The dangers involved with the sport of football have been well publicized over the past number of years. With increased media attention – even movies being made about the dangers of football – it makes sense that people are more reluctant than ever to play the sport.
It also makes sense that the problems surrounding support would move from the media spotlight right into the divorce and family law arenas. As parents are seeing the dangers of football, disagreements are bound to arise as to whether they should let their children play the game at all.
The Challenges of Football in Custody and Co-Parenting Plans
Deciding whether or not to let a child play a dangerous sport can cause challenges for even the healthiest family. When the parents are divorced, trying to make these decisions separately as part of a co-parenting plan, these issues can be extremely difficult to resolve.
It is not uncommon for ex-spouse parents to need to bring in lawyers or bring their case before the courts to resolve these issues. In a recent article, the New York Times discusses the problems of football and child custody.
In this case, the problem is the same for married couples as for divorced couples with shared custody: who gets to make the decision? When mom and dad disagree about whether to let their child play football (or engage in other dangerous activities), who gets the final say?
On the one hand, it makes sense that a parent would want to protect a child from potentially serious, long-term injuries that are common in football. But on the other hand, it also makes sense that a parent would want a child to experience the camaraderie, the self-discipline, leadership and sportsmanship that come from playing competitive sports.
But again, who gets to make the final determination? Especially in co-parenting plans where both parents have legal custody, there is a conflict here that can’t
The most important thing for co-parents to do in this situation is seek out legal counsel from an experienced attorney so they can come to a determination that everyone can get behind.
