Professional Documents
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Extreme Sports
Extreme Sports
buildings, one of which may be something resembling a skatepark or rock climbing center. This
may be because people in todays day and age are known to seek out dangerous activities in
order to experience an idealized adrenaline rush. One of the more popular ways of doing so is via
action sports. Otherwise known as extreme sports, action sports hold a significantly higher risk
of injury than other, more traditional games such as soccer or baseball. Examples of action sports
include cycling, rock climbing or bungee jumping, all of which have a high risk of injury, thus
generating their appeal to daredevils, the majority of which are teens. This is because a
teenagers brain processes reason and logical thinking much slower than it does their emotions,
making them prone to acting without thinking. Action sports provide a means of getting that
adrenaline rush so many teens desire, but some believe do so at a larger risk. However, though
action sports generate more of a chance of injury, the rate of actual injury is not necessarily
higher than in traditional sports. The numerous reward factors generated by action sports are
worth the risks they bring about as they can be easily prevented and provide health benefits into
later life. While sports such as cycling, boxing, car racing, and snowboarding generally engender
risk, and are looked upon as unsafe, they provide an exciting and not unsafe means of physical
a high level of danger, these risks can easily be eliminated by the use of helmets and through
basic instruction. Although, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, some
170,000 children and teens sustain sports related head injuries per year (Marketwired), most of
them could have been prevented by the use of a helmet. However, padding alone does not
entirely erase the threat action sports pose. Not only is proper equipment needed, but proper
instruction. Sometimes falling is unavoidable. When you fall, turn your head in the direction of
the fall, and try to land on your side or rear end. says Nichole Buswell in her article "Flying
high: the risks and rewards of action sports." Moreover, knowing how and when to execute a
trick on a skateboard could greatly decrease the chances of injury. Tara Kuther, a psychology
professor at Western Connecticut State University, cautions teens to pause before jumping into
an activity and to consider the benefits and risks of each action. Being aware of the limits a
person has is a simple yet essential part of staying safe while partaking in extreme sports. By use
of proper equipment and instruction, one can stay safe and reduce their risk of injury in action
In opposition to the risks associated with action sports, there are several physical and
mental benefits. For example, research done at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore shows
that individuals who biked or skateboarded more than four times a week had a significantly
higher reduced risk of adulthood obesity (48%) versus those who had taken part in traditional
sports during their teen years (20%) (Buswell). One reason for this may be because action sports
are hobbies usually done individually and are ones that take little effort to maintain into an older
age. In other words, biking, skateboarding, or running holds less commitment than playing
soccer or basketball on a team. It is this individuality that provides another benefit of action
sports to growing teens. In college and high school, workloads increase dramatically, and may
limit time for afterschool activities such as a community sports team. Not only this, but the added
responsibility towards a team may put additional stress onto a young athlete. On the contrary, an
individual sport such as running or biking would allow for physical activity and self expression
without the responsibility of a team. Action sports also have opportunities to teach kids
important life lessons. Parents also say that the sports teach their kids determination, says Free
in her article Too Extreme? These activities allow children to learn to adapt to their
environment and rise up to any challenge presented to them. These only breach the surface of the
One on the opposing side of this argument might argue that injuries sustained from
extreme sports are not only more common but more severe than those from traditional sports.
This can be due to the high speeds and heights that athletes can reach while participating. Not
only this, but a majority of serious extreme athletes start at an undeniably young age. Take
Andrew Schulz as an example. In 2015, at age 7, he won his second national title in motocross, a
type of dirt bike race with varying terrains and large jumps. He first began riding at age 3 (Free).
Countless believe that these kids are too young to partake in such a dangerous pastime, chiefly
because childrens bodies are still growing, making them more susceptible to injury. However,
with the greater risk comes higher level precautionary methods and protective gear. When
Andrew rides his dirt bike, he wears a helmet, a neck brace, and a hard vest to protect the organs
in his chest. stated Kathryn Free in her article on the risks of action sports Too Extreme?
According to Andrew himself, he has never broken anything. Experts also believe that children
can usually tell for themselves what their limits are. "Having a kid who's never skateboarded
before go down a 27-foot drop? That's crazy," says Mariana Brussoni, a researcher who studies
injuries in children at British Columbia Children's Hospital in Canada. "But the average kid is
pretty good at figuring out how far they can push themselves."
In conclusion, benefits to children and teens from action sports are great and numerous,
and while there is a large chance of injury, this can be easily avoided by implementing proper
safety gear, knowledge, and common sense. This is why extreme sports should be considered as
a safe and profitable way to learn, reduce stress, and exercise for later life. The risks formed from
action sports are worth the reward factor for teens and young children because of the multitude
of health benefits that are provided with easily resolvable injury rates. Children and teens should
always have a means of physical activity, and whether that be in the form of action/extreme
sports like rock climbing, or traditional sports like soccer, it is important for them to grow
Works Cited
Keefer, Quinn. "Does a Running Back's Pay Affect His Willingness to Take Risks?"
Buswell, Nichole. "Flying high: the risks and rewards of action sports."
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Marketwired. "New Concussion Tools Teach Parents about Concussion and Helmet
search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=B2IDMKE11G006383-001&site=pov-live.
Free, Kathryn. "Too Extreme?." Scholastic Superscience, vol. 27, no. 5, Feb.
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