Well, if this doesn't get your blood going, I don't know what else will. We are raising a nation of couch potatoes...if tag and dodgeball can be banned, is it any wonder skateboarding has problems...WAKE UP you overprotective idiots!
Tagged out
BY SUSAN LaHOUD SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Monday, October 16, 2006 11:29 PM CDT
Domenic Garafano kicks a ball during recess at the Willett Elementary School in Attleboro. The school doesn't allow tag and other unsupervised "chasing" games. (Staff photo by Mike George) Tag is now out during recess at Willett Elementary School in Attleboro.
So is touch football and any other unsupervised "chasing" games that are deemed to pose the risk of injury as well as liability to the school. "It's a time when accidents can happen," said Principal Gaylene Heppe, in her second year at the helm of Willett. Heppe included the new rule as part of a standardized set of playground rules that were not in play upon her arrival.
In doing so, she joined in a growing movement against traditional games played by young children in school gymnasiums and playgrounds. A few years ago, school administrators in the area, as well as around the country, took aim at dodgeball, saying it was an exclusionary and dangerous game. Modified versions now include softer balls and ways for children to re-enter the action. While no district-wide policies banning contact sports at recess appear to have been put in place locally, many principals are making up new rules in an atmosphere reflecting society's increasingly cautious and litigious nature.
Elementary schools in Cheyenne, Wyo. and Spokane, Wash. banned tag at recess this year. So, too, did a suburban Charleston, S.C. school, outlawing all unsupervised contact sports.
Reasons cited by school administrators largely focused on safety; kids would get too rough or run into each other, giving rise to parent complaints and threats of lawsuits. Another reason cited was that in a free-for-all activity at recess, such as tag, some children would become unsuspecting, and unwilling, participants in the game. A number of those same schools, however, allowed those activities with supervision during gym classes.
Some Willett School parents interviewed for this story said the new recess rules are misguided, especially with the serious issue of childhood obesity. Others said they work against children developing skills to negotiate rules and resolve disputes. "I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," said Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett. "Playing tag is just part of being a kid," she said. "Now, for children not to be able to make those decisions by themselves without interference from adults doesn't give them the opportunity to make their own choices." Games like tag give children "social skills that transfer to later in life," she said. Parent Christine McAndrews agreed.
"I think it's a little bit silly," she said, adding that she was not aware the rule was in place. "The kids love to play pick-up football games that they organize themselves. It's great for their social skills and they resolve things on their own. It's good for them." "It's part of being a kid," she said. Willett parent Celeste D'Elia, on the other hand, backed Heppe's decision. Her son, she said, feels safer and enjoys the alternatives to throwing a football around. "I've witnessed enough near collisions" in the playground area, D'Elia said. "I support anything that makes the playground safer and helps teacher to keep track of them."
Calls to a handful of elementary schools in this area revealed that principals are dictating the rules of play at recess, but the rules differ. David Barner, principal of Thacher Elementary School in Attleboro, said there is no outright ban on tag, touch football or other such games during recess at the school. "We do have discussions at the beginning and throughout the school year about rules so that students play appropriately," he said. The physical education teacher plays a large role in instructing children on how to play games, he said.
Matthew Joseph, new principal of Hyman Fine Elementary School, also said there's no prohibition of contact sports at recess. Teachers and others, however, are trying to redirect children from physical games to those that involve teamwork. There is also an effort to get children using the new playground the PTO installed and a new field. Team games, like kickball, are encouraged, he said. Mary Brown, principal of the Solmonese Elementary School in Norton, on the other hand, doesn't consider tag a contact sport. "We play two-hand tag on the shoulder" which is supervised, she said. "No pushing is allowed." Tag football is also allowed for third-graders, if supervised, Brown said. Of course, she noted, "you have to have someone out there young enough to run around with them."
George Gagnon, principal of Falls Elementary School in North Attleboro, said playground rules have swung a different direction since he started there four years ago. Tag, touch football, soccer, "they can play all that," he said. That wasn't the case before he arrived. Gagnon's philosophy is, "I'd rather see them running around, getting fresh air and coming back in refreshed." He feels children are "trapped" in organized sports like football, hockey and baseball. Running around outside at recess, kids make up their own games with their own rules and resolutions, Gagnon said. Accidents occur "every couple of days," he said. "But kids run and fall --- that's kids."
Staff writer Rick Foster contributed to this report.
wts, that sucks. Why can't kids just be kids and play the games they want? (minus them being Battle Royal styled death matches). ####, and they can't take away dodgeball too? I mean, I was the biggest, unathletic loser in my elementary school and I still loved dodgeball.
You get to throw stuff, at other people, and you don't get in trouble for it. Win, win.
Then again, I did have a hit list in elementary school...
I used to teach kids karate (thank god I upgraded to adults before I went totally nuts), and I used to be shocked by kids lack of motor skills and pain tolerances were today. Then I read things like this and it all makes sense.
