Where would you rather go, to the skating park or wood park? A very easy question as it may seem at the very beginning. The answer is obvious: the wood park. However, why do people choose wood parks? May be because they got used to them and the first image that comes to mind when we hear word “park” is a spot with trees and branches. Park is one of the most “visitable” places in every city. It is usually a place for family picnic, meeting with friend, jogging, walking and many other things. In addition, it is a place for many sport activities. Do you like when you walking along a path and a “crazy” skateboarder runs beside you, moreover, when he/she nearly pushes you.
That is a common situation for wood parks in Arizona. Thus, the questions emerges: what parks are better for Arizona, wood parks or concrete skate parks? This question is important indeed. Especially, if to take into consideration such facts as the popularity of extreme sports, the obesity statistics and injures that people get from extreme sport. Thus, the importance of skate parks in Arizona is great. Building such parks in the state, may prevent the number of injuries caused by extreme sport activities, prevent the growth of obesity and promote sport activities among young people.
Both, skate parks and wood parks give you a possibility to spend your leisure time in the way you like, either doing sport or walking and relaxing. “Leisure influences your life journey in a number of ways and, ultimately, your quality of life. Leisure affects health in three ways: prevention, coping, and transcendence” (Human Kinetics). No matter to which park one will go, he/she expecting to have some rest, communicate with people and get some positive energy. Both places provide such opportunity. In addition, there are quite many wood parks and skate parks in Arizona and one can choose which will be better for him/her.
The problem lies in the fact that concrete skate parks are better than wood parks for Arizona nowadays. Thus, apart from similarities which these types of parks can share, there are certain advantages of skate parks that should be mentioned. One can say that concrete skate park is another place where one can injure himself/herself. However, these parks were created to reduce the number of such injures because in difference of urban streets of the city and wood parks where there are a lot of small children and old people, the skate park is a specially provided space, a representation of skateboarding terrain which is often imposed by some social regulation system. (Borden 131).
Thus, the more concrete skate parks, the less is possibility that a skateboarder will injure himself/herself in the terrain which is not appropriate for this sport, or injure somebody else. The second important thing about importance of concrete skate parks is that they are a great means to promote healthy life-style and sport. There, one can be physically active and physical activity increases muscle strength and helps to control body weight. Moreover, it helps to cope with a stress and promotes spiritual well-being (“Dimensions of leisure for life” 62).
Extreme kinds of sport are in fashion nowadays, however, many young people in Arizona still cannot find an appropriate space for skateboarding, BMX or other activities just because there are no concrete skate park nearby. They can actually go to the wood park, but it may be more dangerous and not so interesting as there will not be special equipment for skate boarding and one can actually bother somebody as well. Finally, concrete skate parks “win the competition” with wood parks when it goes about the obesity prevention. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, during the past twenty years there has been a great increase in obesity in the United States.
Only Colorado and District of Columbia had a prevalence of obesity less than 20 % in 2009 (“U.S. obesity trends”) In Arizona the obesity rates 25.5 %. It is a quite frightening percentage. Of course, one can go jogging to the wood park and admire nature around, however, the majority of young people are not attracted by such suggestion. Promotion of popularity of modern concrete skate parks may inspire young people go in for sport. As everybody knows, sport is the best way to prevent the obesity and make a future generation healthier.
Thus, there are three major reasons why concrete skate parks are better than wood parks for Arizona. These parks are great for prevention of obesity, promoting sport and preventing the number of accidents that happen because there are no special places for this kind of sport. Of course, skate parks and wood parks were created to give people possibility to spend their leisure time. However, promotion of concrete skate parks helps in solving several problems of the modern society. Moreover, if their number increase, young people will have more possibilities to attend them and do sport, rather than be involved in some bad things.
Works Cited
Borden, Iain. Skateboarding, space and the city: architecture and the body. New York: Iain Borden, 2001. Print.
Dimensions of leisure for life. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2010, Print.
U.S. obesity trends. Trends by state 1985–2009. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. 2010. Web.