There is also a clear sense that abuses will occur, especially when the activity is part of unstructured play and children seek to emulate the competitive cutthroat manner in which they see adults playing the game in popular tv and movies. There is simply no way to ensure that every application fo this type of game is done in a manner that feeds children's desire to live and active and long life, rather than limiting their early ideas about the nature of sports and physical activity. Even the contrary evidence offered by the long time physical ed instructor, who is a proponent of dodgeball in the curriculum is convincing to the contrary position:
On many levels and from many perspectives, I can find few re deeming qualities in dodgeball. In elementary school, my wife dreaded dodgeball days in physical education class because she couldn't throw and was almost always the victim of a hard-thrown ball that stung on contact. Neil Williams includes dodgeball in his three "Hall of Shame" articles-in JOPERD 63(6), 65(2), and 67(8) -- and makes a strong case for its permanent exclusion from physical education.
Shoemaker 17)
As Shoemaker clearly outlines there are far to many real and historical anecdotes that express particular individuals experiences as negative, when ti comes to dodgeball to continue to allow it to be used as a curriculum option in physical...
The only redemptive character of voluntary play being that children can choose to play or not to play and therefore may not be stigmatized, the other problem being that this choice not to play and to instead be a part of a less active activity is clearly contrary to the goal of invigorating the desire to live a physical life.
There is additional evidence that the game, and others like it will likely stop being an issue of professional ethical choice and become one where schools, districts and individuals may be sued for utilizing them and for any abuses that occur as a result of their play. In an article that details one of the first pieces of legal action, with regards to playing dodgeball in school, which by the way went all the way to the
supreme court the importance of following national (such as NASPE) and school recommendations, to protect individuals and districts from
litigation and children from injury, both physical and mental. In other words, there are to many risks involved to continue to utilize such games in schools, and national and local guidelines will and are being used as legal determinant factors, usually against the school and/or individuals involved in its use, in an appropriate or inappropriate manner.
Conn, and Docheff 6)
Works Cited
Children's Games-for Adults Only?." JOPERD -- the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 72.7 (2001): 11.
Conn, James H., and Dennis M. Docheff. "Dodgeball: Beware of Litigation." JOPERD -- the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 76.9 (2005): 6.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education "Position on Dodgeball in Physical Education"
Shoemaker, Michael T. Ed. "Is There a Place for Dodgeball in Physical Education?." JOPERD -- the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance 72.4 (2001):…
