I dunno, when I was a kid I was the biggest priss in the class and I LOVED dodge ball!
Maybe they should spend more effort finding out why the kids can't read or write. When they grow up, being able to at least write a coherent email will do wonders for their "self-esteem".
So did I.
In my school, it was called just what it was: War Ball. Afterward, you could always tell who was a sore loser and who was a stand-up guy. It was a great litmus test for who you wanted to be friends with.