In this age of sky-rocketing childhood obesity numbers, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for kids, and an out-of-control obsession with video games and television, it is good to see that lawmakers have finally done something: they have identified physical activities and deemed many “unsafe”.
In an attempt to regulate summer camp safety statewide, legislators have created a list of activities they feel need more oversight, which is set to include such childhood favorites as kickball, wiffleball, and tag.
As is the case with many pieces of legislation that pass into law, it is typically with good intentions, but will have many unintended consequences. It is clear that there is legitimate concern about the number of staff at a camp compared to the campers. Regardless of the activity taking place, there should be enough medical staff to accommodate the children. What is unintended in this legislation is the fact that small camps will be hit hard (and perhaps have to close) because they will need to pay a fee and maintain a medical staff if they take part in certain activities.
I played all of these games as a kid. They are hardly “risky”. The worst injury I have ever gotten from games like these is probably a jammed finger or scraped knee. I worked at a summer camp over the summer and it was amazing to see how little these kids knew of “getting up and moving”. They truly enjoy, as most kids do, running around and playing games. Unfortunately, many of their parents are too busy doing other things to foster and environment where physical activity is encouraged.
Legislation like this continues down the path toward the day when no one will get off of couches and be too fat to tie their own shoes. I’m just waiting to see the day.
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