But my favorite disorganized sport was what we called “battle ball.” It was a little rougher version of dodge ball, and consisted of two groups of guys lined up across from each other on a basketball court. Combatants would attempt to drill every player on the opposing side with a lightweight rubber ball. It was exhilarating and fun, and it was the most popular part of physical education classes.
That was then, and this is now. Somewhere along the way, the PC mongers began looking to ban or regulate everything that remotely resembled anything aggressive in speech or in action.
One of their targets was dodge ball. By May 2001, Time magazine reports that a growing number of school districts had banned dodge ball in states like Texas, Virginia, Maine and girl. Hollingsworth is principal of an elementary school in Phoenix, Ariz. where she has adapted a number of athletic activities so as to be played without any physical contact whatsoever. For example, her students play tag, but instead of tapping the person who is “it”, she requires her kids to step on the shadow of the intended target (I guess they can’t play tag at high noon). And when Hollingsworth’s students make a good play, they give each other “air fives.” It’s like a high five, except with no touching.
Fortunately there are a few sane people left in this country who have been willing to stand up to the antidodge ball forces. One is Matt Laybash, a writer for the Weekly Standard. He calls the movement to ban dodge ball the “wussification of America.” Laybash claims that people who want to take competition out of PE altogether are, in fact, cheating our kids.
Liddie McNutty agrees. She has been a physical education teacher in Maryland for more than 30 years, and has continued to fight for the right to include dodge ball in her classes. She believes that dodge ball teaches kids life lessons, and she
also points out that “not a single student has ever been injured
playing dodge ball.” But opponents of dodge ball don’t let facts get in
the way of a good story, and in today’s PC society, banning dodge ball
is a good story.
In spite of that, there are organizations
working hard to preserve the controversial sport. One such group is the
International Dodge Ball Federation. Another is the National Amateur
Dodge Ball Association whose press release now promotes their beloved
sport as a “more safe and enjoyable sport.” They cite the use of rubber
coated balls and safety conscious rules.
Returning to “Real
Sports,” I couldn’t help but notice an ironic twist to Gumbel’s program
line-up that day. The show began with a report on seven outstanding
high school athletes in Virginia Beach who had been shot over the past
year. All of them were innocent victims of senseless violence by young
men with too much time on their hands, and no outlet for letting off
steam. It made me wonder if such violence could have been prevented
early on had the murderous punks been too tired to pull a trigger
because they had been playing dodge ball all day. I exaggerate, of
course, but the point cannot be denied that activities like dodge ball
give young people an outlet in which to act out their aggressions in a
safe environment.
Beyond that, it is important for kids to
know what failure is. Laybash lamented that banning dodge ball actually
cheats kids. Clearly, not everyone can be the winner in dodge ball, and
so it is in life. What happens to a young man who is shielded from
losing, then, one day experiences an embarrassing loss of a job,
scholarship or promotion? What happens when he is rejected by a girl he
really likes? How will he handle coming in second place if he’s never
been prepared for that scenario? Chances are he might become violent or
aggressive in manner or in deed, and that makes lack of life skills far
more dangerous than getting hit with a dodge ball. Balls are easier to
dodge than bullets, so it’s time for these do-gooder activists to bite
the bullet, and just let the kids play. It might save us all a lot of
problems later on.
Jim Longworth is the host of “Triad Today,” airing on Fridays at 6:30 a.m. on ABC 45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 10 p.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).
[T]he point cannot be denied that activities like Dodge Ball give young people an outlet in which to act out their aggressions in a safe environment.
