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This is nothing new. Granted it may be new for those athletes, but the idea isn't new in the least. Parents had been advised for a long time not to put their child's name in large lettering on their backpacks etc.
I understand where you come from, it is easy to become fearful about the safety of your child(ren). As a parent, I had my own ideas of the safety bubble, the bubble expanded over time but it was always there. It sounds as though your experience was considerably more difficult. Whatever your mom did, I can guarantee was because she cared about you and had difficulty handling her fear in a rational manner.
As far as parties go, my daughter is allowed. I call the parents to check into the details in advance. She has been well informed about drugs and alcohol, has no interest at this point in her life but I refuse to close my eyes and feel secure in a false belief that it couldn't possibly happen. She has already been instructed repeatedly on the dangers of alcohol and driving and the importance of calling home if she or her driving friend are impaired and unsafe to drive. She has a couple years at minimum to go before obtaining her own drivers license.
As far as physical danger, I have a different approach than avoidance. She had her first skateboard at age 4 , she Rollerblade, she bikes, she has been playing paintball since age 9 or 10, she has had two mini-motorcycles on electric and one gas. Helmets and pads, helmets and pads, helmets and pads. I have definitely eased back on the use of pads over time. Helmets, every kid in the neighborhood uses them (not to mention the fact that it saved her skull once when she was hit by a car while on her bicycle) there isn't really anything to enforce.
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