School Says Game of Tag Is Out

Foxnews.com | 6-20-02 | Anita Vogel

[Veggie Todd]

SANTA MONICA — A Santa Monica elementary school has banned the game of tag, once synonymous with youth and innocence, because they say it creates self-esteem issues among weaker and slower children.

"We had some children who were not playing 'it' appropriately. How do you differentiate between those that are playing correctly and those that aren't?" asked Franklin Elementary School Principal Pat Samarge.

In the school's weekly newsletter, Samarge told parents that without adult supervision, the game would be banned. The principal said children playing tag suffered both physical and emotional injuries.

"Little kids were coming in and saying 'I don't like it.' [The] children weren't feeling good about it," Samarge said.

Dr. Judy Young, executive director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, disagreed with Samarge, saying that games like tag "are organized to have a winner and a loser," which is simply a part of life.

"Self-esteem should not be imbedded in whether you win or lose a game," Young said.

Tamara Silver, a parent of a fifth-grader at Franklin Elementary School, said the school sent her two letters informing her of the new rules. The second letter cited safety concerns, not issues of self-image, to justify the tag ban.

"I want my child to know that he can have some freedom," Silver said. "I want my child to know he can play. I want my child to know that he can fall down and skin his knee."

[Veggie Todd]

Oh, puleeeeze. What's next??

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Welcome to the Nanny States of America.

[Postbro1]

Do you ever want to get in your car or jump on a plane and go the places were these outlandish things take place?

"(the) chidren were not feeling good about it." Can someone please tell this moron that life is not about feeling good all of the time!

[TomServo]

Welcome to Oprah Hell...

[Republicus2001]

But teaching toleration of sex-fisting and anal sex will continue

[stanz]

It all depends on what "it" means.

[JRandomFreeper]

creates self-esteem issues among weaker and slower children.

Maybe if the pasty little pencil necks would shuffle around the playground a little more, they might build a little speed, agility, and muscle.

/john

[cactusSharp]

trust me...God's coming and Jesus WILL play some tag...........

[Postbro1]

That's right. Kids can't understand and deal with the fact that there are winners and losers in life. But they can understand that Rebecca has two mommies.

[GSWarrior]

My old high school in Colorado hired a new superintendent who promptly banned the Honor Roll and the Student of the Month/Year awards. When her contract was up, she was promptly shown the door and the Honor Roll is back.

[GuillermoX]

Exactly. Oprah hell is what we live in now.

[socal_parrot]

I want my child to know that he can fall down and skin his knee."

So she can sue the school?

[goldstategop]

Let's ban ALL childhood games. They're not PC and teach the children the sin of "offending." We need harmony and sweetness and light in our schools.

[shaggy eel]

,,, the game of tag is a red herring in this issue. This is all about what's appropriate. Once it's sorted out in the playground, the authority deeming everything appropriate or inappropriate will start auditing self esteem levels of children in homes.

[J Jay]

Every day or so we read something just about like this. What happened to the intelligent, responsible humans that we had in our society a few decades ago? (besides the Freepers) Looks like its all going to hell. In contrast to this, I think of my 3rd grade teacher named Miss Armstrong. When her class began to get a little unruley, she would slam a yard stick down across her desk. She had complete class control and silence. Later in life, I knew her as one of the warmest, kind-hearted persons you could ever find. She was an excellent teacher.

[jwalburg]

"Little kids were coming in and saying 'I don't like it.' [The] children weren't feeling good about it," Samarge said.

I hate to think of what this school will do when little kids come in and say "I don't like it" about Math or Science...

[BrooklynGOP]

A Santa Monica elementary school has banned the game of tag, once synonymous with youth and innocence, because they say it creates self-esteem issues among weaker and slower children.

That's retarded.. Why not repeal the grade system? After all, C students will feel inferior to A students?

[goldstategop]

Hey, its not called the People's Republic of Santa Monica for nothing.

[caisson71]

Be careful what you ask for! Some schools already ban the grading system because it's not fair. How about those sports games with no scores?

[faintpraise]

Oh, puleeeeze. What's next??

Child-size doses of Soma for when they don't feel good.