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.)

[orfisher]

Geez, when I was a kid in Brooklyn, we played a school yard game called "Hide the Belt". Someone would hide a belt and declare a home base. Everyone would go looking for the belt. The person would found it could beat the living sh*t out of any and all until they found sanctuary at home base.
Now that was a game that helped turn boys into men.

[summer]

FYI, see my post #19 re a federal law, contact sports, HIV infected kids, and other kids.

[ladylib]

Home school. Obviously, the public schools are too dangerous to attend.

[summer]

See post #19.

[summer]

RE your post #23 - Now, here's the thing: the teacher/father who was furious had homeschool on his mind too, but the nurse told him: the same federal law and situation applies to sports teams outside of public schools, in the communities, frequented by: homeschoolers.
In short -- there's no escaping it. Some kids on those teams will be HIV infected as well.

[Bahbah]

And I fondly remember Crack the Whip on the skating rink, especially when the big guys took the lead.

[summer]

Actually, she may have said the federal law of not being allowed to disclose who is infected does not apply there; I can't recall. But, she did make the point that the same sitation - the risk of HIV - exists for your kid playing contact sports anywhere, even a homeschooled kid on Little League who runs into another kid and both are bloodied.

[ladylib]

If this is the case, then the law HAS TO BE CHANGED!

[summer]

No, according to the nurse - this is the best possible law, because: you must be aware of EVERY kid, AND, the way HIV develops over time, it is actually impossible to "inform" you who has HIV because many kids (and their parents) don't know the kid has HIV. Believe me, this became a heated discussion, but in the end, I agreed with the nurse, even though my reaction at first was the same as yours. How can they tell you if they don't even know about some kids (because some kids don't even know)?

[summer]

PS It was very heated between the teachers/fathers and this nurse. I just listened. The nurse was very intelligent and argued her point well by giving facts about how the disease develops. NautiNurse, see post #19 - any comments?

[InvisibleChurch]

...now a word from the Simpsons...

At school, it's recess time. Three uniformed children bounce a ball in unison. Six children swing slowly in unison on a swingset.

Todd: [without enthusiasm] You're "it".

[touches Lisa]

Lisa: [to Milhouse] Now you are the one who is "it".

Milhouse: [looking down] Understood.

Chalmers: Well, I've got to hand it to you, Seymour: these drab student coverings have created the perfect distraction-free environment, thus preparing the children for permanent positions in tomorrow's mills and processing facilities. Hah! Best of all, with less than a minute to go before I leave, absolutely nothing has gone wrong --

[Willie Green]

Ya gotta admit, tag and dodgeball can get a little rough in public schools where 5th graders are 18-years-old and can go 6'4" and 235#.

[HungarianGypsy]

40!? I would say 30! We had dodge ball and tag. I was horrible at all kinds of sports and kept hearing from the other girls, "What if your husband wants you to play football some day." He never has asked for some reason.
I still say if the kids want to play tag and dodge ball, let them play tag and dodge ball. Sheesh! And they say homeschooled kids are sheltered.

[ladylib]

How does the average kid get aids? How could a parent not know if her child has aids? Children go for physicals. Wouldn't a doctor inform a parent if her child has aids?

I think that it would be a very rare thing for a child to have aids and the child and his parents not know it. In fact, I would think that the incidence would be so miniscule that you couldn't waste time worrying about it. You can't worry about every little thing in this world. If you did, you would be paralyzed -- you'd never leave your house.

Now, of course, if the parents know that their child has aids and permits him to play contact sports, couldn't they be held liable if their child infected another child? A prostitute is held liable if she knowingly infects a john with aids. Anyone could be held liable if the knowingly infect their partner with aids.

[fourdeuce82d]

I think you're all a bunch of poopie-heads- you're mean and don't care about my feeeeeeeeeeeeelings.

I sent the following in support of this brave man...

Dear Mr. DiBenedetto-

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Finally, someone has stood up to the tag nazis. You're absolutely right, of course- running around, -CHASING EACH OTHER-with no supervision is an insane activity to suggest for children, particularly if they're not even wearing protective equipment!!

For that matter even with protective equipment, the children run the risk of running improperly, and twisting a joint, or falling down and getting a scrape. This is actually a matter of life and death, as recent fatalities from bacteria, which are antibiotic resistant because of the non-vegan death diet of this culture which floods cattle with anti-biotics, have shown.

Also, "tag" is nothing more than murder practice, and is almost as bad as letting children play with "toy" guns. Tag recapitulates the predator/prey role we are expect to play in this capitalist society. Tag teaches children it's okay to be chased, that it's okay to be hunted. Tag teaches children the only way to prevail is to turn around and become a predacious hunter yourself.

Also, since little boys are more aggressive and usually win these so-called "games" of tag, and girls lose, the boys are taught they should chase girls, which beyond the whole rape issue reinforces heterosexist hegemony and oppression and will lead to eating disorders among girls, and hundreds of thousands of suicides among gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered youth.

There are many alternatives to this dangerous and scary running around sort of behavior. Activities like finger shadow-puppetry are exciting, and provide good excercise for the hands and wrists. Of course if a differently sighted child, or one who does not have hands is present, a different activity should be chosen so as not to exclude them. And care should be taken that the children are properly supervised, and do not attempt to transition from one form to another too quickly, and that they do proper warm up excercises first.

I salute you for your effort to bring reason and logic to bear on this long ignored, disgraceful, and highly dangerous activity. Is it any coincidence the letters in "tag" can stand for Terror, Aggression, Greed?

I think not.

[1redshirt]

You're welcome :<]

[DaGman]

This is too much. Seems to me, and I'm sure there's some occupational therapists that would agree, that tag contributes a lot to a kids physical development. Its a natural game to play for recreation. Even slower kids can build theirselves up by playing.

[demkicker]

Sorry, but me thinks you are over reacting about this.

[ladylib]

Very nice. You could write for the "Onion."