agree with his “sports specialization” point; I was a football-only kid, and had never played a sport before it. My provincial-level coaches HAMMERED the point of being multi-sport athletes, but my high school and minor football coaches at the time were more worried about the kids not being available for every practice and game. It’s important to let kids be kids, and if a kid is a great athlete and is working hard in other avenues, I don’t believe he or she should be penalized for exceeding the expectations in some ways.
Thank you so much for this feedback and for watching! We're so thrilled that you've enjoyed the episode, this is an extremely important subject to us as mental health professionals and anyone who will share their experience drives the conversation forward. Hope you enjoy the rest of the mini-series Tackling Stigma! If you've enjoyed this series, you should also check out our newest show The Circle of M with Marcus Smith II. New episodes air every Thursday!