Lara Rydesky

Language Arts Per 3

March 20, 2017

Edited on October 29, 2017

Extreme Sports, Are They Worth the Risk?

It is common to drive through a downtown area and see a multitude of different

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

activity and amusement.

 While the definition of an extreme sport is a physical activity that is perceived as having

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

sports, while also learning the importance of practicing safe activities.

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

physical and mental benefits provided by extreme sports.

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

mentally, emotionally, and physically in the process.

Works Cited

Donnelly, James. "Should Boxing Be Banned?" The Conversation, 19 Mar. 2015.

Actively Learn, read.activelylearn.com/#student/reader/347327/notes.

 Accessed 13 Mar. 2017.

Keefer, Quinn. "Does a Running Back's Pay Affect His Willingness to Take Risks?"

The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2015. Actively Learn, read.activelylearn.com/

#student/reader/347093/notes. Accessed 16 Mar. 2017.

Buswell, Nichole. "Flying high: the risks and rewards of action sports."

Current Health Teens, a Weekly Reader publication, Nov. 2010, p. 16+.

Kids InfoBits, go.galegroup.com/ps/

i.do?p=ITKE&sw=w&u=ncowl&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA239813879&a

sid=56dab7a8997d90305f7a1fd864512e99. Accessed 14 Mar. 2017.

Marketwired. "New Concussion Tools Teach Parents about Concussion and Helmet

Safety." Marketwire (English), 09 July 2013. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/

login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=B2IDMKE11G006383-001&site=pov-live.

Accessed 18 Mar. 2017.

Free, Kathryn. "Too Extreme?." Scholastic Superscience, vol. 27, no. 5, Feb.

2016, p. 10. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/

login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,custuid&custid=s8455861&db=f6h&

;AN=112350322&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Accessed 18 Mar. 2017.