It will be a sanctioned sport in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. Skateboarding is not a crime and skateboarders should not be treated like criminals. Our current park and the equipment built is not suitable for beginners. A well designed park offers versatility to a range of abilities. Skateboarding offers kids, who may not be interested in or can’t afford to participate in organized sports, an
outlet to get exercise, and excel in the sport they have chosen to participate in. Skateparks are even more important in urban areas. It gives low and middle income kids an affordable athletic outlet, keeps their minds focused on positive things. It’s a proven fact that if you give these kids a hobby, something they truly love to do, and you give them a nice place to do it, the chances of them using drugs and alcohol, and getting into trouble on the streets goes down dramatically. Myths
The myth surrounding skateparks is that they are a breeding ground for crime and other illicit activities. The opposite is true. Providing designated spaces for positive activities is the best way to curb unlawful behavior among youth. When youth having nothing to do or nowhere to go – that is when they cause trouble. Skateparks are social spaces that nurture certain types of behavior. They are not unregulated, lawless or chaotic. Skateparks are places that both require and teach mutual respect, discipline and togetherness, through a shared appreciation of mutually beneficial norms. Another myth is that skateboarding is dangerous. To some point this can be true. On that same note, so is football, basketball, hockey, baseball and any other contact sport. That doesn’t mean we don’t build football fields, and baseball diamonds and hockey rinks. The majority of skateboarding injuries happen outside skateparks. The most common injuries are falls due to surface irregularities and collisions with motor vehicles or pedestrians. Skateboarding is going to happen whether skateparks exist or not, so the best way to keep youth safe is to provide them access to safe, designated spaces to pursue their activity. Social Benefits:
• Skateparks provide a physical activity for kids not interested in traditional team sports.
• Community skateparks provide a safe and challenging place for skaters of all levels to develop as athletes.
• Skateboarding and BMX are two of the fastest growing activities in the United States with more than 14 million participants.
• Public Skateparks help get kids “off the streets” and into a safe place. Without a public skatepark, the kids are forced to play in the streets.
• Creating a community skatepark will help minimize damage skaters do to public and private property.
• A great professionally designed and built skatepark acts as an extension of the local skateboarders’ specific needs. The skaters build a sense of ownership by participating in design conversations skatepark company.
• Public skateparks provide healthy activity for kids and help eliminate boredom and drug use. Youth addiction services have identified the most common reason for drug use is boredom.
• A professionally designed skatepark will attract out-of-town visitors to spend money within the community. Now Is The Time. Now is the time for this skatepark to happen in downtown Sioux Falls. With the future development of downtown Sioux Falls East Bank, this is the perfect opportunity to integrate a concrete skatepark, which would fuse the existing greenway by Fawick Park and the new development. Skateparks can be unobtrusively integrated into the urban landscape, and that with a properly designed skatepark can be enjoyed by the wider community. A public skatepark makes the community appear to be invested in the youth and active lifestyles. This will attract new residents to your community.
