Child's Play - Tag Joins Dodgeball as Playground Pariah

ABC News ^ | 6/24/02 | Geraldine Sealey

[Interloper]

It's amazing anyone over 30 survived their childhood

/sarcasm

[WellsFargo94]

God forbid if a child learns to deal with disappointment, frustration, and failure at some point in their childhood!!!

That's why we have more and more adult (and child) psycho-loons in our midst.

[Ford Fairlane]

Our favorite game used to be "Kill the man with the ball" a cross between tag, football & rugby.

You ran with the ball until you thought everyone was going to tackle you, then you threw the ball in the air & let some other guy catch it & run with it. If you didn't throw it fast enough, everyone piled on you.

[meisterbrewer]

I have no problem with the life lessons that dodgeball teaches children. And I don't care much for pop psychology that says we shouldn't let our children compete. But, there is another danger from dodgeball that is not talked about much. I loved playing the game myself until 6th grade, when one of my classmates was blinded by a dodgeball.

We played with all sizes, but the small ones were the best. Our school's best basketball player was already tall, and with his long arms, he could really wind up the small ones and let loose. Unfortunately, one of his throws caught another star athlete, a pretty big guy himself, square in the face. The impact "exploded" his eye, and he lost all sight in that eye.

Our school eventually banned dodgeball, but not until after it had to pick up all the medical bills and was threatened with a lawsuit. To the blinded boy's credit, he and his parents refused to actually sue the school unless they continued to allow dodgeball.

I always enjoyed the game, but in hindsight I believe it was far too dangerous for us to be playing, at least the way we did it. Perhaps there is a safer way to play it, but I'm not aware of any.

[Rodney King]

We used to play cream the carrier, where whoever has the ball gets tackled by everybody else.

I loved Dodge Ball. Those who worry about the fat girl that gets picked on are ignoring all the pleasure that accrues to the guys that are beaning her fat ass with the ball.

[freeeee]

Perhaps there is a safer way to play it, but I'm not aware of any.

Make safety goggles available (not mandatory) for those children whose parents desire them.

Eye-loss problem solved.

[Rodney King]

What kind of ball blinded the kid? Obviously, there needs to be limits, but the overall concept of a game that requires an equal amount of offensive and defensive tactics is a good one.

[Jonah Hex]

Heck, I'm 43 and working on my third childhood. So there. Nyahhh neinerneinerneinerneiner!

;-)

[Orangedog]

Our favorite game used to be "Kill the man with the ball" a cross between tag, football & rugby.

When I was in grade school in the not-so PC late 1970's/early 1980's I believe this game was called "smear-the-qweer." I imagine any kid who called it by that name today would be sent to re-education...um...I mean "sensitivty training."

[Orangedog]

It's amazing anyone over 30 survived their childhood

Indeed. I guess I should have had therapy for the countless games of Old Maid....you know, the game where there is no winner, but one loser is systematically singled out for public scorn!

[CatoRenasci]

In my elementary school in the Dark Ages of the 1950's dodgeball was a staple. Common sense, however, prevailed: rather largish balls (like the ones used for 'four square') were used, the smallest maybe 10-12" in diameter and by general agreement of the kids, heads were off-target - hit someone in the head and it didn't count. Nobody wanted to be known as a bad sport who didn't follow the rules we'd all agreed on.

It never ceases to amaze me how many things were handled with common sense and discretion in my youth that now require reams of rules and rigid stupidity.

[egarvue]

Ahhhh, yes. We also called "Smear the Queer". What an awesome game. Didja ever notice that the people trying to ban these playground games are either women, or limp-wristed poofter types? I'd bet not a one has had the pleasure of being the first to tackle the guy with the ball and then have about twenty of your classmates pile on top of you. Man, those were fun days....

[chiefqc]

Have no fear, the schools are going in a new direction.

Coming soon to a school near Playing with dolls, Sewing, woops, never mind needles you know, Jacks, woops never mind hard ball and pionts on jacks, forget about playing with dolls also as their is a chance that some perverted child will attempt to look up the dolls dress.

So I suppose that the only thing that is safe for the children is sitting at their desks with their hands folded.

This is the way it will be handled until we put some adults in charge instead of the wimps that are there now.

[Liberal Classic]

The game of "tag" having been deemed politically incorrect, will be replaced by the culturally sensitive called "Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck, Duck."

[Squawk 8888]

When I was in Air Cadets we had a similar game, I think we were allegedly supposed to put the ball into a goal of some kind but that was probably a rumour. The one rule we observed most diligently was that whenever an officer got the ball, both teams piled on.

[stainlessbanner]

I guess a round of "smear the queer" is out, too?

[Orangedog]

I remember those days well. In fact, I was often the one who ended up on the receiving end of a lot of the old games. But I refuse to join the limp-writs and the soccer moms in condemming these games. Those games taught me a VERY important lesson....that losing is a real possibility and that losing sucks! How else is someone supposed to figure out that life is not obligated to be fair?

Todays kids had better grow up to have a thirst for knowledge and a hunger for success...because they aren't going to learn any of these things during their childhood.

[stainlessbanner]

you beat me to it! (see post 16) Another favorite was King of Hill where you kick everybody off of the dirt mound.

[stainlessbanner]

TV Tag! Happy Days : )

[glory]

Yup, my husband went to school in the late 60's and 70's and that was what they called it too. We played it and I went to school in the late 70's and 80's--can't remember what we called it, but I remember that when girls wanted to play it would be more like tag football with streamers hanging from your pants so the girls wouldn't get tackled. Course that would probably be met with a sexism charge nowadays.