Schools Ban Tag, Dodge Ball and Other Games

Foxnews.com ^ | Nov 19,2002 | The Associated Press

[winner3000]

TRENTON, NJ-November 18, 2002 — Tag, dodge ball and other playground favorites are coming under more scrutiny at many New Jersey schools, as the threat of injuries and lawsuits spurs more districts to ban the games. In Long Hill, a ban on tag was part of a code of conduct signed by pupils at one of the Morris County district's elementary schools this year. Instead, a modified version of the game is played indoors with plenty of supervision.

"The idea of loosely running around and chasing each other is not safe," Long Hill Superintendent Arthur DiBenedetto told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Monday's editions.

In recent years, similar bans have been put in place at schools in Maplewood, North Caldwell and Woodbridge, mostly because children were being hurt when they fell or were piled on by classmates. However, many experts, parents and pupils claim the bans do more harm than good.

"We live in a society that makes kids so safe, ultimately, we'll put them in a cocoon," said Charles T. Kuntzleman, a University of Michigan professor of kinesiology, the study of exercise and body movement.

Tag is not the only game that has been targeted. Dodge ball, also known as bombardment, was banned at several schools in New Jersey and other states because officials feared that some students were being singled out as targets by bullies.

"There's potential for some victimization," said Mary Beth Klotz, a psychologist with the National Association of School Psychologists. "Tag may look OK socially, but it can be a double standard because kids can use it to bully a certain student."

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[winner3000]

Liberals always want to "protect" children (except when they're in the womb) and improve their self-esteem. They improve their self-esteem by never telling them they are wrong, thus never teaching them right from wrong. The best way for a child to have self-esteem is through REAL accomplishments. In high school there are various ways of attaining accomplishments. It could be through social skills (being popular), physical skills (sports, dodgeball, tag...), through academics, or community/charitable activities. Taking away any of these activities because it might hurt the self-esteem of the kids who are not good at them discriminates against the kids who are wired to be good at them. By this logic, every single one of the activities I named above could be cancelled. We would then have taken away every opportunity for kids to excel and to have self-esteem.

[hole_n_one]

Freeze Tag was retarded.

[Republic If You Can Keep It]

The real agenda here is to hide the fact that one child is faster, stronger, or more athletically skilled than another.....in other words, to shield them from life.

[ladylib]

"The idea of loosely running around and chasing EACH OTHER is not safe," Long Hill Superintendent Arthur DiBenedetto told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Monday's editions."

It's chasing "one another" you dummmy.

Kids have been loosely running around and chasing ONE ANOTHER for decades. Now some overpaid school superintendent deems it's not safe anymore. No wonder kids hate school so much.

[KriegerGeist]

Well, throw out that Army jingle: "Be all that you can be....in the Army" to "Be all that you self-esteem has taught you that you are in the Army"

[Jonathan]

We all need to pray that the Red Chinese never invade this mommified, sissified, supine country. There will be no one younger than 40 years old who knows how to hit or fight.

[Puppage]

BRAVO!!! Absolutely, perfectly stated.

[1redshirt]

Kids have been loosely running around and chasing ONE ANOTHER for decades thousand of years

[xeno]

I agree, but does anyone really believe dodgeball is a sport? In my elementary school it was downright vicious. Why dont the PE programs focus more on teaching kids basic fitness and how to have a healthy body and lifestyle no matter what their athletic ability?

[Puppage]

I'm amazed that I've lived to 40 without the "help" of these, dare I say, educators.

[M Kehoe]

I was hoping that the byline was from the Onion.

Sheesh.

5.56mm

[cajun-jack]

but running around will increase the chance they will burn off some of those McDonald's calories and then they won't be fat and the other group won't have anything to complain about...thank goodness the schools here still let the kids run and rip on the playground.

[ladylib]

We're going to go to war soon, like it or not. Who's going to fight for us? Let's hear it for war games on campus!

[demkicker]

What pure b.s. These are back door attempts by illustrious educators at banning competition in all forms. Nobody is allowed to excell in anything, PERIOD. Blaming fear of lawsuits is rich for this crowd of commies.

[ladylib]

That's fine, but let kids who WANT to play dodge ball play dodge ball. I hated it myself when I was a kid.

[Renegade]

Physical Fitness????? Our PE people teach our kids how to play checkers, Chinese checkers, chess, bowling, and minature golf at the middle school level.
While this goes on, our multi-million dollar gym sits idle.
This program actually has a name--" Lifetime Activities "
All the things WE did with mom and dad , instead of being parented by an institution.

[ladylib]

Thank you.

[southern rock]

I agree, but does anyone really believe dodgeball is a sport?

It's more of a game than a sport. But then again, so is baseball. What's your point?

[summer]

Well, many school across the country have eliminated PE and banned recess entirely, because the principal wants to focus more time on reading, writing and math.

In addition, IMO, until parents agree to stop using the schools as a litigation playground, and parents are required to either waive their right to sue (unless the charge invoves sexual abuse), I think eventually all sports will eventually be prohibited in schools because the schools simply can not afford the cost of potential lawsuits.

BTW, did any of you know the following true fact?

If your child plays a contact sport, let's say - football - in high school or middle school or whatever, and, a kid on the team has HIV and knows he has HIV, and, that kid and your kid "contact" during such sport in a way so as your kid gets an open wound and mixes blood with the other kid, by federal law: you are not allowed to be informed that the other kid was HIV infected (and, your kid may now be too).

I was shocked when I learned this at the school district orientation session in the district where I now teach, and the other teachers in that training session (especially the men who are also fathers) were outright furious.

But, the nurse explained it this way, as she supports this federal law: If the school told you who was HIV infected, then, you'd watch out for "that" kid - but not another kid, who may well have HIV too and not even know it yet. Consequently, the law is designed in part to make you cautious of every kid (and to treat every blood/saliva exchanged injury as if there is a possibility your kid now has HIV).

BTW, I am not kidding around here, and my facts are right. After hearing this, I am not so sure I would ever allow a child of mine to play contact sports - the risk of getting an open wound and exchanging HIV-infected blood or saliva seems to me too big of a risk.
And, under federal law, the school is not allowed to tell you if they know half the team is already HIV infected.

I feel sorry for anyone who is sick with any illness, including HIV, but I must tell you, when we heard about this law and the risks involved now with kids playing contact sports, it was clear some teachers/parents were on their way to pull their kids out of those sports right after the orientation session.

[laker_dad]

My favorite game at school was King of the Mountain... Played on the snow/ice piles the plows left on the edge of the parking lot. Lots of shoving, kicking, sliding and falling down.