Tucson SPORT - September 2007 - (Page 51) My young kids love to swing. Seriously. We can spend an afternoon in the park and do nothing but swing. More precisely, Sophia enjoys the swinging and all that comes with it, like the breeze in her hair and butterflies in her stomach. Meanwhile, I stand behind her dutifully pushing every few minutes. We were very sad, then, when we rolled into the new and beautiful Brandi Fenton Memorial Park to find absolutely no swings. There is plenty of other stuff to do at the park, but swinging is not one of them. It turns out that Pima County Parks and Recreation, along with a lot of other similar groups, are moving away from swings. The logic is that kids get hurt on swings and there are liability concerns, so swinging is a no-go. Last month I was surprised to read a front page article in Phoenix’s Arizona Republic reporting that schools there were banning tag. Again, the decisionmakers place the blame on litigation concerns. It’s sad that with our focus and concern on childhood obesity, the very fun and carefree activities that get kids’ hearts racing and encourage them to exercise are being outlawed. It’s especially disappointing that the adults who have taken away these childhood joys blame them on the litigation phantom instead of being honest about their decisions. The truth is that maintaining playgrounds and parks in a safe condition requires action. It requires regular maintenance of equipment. It requires regular inspections to ensure that there is enough sand, wood chips or other groundcover to protect kids. It requires parents to actively watch all of the children at the park to make sure that no one gets out of hand. The same is true for tag in schools. Playing the game safely requires properly staffed P.E. and recreation classes. Teachers and other adults must actively supervise children to see that their play is creative, safe, and in control. All that is required to avoid liability in a lawsuit is to conduct regular maintenance and, where appropriate, provide reasonable supervision and instruction. Nothing more. Banning swings and outlawing tag is dodging the bare minimum level of responsibility we have a right to expect from our parks and schools. The true message of these decisions is that it is easier to deprive the kids than be active in looking after them. It is no surprise that children who are playing sometimes fall and get hurt. We should not be trying to eliminate the possibility of a child getting hurt. Instead, we, as adults, must make sure that kids are provided with a reasonably safe, secure, and supervised environment to run, play, and even swing. If playgrounds are properly maintained and physical activity is properly supervised, litigation is not going to be a concern, even in those cases where children hurt themselves – which they are going to do. Sincerely, Dev Sethi http://www.kbsds.com http://www.kbsds.com
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