Schools banning dodge ball?

[SH80]

I was just watching the Today show and they said that schools across the country are banning the game, dodge ball. What is your opinion?

[SSS1365]

Ummm... did they say why?

[moe.ron]

darn it, how else are kids gonna take their anger out? No more trying to kill the fat and kids with glasses. (I was one of those kids with glasses, still have emotional scars). But I guess with lawsuits nowaday, I could see why the school would want to get rid of it.

[SH80]

Originally posted by SSS1365:
Ummm... did they say why?

"It's too violent", one guest claimed.
"It's give the little guy a chance", an opposing guest said.

Both of the men had good points.

[KillarneyRose]

I don't think that there is any reason to play dodge ball at school. There are other games such as kickball, whiffle ball, soccer etc that are great for burning off energy but don't afford the bigger kids the opportunity to pound the crap out of the little ones! Giving children the opportunity to take out their aggression on other, smaller children is never a good thing.

Oh, and as long as I am on my soapbox, I think that the teacher should choose teams instead of appointing two children "captains" and letting THEM choose. Stepping down now....

------------------
@~Tracy~@
Proud to be Delta-Z

By the light of the lamp, by the light of the lamp, by the bright shiny light, by the light of the lamp...if you are a DeeZee, you're the best that you can be, by the bright shiny light of the lamp!

[dc1]

I always had a great time playing dodge ball (we called it battleball)!!! I never thought of it as cruel, or intimidating, or anything like that. I think some people are just too sensitive somtimes.

I do agree, however, that the teachers should choose the students.

[SH80]

Well, here's my opinion. I think dodge ball is ok in the lower grades, but it should be discontinued in the upper grades. When most guys get that testosterone surge around 13, those balls hurt like he11. Or, at least make it boy against boy and girl against girl.

[33girl]

I sucked at dodge ball, but it's not like I lie awake at night with emotional scars. Sometimes I worry that kids are being TOO protected and at the first sign of rejection or not being accepted, they'll freak. Humans are humans no matter how long you put it off.

Plus our dodge ball games were always supervised - no throwing too hard, or your butt was out of the game pronto.

I do remember that in 4th or 5th grade, we chose kickball/dodgeball/softball teams at the beginning of the year and that was your team for the rest of the year so you only had to go through the picking crap once. Or since we only had 2 rooms for every grade, that worked too (room vs. room).

[This message has been edited by 33girl (edited May 29, 2001).]

[newbie]

I LOVED dodgeball as a child. Personally, I think this is taking it TOOOOOO far!! Dodgeball, when supervised well, is a very entertaining game where children can have good ol' times and laugh together. But I mean it when I say it has to be SUPERVISED. It sure can get ugly fast. Just make sure that nobody's throwing too hard, or purposely is trying to hurt the little kid.

I do agree about the teachers choosing the teams, though...I felt really bad for the people that were consistently picked last. They started to "hate" Dodgeball so much just b/c they associated the game with being picked last.

The game can be so fun though when it is played correctly (fairly, innocently--no intent involved!)!

I would highly disapprove of Dodgeball in HS though...or after 5th grade, even. It just doesn't seem to work after 5th grade, IMO.

[This message has been edited by newbie (edited May 29, 2001).]

[EPTriSigma]

IFC/PHC and Jimmy Johns just sponcered a massive campus wide dodge ball tournament. It was awesome! Some of the guys got a little crazy.

[Optimist Prime]

that movie was awesome.
http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.../dodgeball.jpg

[EPTriSigma]

The five Ds of dodgeball....

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, Dodge

Separating the men from the boys... the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian

[GPhiLlama]

I was one of the little ones-short, chubby, AND glasses-and I pounded the crap out of the bigger kids! It just needs to have some amount of supervision.

[_Opi_]

Originally posted by EPTriSigma
the awkwardly feminine from the possibly Canadian

I had to rewind that part when I heard it first...i was LMAO-ing..!


Anyway, Dodgeball was fun, but they never let us play it as much as we wanted to in highschool!