If someone handed you a form that said your child might lose the ability "to generally enjoy life", would you sign it? If you are the parent of a child playing sports in school, you probably have already done so.
Parents of school-age kids know too well that life is a steady stream of waiver forms and other kinds of paperwork. Who has time to read all the fine print?
Fortunately, the child of a co-worker did just that recently, and called my attention to the following language on a waiver form sent home by the Seattle School District for prospective track and field athletes.
"I am aware that track & field is a high risk sport … involving many risks of injury," it said. It then delineated a long list of potential horrible outcomes, such as brain damage, blindness, paralysis and, of course, death.
The kicker, however, was the following line: "Competing in track & field may result not only in serious injury but a serious impairment of my future abilities ... generally to enjoy life."
Well, that covers it.
