What happens if your boy gets a vicious tackle from some other player and gets an injury that could change the rest of his life ? I know it can be a shitty negative outlook, but things like this happen all the time. Now is the time to reflect and see if you make the right decision to protect your children from dangerous activities. Just because you are good at something that can be dangerous, doesn't necessarily mean you should continue doing it. There is nothing wrong with being a protective parent. Continuous hits to the head has long lasting effects when you get older. There has been many studies on this. Better to be safe now, than sorry later.