A Safe Place for Kids to be Kids

The City Council in Ocean City recently passed a 5-0 vote for a $750,000 bond ordinance to build a skatepark adjacent to the fire headquarters at Sixth Street and Asbury Avenue. This skatepark will create a safe place for kids to hang out, and takes them away from trying to ride their skateboards on the sidewalks and steps where pedestrians are walking.

Creating a skatepark brings a lot of benefits to a community. Here are some of the ways in which this skatepark is looking to help the community:

First, a skatepark creates a place for kids to go and hang out. This helps prevent them from being bored and having nothing to do or nowhere to go. When that problem occurs, kids start to get into trouble. The hope is the park will get kids out of the house and away from their electronic devices for a while.

Second, skateparks provide a safe environment for skateboarding. Kids will skateboard regardless of whether a skatepark exists or not. When kids skate outside of a skatepark they run a much higher risk of injury. For example, running into pedestrians or cars, or skating on places that are not safe.

Third, having a skatepark in the area means kids no longer need to skate on private property. This reduces a whole list of issues such as private property damage and kids getting hurt on private property. Skateboarders riding on public property can cause thousands of dollars in damage each year because of chipped paint and concrete.

Fourth, skateboarding has significant physical and mental health benefits. Skateboarding targets many major muscle groups and requires a lot of coordination and balance in order to perform complex tricks. This level of complexity improves brain function and can help stimulate new cell growth in the brain. It can also dramatically increase coordination and confidence as a skateboarder improves. Additionally, it helps kids learn dedication and commitment.

Fifth, skateparks can help the surrounding economy. A good skatepark will bring kids and even possibly competitions to the area. This means more people and activity in the area for the local businesses.