|
|
Post by LaFace on Jun 6, 2009 13:20:30 GMT -5
I was thinking about this today.
I love AFL, an extemely tough and dangerous contact sport. Having said that, I could never play it. Head clashes, people commonly getting knocked out, broken bones etc.
The sports I've played in my life have been soccer and tennis, which in addition to Australian Football are my favourite sports. Whilst I know you can get injured in soccer and tennis (soccer more so), injuries are less common and severe in these sports compared to the more physical football ones, at least at a school level.
Hypothetically, I'm not sure if I could allow my children to play a sport like AFL, purely because of how dangerous it is. The same thing goes for say rugby or NFL if those are the sports that are popular where you live. People have told me that if it's what your children love then let them do it. Whilst I appreciate this idea, I feel hesitant on it because at the end of the day, it's very common for such bad injuries to occur, and again, not just at the professional level, but at the school level too. You might say that your child will get angry with you for disallowing them to do something they enjoy, but then I start to think about sports they would also enjoy that are more safe.
I'm interested in your thoughts EAN.
- Does it matter which sport they want to play, or would you allow them to play whatever they like?
- Which sports would and wouldn't you allow your child to play?
- Do you have any beliefs about the age at which they can start playing certain sports? If so, please discuss.
- Does it matter what gender your child is? (again, if so, what would and wouldn't you allow)
There are many good things to be learnt in sports, but then as a parent, you would naturally be concerned with the potential injuries that are likely to occur with certain sports.
You just need to watch the first minute of this video to see something that commonly happens in AFL - head clashes (this was probably a bit more serious than usual, but then these are the elite professionals):
|
|
|
|
Post by i move the stars for no one on Jun 6, 2009 13:44:04 GMT -5
i'm a firm believer in not wrapping kids in cottonwool.the kids' sports leagues where i am do a very good job of keeping the games age-appropriate.things do get really rough in high school but if they feel like they can handle it,i say let them go for it,regardless of which sport or which gender.it's another way for them to learn the consequences of their decisions and to learn a little bit about risk vs. reward.i would never force them to play sports if they didn't want to,but if they really love it,then i wouldn't stop them just because of the possibility of injury.and maybe it's just me and my family but it seems like injures in general (broken bones,etc.) are just part of growing up.
though it's all a moot point if their grades aren't up to snuff.
|
|
|
|
Post by milkman's baby on Jun 6, 2009 14:51:55 GMT -5
What is Australian Football? I thought that was soccer, but you make it sound like it's not.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paddy on Jun 6, 2009 17:44:42 GMT -5
What is Australian Football? I thought that was soccer, but you make it sound like it's not. Yeah, AFL is hard core. It's nothing like soccer. Involves some of the fittest grown men you'll ever see running around assaulting each other at high speed. NFL is for pansies. AFL players wear hot-pants and no padding. I've been been playing organised sport since I was 9 (when I first arrived in the UK from the USA) and am still going strong at 32. Sports garner a great team working ethic and there is nothing like the camaraderie that is fostered on the sports field. There is no need to advocate the health benefits of an active lifestyle - that speaks for itself. I'm probably the fittest 32 year old I know, though 20+ years of 3/4x weekly high impact sports has taken its toll on my knees, ankles and hips. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have it any other way, though am looking to move onto something less stressful on the body. In the US, my parents used to send me to (an all girl) gymnastics club, and I never got involved in team sports (with boys!). My parents have never been the sporty type, so it wasn't until I went to boarding school in the UK at 9 years old that I even learned how to catch a ball. I have the UK's private school culture of sports to thank for my sporting longevity and I feel for kids who aren't encouraged to play sports. Obviously sport is not for everyone, but today's sedentary lifestyle is abhorrent. Something must be done!! Naturally, I'm an advocate of competitive organised sport for kids. I wouldn't want it to be dangerous - but usually sports don't become dangerous until your older, by which time you have the maturity to choose to participate or not. I played rugby when I was a kid and though choose not to play now (for safety reasons) highly value the experience when I was young. AFL is dangerous, but not when you are small (unless you are playing with adults) and pros who get injured know the risks. The parents of injured adult players shouldn't feel responsible. Obviously, there are risks for youngsters (I nearly lost my eyesight from a serious soccer injury when I was 13) but in the majority of cases, the benefits blast the disadvantages out of the water. There are pastimes that are far more dangerous than most contact ball sports. There are a few guys here who have come off badly from skating and biking. fei was in a coma after a biking accident. And I can't think of anything more dangerous than wizzing around a concrete course at speed on a wooden board. Paranoid parents who prevent kids from playing any sports at all are idiots. |
|
|
|
Post by thesa on Jun 7, 2009 10:54:42 GMT -5
i'm a firm believer in not wrapping kids in cottonwool.the kids' sports leagues where i am do a very good job of keeping the games age-appropriate.things do get really rough in high school but if they feel like they can handle it,i say let them go for it,regardless of which sport or which gender.it's another way for them to learn the consequences of their decisions and to learn a little bit about risk vs. reward.i would never force them to play sports if they didn't want to,but if they really love it,then i wouldn't stop them just because of the possibility of injury.and maybe it's just me and my family but it seems like injures in general (broken bones,etc.) are just part of growing up. though it's all a moot point if their grades aren't up to snuff. that's exactly what I'm thinking. I'd rather have my kids toughen up and become stronger than wrapping them in cottonwool and make them weaker because of it. The benefit of sports is that it teaches you how to control your body and to estimate risks, something that kids need in my opinion. |
|
|
|
Post by halfbreed on Jun 7, 2009 11:08:10 GMT -5
Good question. I've never thought about it! Rugby worries me a bit.  |
|
|
|
Post by volume on Jun 7, 2009 11:18:46 GMT -5
soft mate, really soft.
