Author Topic: School bans tag (Read 2803 times)

RadioFreeSeaLab · « **on:** October 18, 2006, 06:59:32 AM »

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/18/no.tag.ap/index.html

Quote

ATTLEBORO, Massachusetts (AP) -- Tag, you're out!

Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.

Recess is "a time when accidents can happen," said Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.

While there is no districtwide ban on contact sports during recess, local rules have been cropping up. Several school administrators around Attleboro, a city of about 45,000 residents, took aim at dodgeball a few years ago, saying it was exclusionary and dangerous. (Watch how second-grader Kelsey interpreted the rule -- 1:30)

Elementary schools in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Spokane, Washington, also recently banned tag during recess. A suburban Charleston, South Carolina, school outlawed all unsupervised contact sports.

"I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," said Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett, about 40 miles south of Boston. "Playing tag is just part of being a kid."

Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.

The Rabbi · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2006, 07:20:54 AM »

More seriously.
I have noticed gymn getting devalued consistently in my kids' schools. That is a shame because you see the results with increased obesity across the board. Yet another case where fear of lawsuits is ruining the quality of life here.

Lee · « **Reply #2 on:** October 18, 2006, 07:22:04 AM »

A lot of schools have, including the one my kids attend. I can't really blame them. The typical playground is a mix of grass, mulch, or paved surfaces, usually bordered with landscaping timber or concrete. They are filled with running kids, from 5 years old to 11 years old, who tend to be unaware of everything and everyone around them...including the solid metal playground equipment. I think the teachers are simply tired of yelling at the kids to behave, and filling out accident reports 6 times per hour.

Iain · « **Reply #3 on:** October 18, 2006, 08:33:22 AM »

It's got to be fear of lawsuits. Little Johnny and little Suzy bang heads and someone demands to know why they weren't either wearing crash helmets or so thoroughly supervised that tag was being played while still respecting personal space. Not just crazy Britain eh?

We used to play kiss, cuddle or torture. Torture was always the best option, a swift knee to the coccyx never hurt anyone.

wingnutx · « **Reply #4 on:** October 18, 2006, 08:38:54 AM »

Can they still play "smear the queer"?

RadioFreeSeaLab · « **Reply #5 on:** October 18, 2006, 08:42:06 AM »

Quote from: wingnutx

Can they still play "smear the queer"?

OH my god no!
That could harm feeeeeeeelings!

TarpleyG · « **Reply #6 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:02:20 AM »

Quote from: Lee

A lot of schools have, including the one my kids attend. I can't really blame them. The typical playground is a mix of grass, mulch, or paved surfaces, usually bordered with landscaping timber or concrete. They are filled with running kids, from 5 years old to 11 years old, who tend to be unaware of everything and everyone around them...including the solid metal playground equipment. I think the teachers are simply tired of yelling at the kids to behave, and filling out accident reports 6 times per hour.

Okay...and how, exactly, is this any different than when I was a kid 30 years ago??? I hurt my dumb self almost daily and no one ever thought to bring about a lawsuit against anyone. Yet another victory for the entitlement generation.

Greg

charby · « **Reply #7 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:08:07 AM »

Quote from: TarpleyG

Okay...and how, exactly, is this any different than when I was a kid 30 years ago??? I hurt my dumb self almost daily and no one ever thought to bring about a lawsuit against anyone. Yet another victory for the entitlement generation.

Greg

Damn helicopter parents. Were going to end up with a whole lot of weinies in the workforce a few years from now. No intiative, no drive, just a bunch of brainless masses.

-C

wingnutx · « **Reply #8 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:09:48 AM »

Quote from: dasmi

Quote from: wingnutx

Can they still play "smear the queer"?

OH my god no!
That could harm feeeeeeeelings!

That game harmed a lot more than feelings. We really beat the crap out of each other.

For anyone not familiar with it, it is like tackle-tag, where everyone piles onto whoever has the ball. You try to take the ball, then it's your turn to be the prey.

Polishrifleman · « **Reply #9 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:13:19 AM »

I just read this, what a crock, Illegal Touching, who are these people? Obviously they had issues as kids and don't want their kids to go through the same hardships. They want to control the environment instead of control their kid and teach them the world is exclusive but you can succeed, we are all exclusive there aren't too many Mother Theresa's or Ghandi's walking around. The world is dangerous but you can survive with the proper mindset and tools.

I was hacked at school I learned about authority and rules, lost 1 tooth and have 3 perminent caps, I learned having the ball was great unless you are on the bottom of the pile, and recieved stitches at least twice, I learned that forward momentum and force could bread safety glass. Maybe if I would have broken something my parents would have thought about suing the school, nah they would have told me "now you know what not to do, or if you try it again maybe this would work, now make sure to keep your cast dry and don't let anyone sign it with a word you aren't supposed to say".

Isn't school a place for life lessons? How do we as parents sit back and allow this stuff to happen? Everyone has something to offer and you need these types of experiences to find your path.

