I’ve noticed a shift in youth sports to greater risk for students and families stuck with the bill. Cheerleading takes off points if you use a spotter for gymnastics that are ever more acrobatic. Football pushes kids to tackle and charge, even at young ages. A 14 year old ruins his knee, the parents pay thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for medical costs, the kid is partially handicapped, and it’s all considered “part of the game”. A cheer leader breaks a wrist, cracks a clavicle, it’s shrugged off as a risk of the sport, and there’s no help for parents.
Kids should not be pushed to do physical acts that adults would hesitate to do, with less assistance and preventative measures, with their parents stuck footing the medical bills and physical therapy costs.
“Football pushes kids to tackle and charge, even at young ages. “
Always has. I played football at 12. Kids today can’t so much as play a game of chess without going into a “meltdown”.