There have been many articles in the last few years about increasing rates of injury in youth sports. While I know there are ignorant coaches out there who do not properly teach movements and overtrain kids, I think that is not the primary cause of these rates. If anything, there is likely less bad coaching now than in the past when exercise science was in its infancy.
I think the main cause is unfit children entering youth sports. They are less fit than they used to be because they are more sedentary and weigh more. Many also do not play outdoors like they used to. This article highlights that it's been overly worried parents and lawyers who have forced playgrounds to remove things like monkey bars which go a long way to building fitness in kids, along with helping them learn to deal with fear and challenge.
I remember my elementary school digging up our playground and replacing it when I was in the 5th grade (1991-92). We all ran onto it during the dedication ceremony and within 5 minutes the consensus was "this new playground sucks." Gone was the big slide and huge swings, the giant tires and the massive monkey bars. In it's place were lame, low structures that were little fun. I guess we all became "safer" that year.
The picture at the top of this article says it all -- those are little _girls_ hanging upside-down!
The photo at the top of the article says it all
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/science/19tierney.html?_r=1&ref=science
No comments:
Post a Comment