Published: September 01, 2011 6:35 AM
A prominent boxer who started his career in Red Deer at the age of 17 disagrees with Canadian and American pediatricians who urge youth under the age of 19 to stay out of the boxing ring.
The Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics jointly released a report on Monday condemning youth involvement in amateur boxing because the sport presents a high risk of head injury.
But Arash Usmanee argued the report unfairly singled out boxing because athletes involved in various sports are susceptible to injuries such as concussions.
“Let’s be real, (boxing) is a contact sport. Injuries could occur, but it’s so rare” said Usmanee, who was raised in Red Deer and is currently ranked ninth in the world in the super featherweight division according to the World Boxing Association.
“It could happen in any sport.”
The report acknowledged overall risk of injury is lower in boxing than sports like hockey, football, wrestling and soccer. The pediatric organizations, however, take issue with boxing as it “encourages and rewards direct blows to the head and face.”
Deliberate punches to the head put boxers at significant risk for brain injuries such as concussions, the report says.
Concussions are especially concerning in young people, as they are more vulnerable to injury. The recovery process is also longer for children and teenagers than for adults.
The pediatric groups, therefore, took the stance that youth boxing be banned in North America, and that blows to the head be eliminated until that time.
Usmanee scoffed at the recommendation.
“Why don’t we just start wearing some loafers. What do they want, a bunch of little twinkle dancers?” he said. “This is boxing. When it comes down to it, you punch the guy.
“They’re trying to make it so safe that people are running away from it. Boxing has become so safe, it’s pushing away the true fans.”
Red Deer Boxing Club founder Rob Carswell applauded the measure keeping boxers safe, especially the younger participants.
“We try and ensure that nothing ever happens to kids. Injuries are something we take the utmost precaution to prevent,” he said of his club that offers recreation boxing to anyone as young as 10.
“It’s hard for me to remember any kid who has got injured over and above of course the bruises and the weeping, little bloody nose.”
Carswell said young amateur boxers wear protective head gear and padded gloves that absorb 60 per cent of the punch, and that kids are evenly matched for size and skill when they spar.
The report highlights some of the safety precautions the sport takes to protect the athletes, he said. This includes the fact that referees can end a fight for any number of reasons and that medical professionals are always ringside.
Carswell added some of his younger boxers go an entire year without sparring.
But the president of the Brain Injury Association of Alberta argued youth should not participate in boxing until head shots are taken out of the game.
“It’s not worth it because there are so many other sports that kids can be involved in that don’t involve a high risk for head injury,” said Meloni Lyon.
“If the boxing world were to identify that yeah, this is a risk . . . and put in a specific rule set that they don’t take head shots, that would be a different story entirely.”
Head injuries are the leading cause of death and disability across Canada for people between the ages of one and 44, she said. And there are 10,000 new head injuries in Alberta every year, half of which are caused by trauma. Strokes make up the other half.
Lyon said children do not have to lose consciousness to suffer a concussion. And while one concussion may only cause temporary issues, repeated injuries to the brain can result in permanent damage, she said.
This can include impacting cognitive functioning, short-term memory and the ability to process information.
“I wish more parents were aware that these risks exist, and especially when it comes to things like amateur sports,” Lyon said.
“Your kids are at high enough risk when they ride a bike without a helmet. Why put them in a boxing ring?”
She urged parents to “err on the side of caution” when registering children for sports by choosing activities that don’t involve bodily collisions such as biking, swimming, badminton or tennis.
For contact sports — such as football, which is one of Lyon’s favourites — she stressed the importance of wearing protective head gear.
Visit www.biaa.ca for more information about concussions, including symptoms.
ptrotter@reddeeradvocate.com
Tags: Alberta, American Academy of Pediatrics, Boxing, Canadian Paediatric Society, Concussions, Head injury, Pediatricians, Red Deer, Red Deer Advocate
