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Should Kids Do

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XSports?
The thrills are undeniable
but so are the risks.
BY LAUREN TARSHIS, WITH JON LACKMAN

Arizona, had been competing in

down the 500-foot ramp, lofted

skateboarding competitions for

himself into the air, and attempted

years, racking up trophies and

to spin two-and-a-half times while

fans. Now he was trying to master

clutching his skateboard with both

a challenging new trick on the

hands. He was so close to mastering

n a sunny afternoon

MegaRamp, one of the longest

the move, but each time, something

in April 2012, in the

and steepest ramps in competitive

went wrong. He would wobble, slip

dusty mountain town of

skateboarding.

on the landing, or rotate too little or

What are the risks and rewards of

extreme sports?

Tehachapi, California,

Under the watchful eye of his

too much.

Jett Eaton was doing what he loved

dad and coach, Geoff Eaton, Jett

most: flying through the air on his

had spent three hours working on

Jett had practiced enough, that it

skateboard.

a difficult move called the nine.

was time to call it a day. But Jett

Again and again, Jett whooshed

wasnt ready to stop. Exhausted and

The seventh-grader from Mesa,

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SCHOLASTIC SCOPE SEPTEMBER 2015

Finally, Geoff announced that

IAN FOHRMAN

AS YOU READ,
THINK ABOUT:

Nonfiction
Skateboarding
phenom Jett Eaton

skateboards, extreme

a horrific crash.

athletes fly down

As for Jett Eaton, he was alive

mountains on BMX

when emergency workers arrived

bikes and soar off jumps

at the MegaRamp, but his injuries

on snowboards, skis,

were grave. As a helicopter carried

and snowmobiles. They

Jett to the hospital, his dad Geoff

cling to icy cliffs, ride

feared the worst.

gigantic waves, and

Special Hazards

jump out of airplanes.

Extreme sports are risky at

Extreme sports are all

about pushing the limits

any age, but young athletes face

of what the human body

special hazards. They are less

can do.

likely than adults to really think

about the risks. Kids tend to think

Today, younger
and younger kids are

about what is happening this

becoming extreme

minute, not what could happen an

athletes. In 2014,

hour from now, says psychologist

8-year-old Minna Stess

Jesse Matthews.

became the youngest

Inspired by video games or

girl to skate from the

YouTube clips, some kids attempt

steepest section of the

stunts way beyond their skill level.

MegaRamp. Ten-year-

And, unlike team sports players,

old snowboarder Benni

many extreme athletes practice

Fridbjornsson of Iceland

without the guidance of coaches.

There are ways to make

was doing flips at the

age of 7; now hes doing

extreme sports safer, however.

double backflips.

Wearing protective gear is critical.

So are training with experts and

Theres no doubt
frustrated, he tipped his skateboard

that extreme sports are thrilling.

not attempting to become Shaun

off the ramp one last time. He was

But these thrills can come at a high

White on the first run. Then again,

determined to land the move.

price. According to a study of seven

at the time of his accident, Jett

X Games sports, extreme athletes

was wearing a helmet, kneepads,

suffered about 4 million injuries

a chest and spine protector, hip

between 2000 and 2011. Most were

and elbow pads, and gloves. He

easily treated fractures and cuts, but

was also working with a coach.

kind of skateboarding that Jett

seriousand even fatalinjuries

Safety-wise, his only failing was

was doingis an extreme sport: a

do happen. In 2009, Olympic-bound

ignoring Geoffs instruction to

high-intensity activity that involves

snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffered

stop for the day.

great speed, enormous heights,

a permanent brain injury after a fall

and death-defying stunts. In

during a practice run. Two years ago,

rushed to save Jetts life. He had

addition to flipping and twisting on

snowmobiler Caleb Moore died after

a fractured skull, a concussion,

Instead, he felland nearly died.

Pushing Limits
Skateboardingat least the

At the hospital, doctors

SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM SEPTEMBER 2015

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Adventure sports like extreme

snowboarding and mountain biking have
become more popular in recent years.

and a bruised brain. He also had

a seizure caused by the trauma to
his brain.
And yet, Jett pulled through.
After three days, he was released
from the hospital. But it was unclear
if he would ever skate again.

Worth the Risk?

