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.)

[perfect stranger]

All I see is a downward spiral for these kids into Ritalin.

They are children. If they don't get to run around every now and then, then that might lead to inatentiveness( is that a word?).

[summer]

LOL....really? Why do you think that? Are in favor of more people getting infected with HIV? Especially your own son?

[summer]

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?

Well, to me, that leads to this question: Why does the school district allow it, if the school district knows? I'm not a lawyer, so I don't know the answer. I would guess it has to do with a claim of discrimination, if the child was not allowed to play.

But, in response to your claim that this must be only a tiny percentage of kids - not so. We were thinking this nurse was talking about maybe one or two kids, but her response was an emphatic "You would be surprised how many kids have it - in this district, which is not an unusual district." I think she said it is in the high school age group where HIV rates are rising fastest. So - the youngest kids are getting it, and according to the nurse, black female teens have the highest rate of increase.

And, yes, I agree there is risk in everything - but I also think it is a fact we live in a different type of world now, in many ways. This is yet another major change.

BTW, it is not unusual at for a kid in a fight to spit at another kid -- and if the saliva lands on an open would, well, another risk in this new world. Spitting didn't always involve the potential of a life-long fatal illness. Years ago, spitting was just spitting. But, not any more.

[summer]

I meant: BTW, it is not unusual at all for a kid in a fight to spit at another kid -- and if the saliva lands on an open wound,..

[ladylib]

Okay, then THE LAW HAS TO BE CHANGED, especially if the nurse knows that a lot of kids have it.

[Alberta's Child]

We played a game called "Buck-Buck" a few times in high school, usually when the class was misbehaving. Anyone who has played that "game" will know what I mean when I say it took about two weeks to recover from it.

[Political Junkie Too]

But, the nurse explained it this way, as she supports this federal law: If the school told you who was HIV infected, then, you'd watch out for "that" kid - but not another kid, who may well have HIV too and not even know it yet.

You know, that sounds a lot like the rules for a game of Tag. "That" kid is It and everyone tries to stay away from It.

-PJ

[bat1816]

I enjoyed a version of dodgeball, that we called slaughter ball. Smear the Queer was played at times too. Tackle football was banned during our recess, but we could play a game called "tackle box." It tended to be much rougher than football.

[NautiNurse]

I am out of town until Wed. night. Will review and respond when I can give this issue the time and attention it deserves.

Summer, thanks for the ping!

[Happygal]

Liberals always want to "protect" children (except when they're in the womb) and improve their self-esteem. They improve their self-esteem by never telling them they are wrong, thus never teaching them right from wrong. The best way for a child to have self-esteem is through REAL accomplishments.

Oh isn't THAT the truth!!!! I came from a very working class family, where both my parents worked hard for us, and had little time to think of our 'self esteem' once we were fed, watered, and clothed.

I would come in crying after something that happened in school, and Mam would hug me, dust me down, and send me right back out again to either 'fight' the one who hit me first, or say `sorry to your friend'.

I was useless at sports in school. I was an above average academic though. And a very talented singer, guitar player, actress.

I found my own niche. Without my parents interfering I wormed my way onto the senior students council, was on every organisational body in school and came out with a high enough grade average to get me one of 28 college places in a school that had over 3,000 applicants. I am now a full time working journalist. My brother, who was only interested in academics and athletics, too earned himself a college degree, and is now an accountant.

BOTH of us played tag. Both of us were embarrassed as children because at one point we lived in a house with no bathroom, and only an outside toilet. And I slept at the end of my parents room until I was 18, because they could only afford a two bedroomed house, and the girl couldn't sleep in with the boy etc. etc. et al.

But my self respect seems pretty good now, 12 years on.

I think a lot of love (from home), and being taught to learn respect and right from wrong goes a LONG way towards self esteem :-)

Of course the libs are too busy trying to find a 'programme' to help them help themselves, that they can't find the truth of the only person to help you ultimately is yourself. (As me Mam used to say to me..'Yer best friends in life will be ME and yer own pocket' *LOL*

[summer]

But, you see: "that" kid may well not be "it" nor the only one. That's why the nurse was saying the federal law exists, to tell you: any kid could have it. You don't know. And, sometimes, the infected kid doesn't know either, especially if the kid was only recently infected.

[summer]

Thanks, NautiNurse. :)

[summer]

Any thoughts you'd like to share re post #19?

[manfromlamancha]

I quit; I officialy open hostility on all liberal back biters. Screw 'em, I will never support, back up, help out, or even be honestly friendly with a lib.

[demkicker]

"After hearing this, I am not so sure I would ever allow a child of mine to play contact sports - the risk of getting an open wound and exchanging HIV-infected blood or saliva seems to me too big of a risk."

"Are in favor of more people getting infected with HIV? Especially your own son?"

Again, I think you are over-reacting. My son played football. His best friend is a big time Division I quarterback. Sorry, but the odds of anyone playing contact sports & mixing fluids with someone with AIDS are nill. Your kids are far more likely to be injured or die in a car wreck. Stop the hand wringing and use some logic.

[summer]

I'm glad you're so confident since your kids play contact sports. My logic is sound, IMO. The risk your kids are taking is your own business and theirs. But, it's not a risk I would allow my kids to take, following the facts I learned about this.

[A CA Guy]

Hey, quit conversing on these threads and continue your Jeb bush articles. I think we are on #31, Jeb Bush kicks ass by purging the voter roles for dead people and frauds.

[demkicker]

First of all, any kid who plays sports and gets an open cut or scrape is treated immediately by someone with gloves and is bandaged.

What about little Johnny who gets bored in class and picks a scab, opens a wound and is walking outside after school when Bubba gets mad and spits on him? Do you see where I'm going with this? The odds of Bubba having AIDS is nill, and sports is not the culprit. Kids can't be kept in a bubble. I haven't heard of any cases where a child got HIV from playing sports. This isn't worth discussing any further, IMO.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Gads!

What would they think of my childhood school games like "Smear the Queer", "Suicide", "Manhunt", "Mud football (tackle - full contact, no pads)".

[shaggy eel]

,,, life's full of risks. If I stopped my ten year old from participating in Tae Kwon-do or rugby, I'd be ripping him off in regard to a dimension of his personal development. He's a shortie with a lot of spirit and he's quite quick on the uptake. He emerses himself in the team spirit to pull off wins from time to time and he goes it alone to work thru belts and stripes in his self defence sport. Development and achievement the non MTV way! Kids need to run, jump, stretch and bend in order to develop. They need to know how to take physical and psycological knocks alike. If I wrapped him up in cotton wool and told him he was precious I'd then worry about him being iced in a bus accident on the way home. We could drown in the concept of being safe, couldn't we? How have we managed to survive thus far?