I know a lot of gym teachers post on here. Please help me settle a debate. I say you all still sit around watching kids play dodgeball with those red rubber balls. My friend says schools haven't let kids play dodgeball for years. Which one of us is correct?
Discuss:
When I was in middle school a couple of years ago we played with these foam balls that were softer.
I let my 6-8th graders play. We play a modified version called Medic (two medics can tag people and get them back in; keeps everyone playing instead of sitting on their butts) with softer, coated foam balls. Any students younger than 6th grade usually can't handle the game emotionally. Of course, I teach in a private school.
JMartin wrote:
I let my 6-8th graders play. We play a modified version called Medic (two medics can tag people and get them back in; keeps everyone playing instead of sitting on their butts) with softer, coated foam balls. Any students younger than 6th grade usually can't handle the game emotionally. Of course, I teach in a private school.
Coated foam balls? Can't handle it emotionally? The future generation of kids are going to be wimps.
JMartin wrote:
I let my 6-8th graders play. We play a modified version called Medic (two medics can tag people and get them back in; keeps everyone playing instead of sitting on their butts) with softer, coated foam balls. Any students younger than 6th grade usually can't handle the game emotionally. Of course, I teach in a private school.
Coated foam balls? Can't handle it emotionally? The future generation of kids are going to be wimps.
I am in junior high and we still plat dodgeball just without the rubber balls we use foam dodgeballs instead
oldschoolman wrote:
JMartin wrote:I let my 6-8th graders play. We play a modified version called Medic (two medics can tag people and get them back in; keeps everyone playing instead of sitting on their butts) with softer, coated foam balls. Any students younger than 6th grade usually can't handle the game emotionally. Of course, I teach in a private school.
Coated foam balls? Can't handle it emotionally? The future generation of kids are going to be wimps.
You don't teach, do you?
JMartin wrote:
oldschoolman wrote:Coated foam balls? Can't handle it emotionally? The future generation of kids are going to be wimps.
You don't teach, do you?
And what is accomplished using a hard rubber ball that a coated foam ball can't do other than inflict pain?
Dodgeball, with the softer balls is still widely used, but not as often. National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is against it and many teachers are afraid of getting sued by a student who has a bad experience. The NASPE position statement is here, read for yourself: http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/upload/Position-on-Dodgeball-in-PE-2006.pdf
Over the summer I am a counselor at a day camp an I play dodgeball with 3rd and 4th graders regularly. The balls are pretty soft but can still hurt if you throw them hard enough. Almost all of the kids love it. Sometimes a kid will cry if they get hit in the face, but they always are eager to come back in after sitting out a couple of minutes.
No, I don't teach. But I could handle getting hit and dealing with some bruises growing up. I was given no quarter and I asked for none, it builds character.
Back when I was in HS(about 7 years ago), we used to play with those red rubber balls, but they were the size of shotputs. It was incredibly easy to grip, and whip really fast. Before we played the gym teachers(2 males) would give people the option to sit out on the other side of the gym or play. Generally the boys participated and most of the athletic girls, but about 40% of the class sat out. The most fun I ever had playing dodgeball. These things came in insanely fast, but only stung if they hit the side of your face or man parts.
I teach history and PE and am athletic director for a middle school. Got my BA and MA in teaching social science. Got certified to also teach PE a couple of years ago.
We play dodgeball a good bit. My kids would play it every day if I'd let them.
I teach at a small private school though. We're old school in many ways.
When I was a kid we played dodge ball with rocks. It built character. Made me what I am today.
JMartin wrote:
Any students younger than 6th grade usually can't handle the game emotionally. Of course, I teach in a private school.
At my summer camp we played dodge ball with rubber balls with everyone who was willing to play. I got pegged tons of times from age 5 onward and it only taught me how to dodge better. It's part of the game. But the main thing I don't understand is, what could be so emotionally painful for the younger students? Could it be that they aren't good at something? God forbid they learn early they aren't athletes, or that everyone in the world isn't a winner all the time.
Just curious which national standard you are covering when you let your classes "play" dodgeball? I can think of at least a dozen better ways to teach kids how to "dodge" and a couple dozen ways to teach them to throw at a target with accuracy. And you wonder why people look at our profession with such disdain?
An actual PE Teacher wrote:
Just curious which national standard you are covering when you let your classes "play" dodgeball? I can think of at least a dozen better ways to teach kids how to "dodge" and a couple dozen ways to teach them to throw at a target with accuracy. And you wonder why people look at our profession with such disdain?
Because of comments like that.
So answer the question then. I was a 4 sport athlete in hs and despised dodgeball since it was obvious that it's not educationally defensible. But, you being a big man would obviously refute that so I best step off, eh?
Back in the Day wrote:
An actual PE Teacher wrote:Just curious which national standard you are covering when you let your classes "play" dodgeball? I can think of at least a dozen better ways to teach kids how to "dodge" and a couple dozen ways to teach them to throw at a target with accuracy. And you wonder why people look at our profession with such disdain?
Because of comments like that.
+1
Back in the Day wrote:
When I was a kid we played dodge ball with rocks. It built character. Made me what I am today.
Rocks are good. We played with basketballs. I once had a throw go over my head and when I turned around the ball went wall-face-wall-man parts. Game over.