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Taking Aim at Dodge Ball
Experts Say It's Too Violent, But Some Kids Love It
-The Associated Press
M E D I N A, Ohio, June 7 — While educators in several states fight to have it banned, "dodge ball" is more popular than ever at one Ohio school, where kids delight in bouncing balls off each others' heads.
I do not recall headshots being mandatory in this game.
About 40 students at A.I. Root Middle School have formed a club in honor of the playground game that has been forbidden in Florida, Texas and other states.
"Oh yeah, it's just a gentle kids' game," principal Tom McKenna sarcastically told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer as he watched some of his students take aim.
School is supposed to prepare people for real life. Sometimes real life hurts. Deal with it.
‘Litigation Waiting to Happen’
In a recent article titled "The Physical Education Hall of Shame" and published in a teaching journal, Neil Williams, a physical education professor at Eastern Connecticut University, criticized the merits of dodge ball, which also is called sniper, bombardment and war ball.
Sure, try and make it more militant sounding so you can reach people on an emotional level, where reason, logic, and intellect do not hold sway. <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">
"Generally speaking, the game is a litigation waiting to happen," he wrote.
Why not just say that your pansy-ass is afraid of getting sued?
In the game, kids split into teams and throw the ball at the other side. If you're hit by the ball, you're out.
Dear Gawd, so THAT is how it is played. No wonder my P.E. teacher was always yelling at me. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education, which represents more than 18,000 gym teachers and physical education professors, no longer advocates dodge ball.
Oh shit, we are in for it now. Pretty soon we will hear about incidents of S.W.A.T. Teams being called in to break up games of this illicit sport. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
Paula Keyes Kun, a spokeswoman for the Virginia-based education association, said dodge ball does not belong in gym classes any more than comic books belong in English classes.
Gawd forbid our kids should actually get some exercise and learn how competition works.
She said the game encourages the strong to pick on the weak.
Guess how the real world works! You planning on raising these kids in a box where the real world cannot get at them? <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
For Some Kids, It's a Way to Socialize
Cindy Meyer, a physical educator at Onaway Elementary School in Shaker Heights, described the activity as "totally inappropriate — the kind of game we need to get out of the schools."
"It devalues a person. You don't throw things at people," she told the paper.
You do when you play DodgeBall. No wonder you always got picked last in gym class, you ditz.
Meyer, a gym teacher for 28 years, said some schools have tried to use softer balls and allow players who are hit to stay in the game.
Yeah, teach them that you win even when you lose, this will serve them well later in life. <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">
"It appears to be fun," she said. "But there are too many other good things to do."
Like playing DodgeBall with a SPIKED ball! <IMG SRC="smilies/drool2.gif" border="0">
For seventh-grader Erik Steidl, there couldn't be anything better.
"Get out! It's just a game you don't have to be very good at to play and have fun," he said. "It's so sweet."
Damn right kid! You tell them to keep their hands off of DodgeBall. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Dodge ball is not played in gym class at Root, and school officials monitor games. Students help by organizing and officiating themselves.
"It is more of a way to socialize for many of these kids, all of whom find their own way here to participate and many of whom have other after-school obligations," McKenna said.
Another case of people with too much education and too little common sense ruining an enjoyable past-time for everyone. <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0">
Experts Say It's Too Violent, But Some Kids Love It
-The Associated Press
M E D I N A, Ohio, June 7 — While educators in several states fight to have it banned, "dodge ball" is more popular than ever at one Ohio school, where kids delight in bouncing balls off each others' heads.
I do not recall headshots being mandatory in this game.
About 40 students at A.I. Root Middle School have formed a club in honor of the playground game that has been forbidden in Florida, Texas and other states.
"Oh yeah, it's just a gentle kids' game," principal Tom McKenna sarcastically told The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer as he watched some of his students take aim.
School is supposed to prepare people for real life. Sometimes real life hurts. Deal with it.
‘Litigation Waiting to Happen’
In a recent article titled "The Physical Education Hall of Shame" and published in a teaching journal, Neil Williams, a physical education professor at Eastern Connecticut University, criticized the merits of dodge ball, which also is called sniper, bombardment and war ball.
Sure, try and make it more militant sounding so you can reach people on an emotional level, where reason, logic, and intellect do not hold sway. <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">
"Generally speaking, the game is a litigation waiting to happen," he wrote.
Why not just say that your pansy-ass is afraid of getting sued?
In the game, kids split into teams and throw the ball at the other side. If you're hit by the ball, you're out.
Dear Gawd, so THAT is how it is played. No wonder my P.E. teacher was always yelling at me. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education, which represents more than 18,000 gym teachers and physical education professors, no longer advocates dodge ball.
Oh shit, we are in for it now. Pretty soon we will hear about incidents of S.W.A.T. Teams being called in to break up games of this illicit sport. <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
Paula Keyes Kun, a spokeswoman for the Virginia-based education association, said dodge ball does not belong in gym classes any more than comic books belong in English classes.
Gawd forbid our kids should actually get some exercise and learn how competition works.
She said the game encourages the strong to pick on the weak.
Guess how the real world works! You planning on raising these kids in a box where the real world cannot get at them? <IMG SRC="smilies/tongue.gif" border="0">
For Some Kids, It's a Way to Socialize
Cindy Meyer, a physical educator at Onaway Elementary School in Shaker Heights, described the activity as "totally inappropriate — the kind of game we need to get out of the schools."
"It devalues a person. You don't throw things at people," she told the paper.
You do when you play DodgeBall. No wonder you always got picked last in gym class, you ditz.
Meyer, a gym teacher for 28 years, said some schools have tried to use softer balls and allow players who are hit to stay in the game.
Yeah, teach them that you win even when you lose, this will serve them well later in life. <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">
"It appears to be fun," she said. "But there are too many other good things to do."
Like playing DodgeBall with a SPIKED ball! <IMG SRC="smilies/drool2.gif" border="0">
For seventh-grader Erik Steidl, there couldn't be anything better.
"Get out! It's just a game you don't have to be very good at to play and have fun," he said. "It's so sweet."
Damn right kid! You tell them to keep their hands off of DodgeBall. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Dodge ball is not played in gym class at Root, and school officials monitor games. Students help by organizing and officiating themselves.
"It is more of a way to socialize for many of these kids, all of whom find their own way here to participate and many of whom have other after-school obligations," McKenna said.
Another case of people with too much education and too little common sense ruining an enjoyable past-time for everyone. <IMG SRC="smilies/ohno.gif" border="0">
