But, it’s tricky. Partaking in it and becoming so wrapped up in its subculture can pull a kid, if left without proper mentors, into a very self-destructive world. At least that’s been my experience. It’s a world of extremes, both physically and behaviorally. I’ve seen the subculture (well, its negative sides) destroy a few people in my 25 years as a skateboarder.
I on the other hand, much like the article highlights for these kids, have no idea where I would be if not for skateboarding. I truly believe it saved me. It kept me active and pushing (pun!) towards a goal my entire adolescence, when academic pursuits meant nothing. Without it I likely would have fallen into something more destructive and anti-social.
That aside the lessons I see it imparting on kids are hard to find in team-based sports. Self-reliance, learning how to mute the fear and self-doubt in your inner monologue, persistence...these are hard lessons to get in one sitting, but they’re ever-present in skating.