I am a good bit older than you in 1963 I was 23 years old & a mother but we didn't play dodge ball in 7th grade. In 7th grade we played softball, tennis, volleyball & basketball. I played dodge ball in 2nd & 3rd grade. At least thats when I was the dodge balls target. I was very small & a year younger than most of the class. The call for dodge ball was the thing I dreaded most of all. The small kids were the targets of the larger stronger boys, it didn't matter if we were girls. Girls & boys played together & it was an elementary school game. I can remembr being knocked down & skinning my knees & hands till they bled. If we had played in 7th grade I probably would have loved it too.
I work in a K-8 school and dodge ball is an alltime favorite of most of the older kids. The younger kids want either a more structured game like kickball or soccer or just a free recess on the swings and jungle gym.
The older kids love it. The kids can all catch and throw by that age. The girls who will never like P.E. get out early on purpose so they can sit on the sidelines and chat. The non-athletic boys will stay in the back until the end of the game. The really talented kids take it seriously and will play competetively to win, but often get out because they take foolish chances. The clutzes have a good chance of winning or at least lasting a long time.
Anyhow, dodge ball is a good time for all, now played with squishy nerf like balls so no body ever gets hurts.