Fight Club for Kids: Why These New York Parents Allow Shocking Roughhousing

A group of parents from Brooklyn, New York, are bringing their children to McGolrick Park, where a fight club for kids between the ages of 5 to 7 years old takes place on most days.

According to Curbed, the Greenpoint Fight Club has had low-key meetings and parent-sanctioned combats for months at the park grounds. However, the action has drawn a lot of attention after one parent asked on Facebook if they've witnessed the fight club for kids in this Brooklyn borough.

The mom who posted the question described the fights as "aggressive," but she was more shocked to see that the parents were there to watch the children attack each other. She expressed concern for the other kids in the park who might be scared to see the violence and the sight of blood. She also asked the parents involved to let the children wrestle in the grassy area of McGolrick to spare the other kids.

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Following her post in the Facebook group, the parents debated on the merits and pitfalls of such an activity in a public playground, with some saying that the mom who asked the question "feels kind of entitled." One of the parents whose child participates in the combat said that they should not be banished as their kids are simply roughhousing.

Roughhousing is Normal

Engaging in intense and very physical play is normal among young boys, according to clinical psychologist Dr. Carla Marie Manly. She said it's linked to animal behavior, where physical boundaries are tested so that they understand its cause and effect on one's body. In other cultures, roughhousing is like a rite of passage, and society generally supports the idea that boys like to be physical.

However, Dr. Manly said that roughhousing should have a healthy balance between consciously or unconsciously making physical contact. It can become a problem if the roughhousing becomes "coercive and inappropriate," drawing the line towards bullying.

Dr. Manly said that the parents have to be hyper-aware of their children engage in roughhousing, especially if they exhibit emotional or physical duress. Sometimes, it will take weeks for the child to realize that a line has been crossed.

Dr. Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play said that roughhousing may prevent violent behavior when the children are older. This is a developmental stage for many boys, which means they will eventually outgrow play fighting, but they will learn essential life and social skills.

The Rules of Greenpoint Fight Club

Julie Wilson, another mother whose child is also part of the fight club for kids, explained that their sons are students of martial arts classes, and they do like to test the skills they've learned on each other. They also have very active boys who spend a lot of time in the park.

As parents, Wilson said that they want their children to practice, play and avoid getting hurt. So, they established the Greenpoint Fight Club but also set rules like no kicking and no punching. They let the kids wrestle with each other and "do their own thing." As it happens, the children get bruises, cuts, and scrapes, hence the blood, because they tussle by the tightrope in the playground where there's plenty of space with rubber mats.

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