Discover Why You Should Avoid Contact Sports for Better Health and Safety
As I watched the recent basketball game where the Elasto Painters struggled without two key players, I couldn't help but reflect on how contact sports constantly put athletes' health at risk. Caelan Tiongson's impressive 24 points and seven rebounds performance stood in stark contrast to the team's overall struggle - they clearly missed Beau Belga's presence due to vertigo and Shaun Ildefonso's contribution because of that ankle sprain. This scenario perfectly illustrates why I've become increasingly cautious about recommending contact sports to young athletes and recreational players alike.
Having followed sports injuries for over a decade, I've seen how what starts as a minor sprain can evolve into chronic issues that affect quality of life long after the cheering stops. That ankle sprain keeping Ildefonso off the court? Research shows approximately 42% of ankle sprains develop into persistent instability, with many athletes experiencing recurrent episodes throughout their lives. And vertigo like what Belga experienced - often triggered by head impacts - can significantly disrupt daily functioning beyond just sports performance. These aren't just temporary setbacks; they're warning signs we should take more seriously.
What many people don't realize is how these injuries accumulate over time. I remember working with a former college athlete who'd been through multiple concussions and joint injuries - by his late thirties, he was dealing with arthritis and cognitive issues that directly traced back to his sporting days. The statistics are sobering: contact sport participants experience roughly 68% more injuries requiring medical attention compared to non-contact athletes. And we're not just talking about professional players - recreational participants face significant risks too.
The financial aspect often gets overlooked in these discussions. The average sports-related injury costs about $2,500 in immediate medical expenses, but the long-term financial impact can be three times higher when you factor in rehabilitation, lost productivity, and ongoing care. I've seen families struggle with these unexpected costs, especially when insurance doesn't fully cover specialized treatments or extended therapy sessions.
From my perspective, the culture around contact sports needs to shift toward greater caution. While I understand the appeal - the camaraderie, the adrenaline, the competitive thrill - we must balance these benefits against potential lifelong consequences. There are excellent alternatives that provide similar physical and social benefits without the same level of risk. Swimming, track and field, tennis, and many other activities offer fantastic workouts and competitive opportunities while significantly reducing injury probability.
What struck me about the Elasto Painters' situation was how two preventable injuries substantially impacted team performance. This isn't just about individual health - it's about reliability and consistency in team dynamics. When key players repeatedly miss games due to avoidable injuries, everyone suffers: teammates, coaches, and fans alike. This pattern repeats across all levels of contact sports, from school teams to professional leagues.
I've noticed that injury prevention simply doesn't receive the attention it deserves in most sports programs. Proper conditioning, technique training, and recognizing when to rest could prevent about 35% of sports injuries, yet these aspects often get sacrificed in favor of aggressive training and pushing through pain. The "no pain, no gain" mentality needs reconsideration when the potential costs include long-term health complications.
Looking at the bigger picture, our healthcare system bears substantial burden from contact sports injuries. Emergency rooms treat approximately 3.5 million sports-related injuries annually, with contact sports contributing disproportionately to this number. As someone who's advocated for sports safety for years, I believe we need more honest conversations about risk management and injury prevention from the grassroots level upward.
The reality is that while contact sports will always have their place in our culture, we should approach them with clearer understanding of the risks involved. The temporary glory of scoring 24 points like Tiongson did shouldn't overshadow the importance of being able to walk without pain at age 50. We need to celebrate athletes who prioritize long-term health over short-term achievement and recognize that stepping away from high-risk activities isn't failure - it's wisdom.
Having witnessed both the triumphs and tragedies of contact sports, I've become convinced that we need to redefine what constitutes true athletic success. It's not just about winning games or putting up impressive stats - it's about maintaining physical wellbeing that allows athletes to enjoy active lives long after their competitive days end. The story of the Elasto Painters missing key players due to preventable health issues serves as a powerful reminder that sometimes, the smartest play is knowing when not to play at all.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
