Skateboarding may often be associated with ‘rebellious street’ teenagers who love adrenaline. But you may be surprised to know that skateboarding is not just for youth looking for a cool lifestyle.
Allowing kids to learn skateboarding has significant benefits for their development. Yes, it can be a dangerous sport. But don’t most sports carry some level of risk? Below you will find some of the ways your kids may benefit from skateboarding. There’s a chance your negative view on skateboarding may fade away.
Kids learning to skateboard get a full workout
According to healthfitnessrevolution.com, when your children skateboard they need to use their entire body to get that skateboard moving (unless they are going downhill). They need to exercise their feet, legs, arms for balance, and torso for turning. Of course, at the beginning, kids learning how to skateboard will get less of a workout. But once kids learn the basics, the amount of muscle work and physical movement needed to skateboard will greatly benefit their overall physical health.
Falling and getting back up teaches endurance and perseverance
Skateboarding is all about falling down and getting back on the skateboard. With the right coaching and encouragement, kids learning to skateboard will be motivated to learn how to fall. They will then learn how to keep going and become better no matter how many falls it takes. Thus a great lesson on endurance and perseverance can come with skateboarding.
Learning to skateboard can give confidence to children with special needs
The CJ Skateboard camp is a great example of an organization that has proven how beneficial skateboarding can be for autistic children and other special needs kids. Its founder, Jay Mandarino says that they’ve had autistic kids “who were never supposed to speak end up speaking.”
There is another non-profit organization called Get on Board that focuses on teaching kids with Autism and special needs to skate, at no cost. They have seen first hand, through thousands of students, how “suddenly, a kid who never looked up is looking up.” Kids with special needs are empowered by learning how to skateboard..
Skateboarding can teach your children about inclusion
Eva Glettner is a mom of three boys who are into skateboarding. She describes how going to a skatepark taught her and her boys to be non-judgemental.
It’s happened to most of us. We judge people based on their looks, their fashion, how tattooed they are. Yet, according to Glettner, no matter how you look, you are welcomed. What’s more, she says there’s always someone to help you get back on your skateboard. So now her boys have become part of the “camaraderie that skaters have with one another.”
Perhaps it’s time for us to forget about the skateboarding lifestyle that’s often associated with this sport. And maybe to put less focus on the dangerous physical risks that skateboarding can have, in exchange for some of these benefits. Even if you are not intending your kid to become the next Tony Hawk, you might want to give your child a chance to learn how to skateboard!
