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.)

[summer]

In the name of safety, they will inform the parents that a student is infected, but to protect the one they won't tell who it is.

I appreciate your reply, but on the above point -- no, under the federal law, they will not even inform the parents "a student" is infected. They will only tell you that students are infected nationwide, and more students are being infected all the time.

Like I said - it's a different world we live in. In addition to now opposing sex education, I now believe in young people getting married sooner. Let them. It's better than having multiple partners and getting HIV. And, for the life of me, I will never understand how a man in this day and age can go to a prostitute. It's like playing Russian Roulette because condoms do break, and other unexpected things do happen.

[Focault's Pendulum]

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.

King of the Mountain is the greatest sport ever invented by childlike, not childish minds.

[Political Junkie Too]

They will only tell you that students are infected nationwide, and more students are being infected all the time.

So, why do I need a federal law to tell me this?

-PJ

[A CA Guy]

Great for you guys in Florida. That is a big deal you folks need to straighten out there. I think the whole country needs to have the roles cleaned up.

The funny thing is that every so often I read liberal sites to see what they are thinking and when conservatives purge the voting records of fraud and dead people, liberals call that FIXING the vote unfairly! THE FIX IS IN! LOL

Libs have a real problem with one man one vote.

[summer]

The federal law concerns the fact no one is allowed to disclose their knowledge of who has HIV. So, in short, you (and others) can't sue the school district and say "You should have told me about Bubba" and Bubba's parents can't sue the school district and say "Your disclosure resulted in discrimination against my kid by other kids." If Bubba's mom wants to voluntarily disclose to a teacher or a school district the fact her son's HIV infection, then, federal law requires that no one disclose such knowledge.