Skateboarding is not just a fun past time of rolling on a piece of wood nailed to four wheels. I would know, because I enjoy it way more than most would think! This sport has evolved very much from being a fun hobby. It has become an extreme sport phenomenon that can earn a living for a lot of people. Today’s skaters are some of the most talented athletes. They have a superb skill level, deal with high levels of danger and difficulty, and include variety in their tricks. All those awesome aspects of this sport are what attracted me to it and made me want to start skateboarding.Hockey players and basketball players may be versatile, but their range or play and/or action are limited compared to skateboarders. Hockey and basketball players have one set area to play in wherever they play, but skaters can run free with no boundaries anytime they want! Plus, they don’t need other people in order to participate in the sport. Some styles and tricks of skateboarding are life-threatening. In 2007, there was an estimated 16,477 head injuries treated due to skateboarding. Helmets don’t seem to be much of a trend anymore. As more tricks are invented, the less “cool” it becomes to wear helmets. Honestly…I’ve never worn one either!
Before any competition, skaters need to warm up and stretch, just like any other athlete. It is just as easy for them to pull a muscle or catch a cramp while participating in the sport. They have to stay in shape too. Skateboarders are beginning younger and younger every year, raising the bar for careless injuries that could be avoided, due to kids not knowing much about skateboarding. According to the AAP, kids 5 and under shouldn’t skate. I think the younger the better. They’ll learn the “dos and don’ts” way earlier. The main reason for the popularity of the sport is the celebrity status of many skaters. It’s fun, exhilarating, and isn’t that hard to learn. Yet, it’s still dangerous. So, if you’re not afraid of a challenge, jump on board…a skateboard that is!
I'm a long time skatebording fan, so I'm a little educated on this subject myself. I see you've done your research on the dangers of skatebording. Skatebording is a dangerous sport, but it's not so dangerous if you protect yourself the right way. Advocatehealth.com describes the differences of skatebording safely, and skatebording dangerously.https://my.advocatehealth.com/public/healthresearch/content_display_full.cfm?doc_id=P00818 Skatebording is not dangerous if you protect yourself every time you ride. How do you feel about protective gear? Do you think it makes skatebording less dangerous? In your blog you stated that there a number of "Careless Injuries". Do you think that makes the sport dangerous? What if those careless injuries were avoided? It seems to me that the dangers come from not wearing protection while skatebording, and the victims are normally your kids that a inexperienced about skatebording. If they gain knowledge about how to protect theirself, then I believe the estimated 16,477 head injuries wouldn't be growing anytime soon. So, If you wanna ride without danger, you better suit up!
ReplyDelete