Many of us can likely remember the countless hours on the school playground playing games such as Red Rover and Dodge Ball. Somehow the entire class would divide up into teams and begin to destroy one another either by hitting with the ball or breaking the lock of arms.
Either way we were out for the win. Some students left school with bruises, bloody noses, scraps, and cuts. However the concept of dividing up and playing as a team stood strong and was important in our learning how to get along in the world.
Today you will not see those types of games in many schools. Physical education instructors have been told that games such as these are too dangerous and competitive for children. The all time favorite Dodge Ball is no longer allowed and Red Rover is thought to be too risky to play.
It seems that even the simple game of Tag has been taken away at one school. The principal at Kent Garden Elementary in McClean has made the announcement that Tag can no longer be played on the school playground.
She made this decision by determining that the students were getting too carried away with the favorite pastime. They were too aggressive and too competitive with trying to get each other out.
Robyn Hooker, the principal, sent a letter out to parents explaining her decision and why it was made. The letter has caused quite a debate among the parents. Some parents are glad that the hitting, pushing, and shoving game has ended. Other parents are upset because they feel that the fun of being a child is being taken from the children.
Other school districts also have policies that prevent students from playing games such as Tug-o-War and Dodge Ball. These games are thought to involve too much contact between the students. However this is a first for outlawing Tag.
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