THE deleterious effects of playing some sports, especially at the highest levels, cannot be overstated and are usually understated because some folks prey on the “vulnerable,” i.e., the poor, to hawk their wares (such as gambling initiatives).
Recently, Andre Waters, a former Philadelphia Eagle, died at age 44 and doctors discovered that his brain was akin to a 85- year-old’s. With boxing, comes Parkinson’s with Ali being the most prominent example (others would show speech impediments; and no, it is not because they didn’t go to college for a polished command of English). Lest some will accuse me of bias, Harvard studies have shown repeated “heading” of the ball (soccer) also has some effects on the developing brain. (The thing about the brain is you will NEVER know the full long-term impact of a “head-butt.”)
So that is the danger—apparent, real , some more pronounced— that our youth and adults will face in contact sports. I was just a rugby jamboree and while the girls play tag rugby which is harmless, the boys go all out with tackles and there were some bone-crushing ones. And of course no one needs to bring up the mixed martial arts “blood fest” that KUAM shamelessly promotes. But we are all free here, right, so let’s “get it going.”
Seriously, I would recommend to parents and guardians who really do care about their kids’ welfare, health and therefore education prospects, to let them concentrate on their studies first, and play individual sports like tennis, badminton, golf, swimming since the shelf life of said sports is narrow and safe. Team sports that are not brutish include volleyball, basketball, baseball and soccer (done right, that is). For national glory, it is really baseball and soccer, especially women and futsal (both being relatively new). We are not South Korea, Japan and China who are mastering all sports because they can afford to. But if they fail to meet expectations, they too immediately take stock and revamp and redraw programs. That’s what parents should preferably do too just like when they pull their kids from GPSS, for example.

MATT PHILIPS
Mangilao, Guam