Should You Be Concerned About Playing Contact Sports?
May 1, 2020 by ThySista
Filed under Business, Health & Wellness, Opinion, Weekly Columns
(ThySistas.com) Not everyone loves playing sports, but no one can deny the overwhelming popularity and effect that it has on many people in the country. From football to soccer and even boxing, there are countless sports that we can watch on TV at any time, anywhere. Some people might even be interested enough to get into the sport themselves. In fact, many children grow up influenced by the sports that their parents play or watch and they might even seek to grow a career playing those types of sports.
However, there’s one category of sports that can cause parents a lot of concern and worry; contact sports. In reality, almost every sport can involve some kind of contact that could turn nasty, but there are some extremely popular sports such as ice hockey and football that put you at more risk of suffering from a concussion or sports-related injury.
But the question is; should you actually be concerned about playing contact sports, or are the fears overblown?
Understanding the dangers of the sport you play but being realistic about their frequency
You’re always going to hear about people who suffer a sports injury and could even end up with an accident concussion settlement after reporting it. However, what you don’t hear is the millions of people that play the sport and don’t suffer any ill effects. This is because the media loves to talk about the negative things about a sport instead of focusing on the positive side of things. This is normal as it generates more clicks and sensation if they talk about an injury.
However, it’s never a bad idea to understand what kind of injuries are common in your sport of choice. This will help you seek or offer the right kind of treatment should someone be injured. But you also need to be realistic and understand the frequency of these injuries. As long as you play safe and with friends and family members you trust, the chances of an injury occurring are very slim–especially with protective gear.
If you’re playing with kids around, make sure they learn the value of safety
One of the most enjoyable summer activities as a parent is taking your child out to the park and playing some kind of sports with them. If you do this, then it’s absolutely your responsibility to look after them and understand the potential dangers of playing certain sports. If you’re playing baseball with them, you shouldn’t be smashing the ball as hard as you can and you should always equip your child with the right protective equipment.
Similarly, if you’re going to introduce your child to a contact sport like football, then they need to understand the value of safety, why people wear helmets and also how to be a good sport when it comes to engaging others on the field.
The reality is that anything can cause you or your child an injury. Even sitting at home for too much can start to cause negative effects on your health. As long as you’re being safe, taking the right precautions and avoiding any extra rough sports or scenarios, you’re generally going to be safe playing contact sports and you shouldn’t worry too much until you start getting a lot older.
Staff Writer; Susan Shaw