When so much could go

there is no reason to hold them

became the youngest person to

wrong, why would anyone

back. If a child has the skills to

ever compete in the X Games.)

want to participate in extreme

climb a serious mountain, should

sports? There is, of course, the

we hold them back from Mount

share of injuries, but Geoff points

obvious thrill of flying down a

Everest? he asks.

out that his sons are happy and

or soaring through the air on a

trusted skateboard. Extreme sports

healthy. He believes extreme sports

Passion and Identity

Its been three years since Jetts

have helped them find passion and

identity. The grit theyve acquired,

also offer opportunities to kids

devastating fall on the MegaRamp,

he says, has helped them in school

who dont enjoy team sports like

and he is back to skating. At this

and enabled them to avoid risks

football or soccer. Kids can be more

point, hes had 10 concussions, five

like drugs or alcohol.

imaginative because they are free

seizures, and six broken bones, and

to experiment and invent their

has punctured his spleentwice.

You cant live behind a stop

sign, and every time you want to

own stunts. Beyond that, extreme

Jett has not returned to the

do something that gets your heart

sports can build confidence and

MegaRamp but hopes to one day.

beating decide that its safer if you

discipline, and like any sport, help

His father supports that dream.

dont, Geoff says. Thats not how I

kids stay fit and healthy.

Geoff also continues to encourage

live. I dont want my kids living like

Jetts younger brother, Jagger, to

that.

Frank Farley, a psychologist who

studies risk taking, says that if kids

pursue skateboarding. (In the

have the skill and the experience,

summer of 2012, Jagger, at age 11,

22

SCHOLASTIC SCOPE SEPTEMBER 2015

PORTIONS OF THE ARTICLE WERE ADAPTED BY IS IT

WRONG TO LET CHILDREN DO EXTREME SPORTS? BY JON
LACKMAN. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, MAY 14,
2015. USED WITH PERMISSION.

LEVON BISS/GETTY IMAGES (SNOWBOARDING); VALENTIN CASARSA/GETTY IMAGES (MOUNTAIN BIKING)

mountainside at 60 miles an hour

Jagger, like Jett, has had his

ESSAY

The Science of Thrill-Seeking

Its all about your brain. By Jennifer Dignan

alling on your head hurts. So does breaking a

today. So maybe you love roller coasters, or maybe you

bone. Youd think that to avoid such injuries

hate them. Maybe you think rock-climbing sounds

(and, you know, worse) wed stay away from

amazing, or maybe your stomach feels funny just

danger except when absolutely necessary, right?

thinking about it. It all depends on your personality.

So why is it that sometimes we decide a little

unnecessary danger is worth it? We speed down a
steep hill on a bike, because when we weigh
the risk (face plant!) and the reward
(what a rush!), the risk seems
worth taking.
Clearly, were not all using
the same scale to weigh
risks and rewards, though.
Some of us thrive on activities
that would scare the bejeebers out

Teenage Daredevils
No matter where you are on the thrill-seeking
spectrum, scientists say that your willingness
to take risks increases during your teenage
years. It is during this time that you
start to move away from your family
and into the bigger world. To help
you do that, your brain bumps up
your hunger for new experiences. New
experiences often mean taking some risks,

of the rest of us. Why? Experts say it may

so your brain bumps up your tolerance for

have to do with how our brains work.

risk as well. Even as a teen, though, what you

see as a risk worth taking will depend on your

Take a Riskor Die

ILLUSTRATION BY TOM GARRETT; SHUTTERSTOCK (ALL OTHER IMAGES)

The reason any of us take any risks at all might

personality. And so we return to the question

of what drives some people to climb Mount

have to do with early humans. Risk-takers were better

Everest while others stick to the nature trail.

hunters, fighters, and explorers. Being better at those

New brain research suggests that when thrill-seekers

things meant a greater chance of survival. As the trait

face an intense situation, a part of the brain related

of risk-taking was passed from one generation to the

to pleasure becomes active, while for the rest of us,

next, humans ended up with a sense of adventure and a

a part of the brain related to fear becomes active. Its

tolerance for risk.

also possible that highly adventurous people are more

So why arent we all jumping out of airplanes then?

sensitive to dopamine. This chemical, produced by our

Well, even 200,000 years ago, too much risk-taking could

brains, affects emotions and plays a role in motivation.

get you killed. A few daredevils survived, though, along

As experts continue to study the science of thrill-

with a few stay-in-the-cave types. As a result, humans

seeking, well continue to hit the slopes, the waves . . . or

developed a range of personality types that still exists

the shallow end of the pool.

WRITING CONTEST
Why are some kids more drawn to extreme sports than others? Should kids be allowed to
do extreme sports at all? Use text evidence to support your ideas. Send your response
to EXTREME SPORTS CONTEST. Five winners will get First Descent by Pam Withers.

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