Allowing children to play contact sports like Rugby and Boxing is a form of Child abuse!

[Trav Le Bleu]

4 hours ago, Tommy G said:

This is such a 2023 thing isn’t it. Dread to think what PE is like these days at school 

FIFA, NBA2K and Tekken.

[BertFill]

16 hours ago, LiberalFox said:

I wouldn't be against moving to outlaw boxing at some point as I just don't see how you reform the sport to make it safe.

 

You could just remove the punching people in the head bit. You'd still keep all the skills and techniques, you'd just avoid the risk of massive brain damage.

 

16 hours ago, LiberalFox said:

 

I don't really know enough about rugby to say if it's possible to make it safe.

 

No, me neither. It would appear to need a pretty fundamental shift in what's allowed. But then they seem to be moving in that direction, and it's still rugby, so I'm sure it's doable.

 

16 hours ago, LiberalFox said:

Modern science suggests that blows to the head are a lot worse than we previously thought. 

Exactly. So it's pretty clear that we have to look very seriously at adjusting sports to remove the clear risk of what is avoidable damage.

[Mickyblueeyes]

I boxed for many years - I was not very good but boy does the lifestyle, the training teach discipline. I’ve used that in both my academic, my career and subsequently my business career. 
 

All my kids box and will continue to box. It doesn’t have to be boxing, sport generally is an exceptional tool to teach many things. 

[BertFill]

1 minute ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

I boxed for many years - I was not very good but boy does the lifestyle, the training teach discipline. I’ve used that in both my academic, my career and subsequently my business career. 
 

All my kids box and will continue to box. It doesn’t have to be boxing, sport generally is an exceptional tool to teach many things. 

Although I'm no boxing fan, I agree with all that. But couldn't it still do all that if they simply outlawed punching above the shoulders - like they outlaw punching below the belt?

[SouthStandUpperTier]

Boxing never did me any harm.

 

Heart of a champion......margarine hat.

[LiberalFox]

It's hard to imagine boxing without blows to the head. Of course it's better to take up boxing than join a street gang but better still to take up something similar without the concussion risk.

[Parafox]

6 hours ago, BertFill said:

You could just remove the punching people in the head bit. You'd still keep all the skills and techniques, you'd just avoid the risk of massive brain damage.

 

I disagree. The skills and techniques include keeping "gloves up" to protect the head and face and duck and weave to avoid head shots then counter punch your opponent. That's an integral part of the points scoring system.

 

I do agree however, that there needs to be a way of reducing the risk of brain damage as a result of direct trauma to the head. Maybe more padding in head guards and gloves, but use technology to include sensors that register point scoring blows?

 

Unfortunately many people watch boxing in the hope that there will be a dramatic knock-out. And pay good money in pursuit of that.

 

Anyone who is knocked unconscious has, by definition, sustained a brain injury.

 

 

Edited 3 February by Parafox

[CosbehFox]

13 hours ago, grobyfox1990 said:

Probably unpopular opinion that restricts me to ‘Wokey’ status, but totally agree. We bang about anxiety in kids constantly but allow their undeveloped heads to get knocked around in the name of exercise. No need 

Exactly my thought - in the context of what’s been said. 
 

My experience of playing Rugby as a kid was that when at a good club with a decent ref and properly trained coaches, it was safe. Equally though I stopped playing around 14/15 because there was an expectation to start doing bloody weight training and the organisation of the sessions was bordering on professionalism which isn’t right for a kid of that age. 
 

When we’d play it at school, these coaches were simply not trained and parts of the game such as scrums, mauls and rucks dangerous. For example the technique to tackle is pretty important but we’d have lads going at someone chest high or scrummaging which requires constant practice would constantly collapse 

Edited 3 February by CosbehFox