What is the matter with us????

I totally agree. The schools are having to reform and redefine Phys Ed and recess in order to keep from getting sued. I've heard that in some schools, Monkey Bars and swings are being outlawed because of injuries (or rather, sue happy parents who can't wait to get a huge settlement).

Luckily, none of this has hit our school here yet. And I hope it won't. But I guess it's the world we live in today. Take out the fun games and fun equipment (not us yet), install metal detectors to hopefully keep from being involved in a shootout (not us, yet), remove coke and junk food machines (not us yet. Well, we didn't have a snack machine before, but there is a milk/yogurt, granola bar snack machine now in the gym lobby. And we still have one coke machine, the money for which goes to our FFA program. And a gatorade machine and bottled water machine). One thing our school does do is have a drug dog come in. And so far, the only thing he has found was that one student had beer in the back of her truck (which turned out to be her father's fault. Her car wouldn't start that morning so he let her take his truck and completely forgot about the beer in the back).

I got from that article that they were concerned about the "unsupervised" games that involve chasing. I have to tell you, I don't remember anyone ever getting hurt on the playground from hide and seek/tag/whatever. I also don't remember playing these games very much. It became very obvious very quickly which kids were so quick they were always winning, no fun, found another game.

The only times we ever played kickball was during PE and it was nominally supervised by the coaches. We were not allowed to play things like Red Rover because too many kids' wrists got hurt.

If they are banning these games because statistically that's where the majority of playground injuries are happening, they may actually have a legimate basis. If not and they're doing it because of the percieved danger of letigiously vindictive parents, then the parents should get together and insist that children have the right to play.

I do have to say though that dodgeball belongs up there with The Worst Childhood Games Ever Invented. Lining kids up against a wall or a white line and hurling those giant rubber balls at them as hard as you possibly can...one of the most aggressive, hurtful games ever played that has no redeeming value in terms of sportsmanship, athletisism, or any other legitimate reason to play sports. If they're banning dodgeball, all's I've got to say is, thank God, 'bout time.

Anhata
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