As well as considering just health care costs also consider health care versus income. E.g. if a parent had to pay for a broken arm in the '80s US did they risk bankruptcy more or less then now?
And one death is visible. A generation lacking risk analsis skills, physical activity and knowledge of how to be rough but not aggressive is harder to see. SO harder to sue to prevent.
I think the sue for visible problems approach is one of your bigger problems in the USA. And in your current society until someone can sue for making Playstation more acceptable than Playtime I don't see any easy solutions.
Yeap, boxing means the same in Kiwi English as it does in American English.
The point is to get away from the cotton wool or 'Helicopter Parenting' model. If we don't allow kids to do the risky stuff then they don't until they reach adolescence. I am firmly of the opinion we have to get them doing it while they are young; while they still listen to us (parents, adults, etc) and while they are small and less strong.
When we wrap them in cotton wool they reach adolescence with no understanding of risk but plenty of testosterone. Then they start to experiment without years of experience in informal risk assessment.
I have also read of a school that is achieving higher academic results by encouraging Bullrush. Think rugby without a ball - tackling, running, dodging, actual physical contact (or American Football but without the stopping and without any pads, etc.)