Work it — Should a 3-year-old compete in a triathlon?
Categories:
I can across the following article and thought it would be a good topic for this week’s discussion. If you have a moment, skim through it.
The Growing Popularity of Triathlons for Children
If you don’t have time, here are some excepts:
Triathlons for children have become tremendously popular, drawing participants as young as 3 years old (who probably did not come up with the idea themselves). USA Triathlon, the sport’s governing body, said that in 2008 it had about 23,500 members who were under 18, up 36 percent from 2006. Adults, too, have been flocking to triathlons, and not without controversy: risks include dehydration, injury, heat exhaustion and even, occasionally, death. Doctors warn that people of all ages need to approach triathlons gingerly, lest they attempt more than their bodies can handle.
“At less than age 7, parents should be cautious,” said Dr. Kevin D. Plancher, an orthopedic surgeon who teaches at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. “There’s not enough information for what these events can do to the growth plates in children’s shoulder, arms, pelvis, knees, ankles and feet.” He said that parents should consult a pediatrician to assess if a child is ready.
“When people are looking to start their children in triathlon, it’s important to stick to age-appropriate distances,” said Sharon Osgood, an owner of Monterey Bay Multisport, a triathlon coaching business in California.
Some races let children as young as 3 participate, using swim floats, training wheels or even tricycles. “If you want to start a child when they are really young, understand they aren’t doing a whole lot,” said Ms. Osgood, who said that she considered age 8 or 10 a reasonable age to start.
“I think kids’ triathlons could spread like wildfire — we’re on the brink of something big and extraordinary,” said Michelle Payette, the director of IronKids. “This is the new generation. We need to start them young and get them involved in the sport.”
But doctors warn that involvement in any sport too young can lead to psychological burnout. “If you start at age 4, you can easily run out of gas,” said Dr. Dan Gould, director of the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University.
Steve Kelley of USA Triathlon agreed. “We don’t want to push kids into it too early,” he said. “As coaches and as a federation, we need to put the brakes on it a little bit.”
The swim stage is the most dangerous phase of any triathlon, according to a recent study by the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation. Of the 14 deaths in USA Triathlon-sanctioned events from January 2006 to September 2008, 13 occurred while swimming, the study found. While all the deaths were in adult competitions, the same risks — of being knocked unconscious, or having a seizure — are present at any age.
Because triathlon involves three sports, sports medicine doctors don’t see as many overuse injuries from the races as they do from Little League or tennis teams. But there’s always the risk of overtraining. “The actual event might not be the harmful thing, but improper training could be,” said Dr. Joel Brenner, director of the sports medicine program at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Va. “It’s all about moderation.”
I’m all about introducing healthy practices to your child at an early age, but I’m not sure how I feel about this. For some reason ’3-year-old’ and ‘triatholon’ just don’t mix for me.
Perhaps an event that is designed specifically for children, with the focus being on family fun rather than competition and ‘race times’ is something I could get on board with. Like the article mentioned, I’d worry about over training the child or making them obsess about exercise at such a young age.
Personally, I could see myself setting up a little family Olympics for my future kids and their friends. Potato sack races and water balloon tosses would trump freestyle laps across the pool and relay-races would be my preferred choice over timed sprints. See, I realize the importance of making fitness a family activity, but I think it’s crucial to keep it fun for the kids and keep the focus on family time and outdoor activity.
If my child were to express interest in the race (and I thought they were old enough), I would be all for it! Sure I would try and make it a learning experience and point out the issues involved with competition and family support, but I would try and keep the focus on the fact that this was just another fun way to be active as a family.
Image credit: kidsrunning.com
What was your reaction to the story? Do you think kids should be competing in triathlons?
4 Responses to “Work it — Should a 3-year-old compete in a triathlon?”
-
Mara @ What's For Dinner? said:
Posted on | -
Anastasiya said:
Posted on | -
Jenny said:
Posted on | -
Tina said:
Posted on |