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"What is the mind? Nothing. What is nothing? Nevermind-Homer Simpson
dodgeball was way cool. 4040 was even cooler. Bulldog was the best.
Any way, kids dont get hurt playing games- kids are made of rubber-they bounce. even if they do hurt themselves, they are over it by the end of the day.
parents....
sensei is spot on. without games and running about kids dont learn how to use their bodies. thats sad. I mean playing games is waht being a kid id all about!
(i just had a memory from years ago standing in the school dinner line. Some one threw a golf ball right at my head, I wasnt paying attention to the other kids around me shouting 'heads up'. . the cool thing was that i go a lot of respect from the tough kids, apparantly when the golf ball hit me I didnt even flinch. I dont remember it hurting that much- I was hungry)
this comes from the loss of accountability of individuals. Its a product of a sue-happy environment. This era officially ramped to new heights with the macdonalds/hot coffee incident, and set the precedent to insane levels. Its to the point that no one wants to take any responsibility. Its always someone else's fault, and definitely not mine. Its the ball makers' fault for designing a round mass that could be used to throw at someone else. So we need to pull that facet out of the design of the ball somehow. Even in the workplace we are seeing. chemicals are being documented with stringent MSDS's, forcing people to take protection to levels far higher than necessary, to keep from being the butt of a lawsuit.
If I get broadsided by another driver, I can sue the manufacturer for designing and marketing that car. when it was purchased, it became a risk to other drivers on the road. blah.....
Converse chucks now have a slick fabric covered sole to permit slipping on floors. The old sole was too grippy and caused twisted knees and ankles when used outside of the basketball environment. (just kidding, but seriously they have changed the sole for some reason, most likely from shifting the customer base from athletics to fashion)
Its really a shame what has happened.
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My comments represent a selfishly one sided 1970's skateboarder mindset, and do not reflect the current fashion-skate-lifestyle industry's views.
Unfortunately, this isn't surprising at all. I'm in my final year of my Ed. degree and one of my required courses, "Ethics and Law in Teaching," could be more accurately titled: "How to Avoid Getting Your Ass Sued."
Those with the 'take legal action against McDonalds because you're fat' mentality seem entirely apathetic to who they're ringing out. Thousands of man-hours are spent every year by school boards trying to prevent the most trivial situations because, it seems, there are people just waiting for a chance to sue them for everything they can get.
There are some parents who are insane, to put it bluntly. They’re a tiny minority but, unfortunately, most any objection one may have potentially affects fundamental policy.
Until some sensible legislation is passed to prevent it, this trend will continue until students are not allowed to get out of their seats without putting their helmets on first.
we used to play a game called, tastefully, "smear the queer."
anyone else enjoy this game?
the basic rule of smear the queer was, everyone tried to tackle, injure and/or main the person with the ball. it was usually played with a football, but any ball would suffice in a pinch. once the individual with the ball was tackled he randomly chucked it in the air, somebody else grabbed it, and the game continued. there was no score, no winners, and no losers. just mayhem.
I think kids should be ENCOURAGED to play outside. I've heard some 16 year old acquaintances that they aren't allowed outside the house after 9pm and that he had a bike but wasnt allowed to use it outside the house .
The sueing culture in the US is one of the weakest points in society, overprotecting paents are awful. In our school there were all kinds of violent games. I developed an ability to walk across people swinging in the shcool's swings, sometimes with my eyes closesd. that was fun.
In school we even played donkey: All the boys got in a line holding eachoter tightly in a crouched line with the first in line getting ahold of a light pole and one person had to vault over the last person and slam into the people and stay there. Another opposite team member jumps over the last person and remains on top of the other guys and repeat until someone gets hurt or the line breaks. And thats what we did in PE !!!
Anyway you dont always have to be sooo violent but playing soccer and football is part of childhood. I received two soccer balls to my crotch in ninth grade but we still played (not the same day tho )
Allow the children to play sports!! Unless you want them to turn into geeky video gamers who are afraid of getting a scrape on the knee.
Location: Bouncing between Corvallis and Keizer, OR
Age: 21
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Re: Tag more dangerous than skateboarding....?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rak
we used to play a game called, tastefully, "smear the queer."
anyone else enjoy this game?
the basic rule of smear the queer was, everyone tried to tackle, injure and/or main the person with the ball. it was usually played with a football, but any ball would suffice in a pinch. once the individual with the ball was tackled he randomly chucked it in the air, somebody else grabbed it, and the game continued. there was no score, no winners, and no losers. just mayhem.
That's the best game ever! It's also fun when played in a pool with a watermellon.
Another good pool game is sharks and minnows, but not the boring little kid version. The way to really play it is to get those pesky minnows up by holding them underwater until they can't hold their breath anymore.
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I'm a man...I can change...if I have to...I guess.
Tag more dangerous than skateboarding....?
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