Should Children Be Allowed to Play Extreme Sports?
When your baby is born, you envision all the possibilities that await him in a long, healthy future. From time to time, you can mentally rewind their childhood, dreaming that they will grow up as a doctor, engineer, business owner, or an experienced chef. They can write touching words, build important structures, or create beautiful pieces of art. However, most of us don’t think that ski jumping will become our child’s passion.
But this is exactly the situation in which writer and editor Bari Nan Rothschild found herself when her son was eight years old, he made his first official leap and declared: “I don’t care if I do it well or badly, I just want to keep doing it.” Now, she writes for the New York Times , he is 13 years old, and he rushes from the side of the mountain to ever greater heights:
His trainer signals to him, and after a nanosecond, he crouches and slides down the china track in the offseason. Shuuuuu! – this is the sound I am waiting for, like a plane taking off, only my son is in flight, his ankles are lifted up, his skis are in a V-shape, his hands are behind his back, and then, faster than he made me write these words, his skis are nice slammed down a plastic-covered hill to land, one ski slightly behind the other in telemark position as he glides down a grassy run, crouching and hugging his knees to slow his momentum, a human brake. He smiles, suspenders glistening in the sun.
You may not be thrilled with the idea of your child engaging in an activity that aims to quickly climb or descend a mountainside or fly into the air. But before you say no, take a few steps.
First, be curious.
Some children are born withdrawn and cautious, happy to be firmly on their feet on Earth. Others climb upstairs and throw themselves off the furniture before they even go. As they get older, bolder kids are likely to want more thrills from their physical activity. Ask them what they are attracted to about the new sport. Do they know anyone who does this? Have they watched YouTube videos of others doing it?
Children need to feel heard. Therefore, even if you end up deciding that they are not old enough to do whatever extreme sports or activities they are interested in, it is important for them to know that you are trying to understand why it is of interest to them. And if you understand what they want out of it – whether it’s time with friends or a new physical challenge – you can compromise on less risky alternatives or find other ways to ease your way into a new sport that is more comfortable for you. s and satisfies them.
Then do your own research
Before you refuse to let your child go snowboarding, mountain biking, BMX racing, rock climbing or skateboarding, learn the specific sport that interests him. In particular, if you are risk-averse yourself, the sport may seem more dangerous because 1) it’s not something you would ever try to do and 2) you don’t have enough information. So, it’s time to go on a fact-finding mission.
We know that football is one of the most dangerous sports for children due to the risk of concussion. But other favorites we try to encourage (including basketball, soccer and baseball) also regularly top the list, as they cause hundreds of thousands of injuries to children every year – from sprains, sprains, fractures and lacerations. , to injuries and concussions of the knee.
Of course, this is at least in part due to the sheer number of children playing these sports, as reported by Family Education :
Until more research is done, it is difficult to say if the most dangerous [team] sports for children … are more dangerous than alternative sports. Team sports can cause more injury – not because of the nature of these sports, but because more children are involved. For example, more children play a popular sport like basketball than skateboarding.
But no sport is free of risk, and many injuries can be prevented or the risk of seriousness reduced by taking proper precautions. The STOP Sports Injuries program, launched by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine , offers advice on a variety of sports , including inline skating, rugby, snowboarding, and surfing.
Finally, talk to a professional in the field.
To truly understand the appeal of certain sports, as well as the risks and precautions to take, you’d better turn to someone who’s been in it their entire lives. Find athletes, coaches or coaches who can help you understand the sport from their perspective. They can talk about how they got started in the sport and their experiences in the sport as they got older. They may have valuable advice or insight into how you might get your child started.
If they are in your area, they can also recommend lessons for beginners or workouts they can do nearby to learn the right techniques to reduce your risk of injury.