|
|
|
|
Post by LaFace on Jun 7, 2009 23:12:20 GMT -5
What is Australian Football? I thought that was soccer, but you make it sound like it's not. AFL to Australia is like NFL to the States - our country's unique brand of football. Both AFL and NFL are the elite leagues in each country, so whilst it's technically incorrect for me to refer to AFL as a sport (as it stands for Australian Football League), people often refer to the sport as such because 'Australian rules football' is a nuisance to say/write each and everytime you mention it, unlike 'gridiron' which is more convenient. Also, I try not to say 'football', as that can mean any number of sports, ie soccer, australian rules, gridiron, rugby league, rugby union etc. The two videos I've posted in this thread are of the AFL. Aren't you a Melbourne boy Scott? Typically, an AFL fan like me that doesn't really know much about the NRL might diss the NRL in return, but I have to say that the sport fascinates me. It is tough too. To refute your claims of 'soft' though: At least we can agree on the no padding/helmets aspect. To Selina and Thesa, let's take a more extreme example. What if you're child in primary school wanted to do competitive boxing (that is, box against opponents in competitive fighting matches at that age, as opposed to just training with equipment or sparring with partners in training)? Also, does not allowing them to play one sport (and it may be just one of a number of sports they like) necessarily mean you are 'wrapping them in cotton wool'? It's not as though other sports out there can teach these kids the same thing in my opinion, and if they like these sports too then I can't see the harm (take my situation from the OP). Interested in your thoughts. |
|
|
|
Post by volume on Jun 8, 2009 1:51:32 GMT -5
I was calling you soft for saying you wouldn't play it, not the sport. NRL is not really the top "priority" sport here in Victoria, it's all AFL.
|
|
|
|
Post by i move the stars for no one on Jun 8, 2009 1:57:34 GMT -5
let me begin by saying that i don't believe that the violence of any particular sport is the crux of the lessons that can be learned,and that i'm not looking down on anyone else's opinion because parenting is a very individualized thing.that being said,i would of course as a parent be nervously biting my knuckles during every match if my child did love to play a particularly brutal one.but i dont believe that that's reason enough to forbid them to play.if a dangerous sport were one of several that they enjoyed,steering them towards the safer ones to me doesn't constitute coddling.if they were passionate about a dangerous one,though,and were old enough to competantly assess the risks and deal physically and emotionally with the consequences,then i do feel i would be doing them a disservice to forbid them to play because of my fear.
as for the example of boxing in primary school,i have to say i don't feel it's a close enough parallel to anything that could realistically happen.in the younger years (primary school) sports are carefully monitored to be age-apropriate.were i to feel that this monitoring/adjusting of the rules were insufficient enough to pose a risk to my child beyond what he was capable of handling at his age,i would step in and remove him from the activity.
this is all kind of theoretical for me anyway as my kid is an egghead. ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by Paddy on Jun 8, 2009 6:18:29 GMT -5
Yes, any activity for kids should be monitored. Parents should be aware of the risks, and if safeguards are not in place, kids should be withdrawn and prohibited from participation. Kids are not allowed to box competitively until they are a certain age. Any boxing group that were to flout such a regulation would lose its license in a flash - but not before parents had already noted their displeasure.
So as I said, (organised) sports for kids are generally not dangerous. And I can't think of a popular pastime more dangerous than skate boarding.
|
|
|
|
Post by Subuatai on Jun 8, 2009 10:11:13 GMT -5
What kind of thread is this? Is it even an option to deny your child his/her willingness to play sport. Even though my daughter is due next month, I plan to give her as much exposure to athletic ventures as possible.
As a past sportsman myself in my youth playing footy (Aussie rules Football), I know that safety measures will be employed in any sport.
|
|
|
|
Post by LaFace on Jun 8, 2009 10:37:29 GMT -5
^I made this thread knowing that a number of EAN members are older than me, with some being parents and others far more ready to be parents than I would be at my current stage in life. Hence, I appreciate the insight that this thread gives me, and hopefully others. Can't be too young to think about the issue I guess.
Subuatai - you've played AFL, so I'm sure you would've seen those kids with anger issues that go out there, trying to take out other kids. Despite all the safety measures, such as an intentional hit to the head being against the rules, it is common for kids to play dirty and go against the rules in AFL, rugby etc to cause injury. Thoughts? Also, you've mentioned that you're having a daughter, so would her being female make you feel differently about her wanting to play say AFL, compared to if you had a boy?
Scott - haha I guess I am a softey then. Soccer and tennis are my favourite sports to play, although they are less 'physical' than footy. And yeah, NRL seems to be top priority in NSW and QLD. As for the rest of the country, AFL all the way. You follow it?
Selina - I think the best lessons to be learnt regarding sport include team work, discipline, self-improvement etc, all those things where you and your mates can reap the rewards (the aspect of working hard to support your team mates is an exceptionally underrated aspect in my opinion). Plus, it's obviously fun and healthy living. I appreciate your insight into the matter given you are a parent.
|
|
|
|
Post by Subuatai on Jun 8, 2009 10:54:37 GMT -5
True, I guess I planned for a son. Nonetheless, I'm not going to hold prejudice that she will be incapable for athletic ventures if she wishes it (In past Mongol culture, women were also warriors).
In my youth playing footy, there were some problematic kids sure, but after a while, we were team-mates. We stood for each other no matter what, even on the streets. Either way, I don't plan to deny or allow my daughter to play sport, whatever she wishes to accomplish, I'll support it all the way.
|
|
|
|
Post by Paddy on Jun 8, 2009 11:04:23 GMT -5
^^
Would appreciate if you use people's EAN names.
You can send the pm otherwise.
|
|
