No Pain, No Game

Today many sports such as football, hockey, and mixed martial arts are regulated and are addressed by medical organizations in an effort to improve safety and to reduce injuries. Some people argue that dangerous and violent sports should be banned completely because they can lead to injuries or violent behaviours. There is very little or no evidence to show that people who take part in dangerous sports become violent in the future. In my opinion, sports that may be considered to be violent or dangerous provide a healthy and physical outlet for aggression and act as stress reducers.

All dangerous sports involve a lot of physical activity and competitors are pushing themselves to their maximum which is exciting and entertaining for fans. There is also an element of risk in these sports which requires the athlete's to train with discipline and respect for the rules. All sports do require training, therefore there are no sports without some risk or danger. For example, golf or jogging can cause pain and injury.

Banning dangerous sports limits the freedom of choosing from a wide range of sports that people should feel free to participate in. Safety of the athletes and non-participants is important but, there also should be limits to the power of governments to ban sports because of alleged danger. Mixed martial arts is a current target for opponents to dangerous sports. But if mixed martial arts is banned, should wrestling, boxing, and fighting in hockey be banned too? Nobody denies that regulation is needed, and medical bodies have introduced safety rules that have been welcomed by athletes who participate in these sports.

Sports do not just have positive physical effects, but they also have mental and social benefits for those who participate. I think that taking away elements of risk, danger, and challenge would leave all sports meaningless. Our society would be healthier if more people took part in all types of sports. In the more dangerous sports, we