RadioFreeSeaLab · « **Reply #10 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:14:04 AM »

Yeah, I remember. It was a great game.

280plus · « **Reply #11 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:23:13 AM »

LOL...

Not familiar with "smear the queer"...

We had something like murder ball, somewhat akin to dodgeball but more murderous.

Then there was the pig pile which you didn't want to be on the bottom of.

Quote

We used to play kiss, cuddle or torture. Torture was always the best option, a swift knee to the coccyx never hurt anyone.

You Brits are SO far out there... Tongue

RadioFreeSeaLab · « **Reply #12 on:** October 18, 2006, 09:25:09 AM »

We used to play a gamed called Team Ball. Like dodgeball, except you play on a tennis court, minus the net. Throw the ball at the other team, if they catch it, you're out, and you go to the goalie area behind the opposition. If you hit them with it, and they don't catch it, they go back to the goalie area.
Once when I was in highschool, my senior PE class convinced the coaches to let us put seniors against freshman. That was a slaughter

Iain · « **Reply #13 on:** October 18, 2006, 10:45:00 AM »

Quote from: 280plus

You Brits are SO far out there... Tongue

It was better than getting kissed I promise you. At least it was at the time. Probably some form of sexual harassment these days, and that's still the torture that I'm referring to.

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #14 on:** October 18, 2006, 11:04:36 AM »

Makes you wonder how any of us oldsters survived childhood.

280plus · « **Reply #15 on:** October 18, 2006, 02:00:47 PM »

Quote from: Iain

Quote from: 280plus

You Brits are SO far out there... Tongue

It was better than getting kissed I promise you. At least it was at the time. Probably some form of sexual harassment these days, and that's still the torture that I'm referring to.

LOL, Ok , I promise never to kiss you, your not my type anyways. Cheesy

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #16 on:** October 18, 2006, 02:05:21 PM »

Gah, sometimes you just wanna walk up to people, smack them across the head, and scream "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR MALFUNCTION, YOU MORON??!!"

Or it could be that I've had too much coffee and am just a wee bit edgy...

Brad

crt360 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 18, 2006, 03:14:28 PM »

Nobody has ever asked me to sue their kid's school for a tag injury, but I guess it wouldn't surprise me.

Do any kids still have Physical Education or do they just have recess now? My elementary school P.E. teacher was tough. She would often make us run laps all class and yell at us if we weren't running fast enough. If you cried or whined about an injury there had better be a bone poking out or she'd yell at you. We even put on gloves and boxed - some kids got the crap beat out of them. When I see the kids now, I'm really glad I had her as a teacher and went to school when the P in P.E. still meant something.

As far as injuries go, I think a big part of attempting some legal recovery now has to do with the cost of health care. Thirty years ago, you could see a doctor, get x-rays, have a cast put on, go for a few follow up visits for what, a few hundred bucks? Now, if you don't pay out the ass monthly for health plan coverage, the same treatment would cost thousands.

One day humans are going to look like the aliens everyone draws when they return from being abducted.

Standing Wolf · « **Reply #18 on:** October 18, 2006, 03:51:01 PM »

So many lawyers! So few opportunities to get rich quick!

zahc · « **Reply #19 on:** October 18, 2006, 08:36:07 PM »

Playgrounds were a lot more exciting when they were build on asphault.

Does anyone else genuinely wish there existed scaled up playgrounds for adults? I always liked those geodistic dome things.

Lee · « **Reply #20 on:** October 19, 2006, 06:23:55 AM »

"Okay...and how, exactly, is this any different than when I was a kid 30 years ago??? I hurt my dumb self almost daily and no one ever thought to bring about a lawsuit against anyone. Yet another victory for the entitlement generation"

I used to ride on my dad's lap in the car while he smoked Pall Malls... not sure it's relevant.
I think it has less to do with lawsuits and more to do with the time it takes to deal with the injuries and related paperwork. This discussion is typical of the 'all or nothing' attitude that seems so prevelant these days. My kids still get to do a lot of playing and running around at school...including wall climbs. That's in addition to participating in softball, soccer, basketball, and gymnastics after school. The exercise is simply more structured. Is it the goverenment's responsibility to ensure that your kid is not a fat lazy slob? Do you enforce rules on your kids when they have freinds over to play in the house...or so you let them just run helter skelter and break arms and such? After all...you don't have anything better to do than go to the ER for a few hours, and then explain to the other parent why your 12 year old ran over the 5 year old and broke his arm...do you?

Ben · « **Reply #21 on:** October 19, 2006, 06:35:17 AM »

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Okay...and how, exactly, is this any different than when I was a kid 30 years ago??? I hurt my dumb self almost daily and no one ever thought to bring about a lawsuit against anyone. Yet another victory for the entitlement generation.

There were two instances that I can remember from Elementary School where my mom had to come pick me up and take me to the doctor. She spent more time profusely apologizing to my teacher and the school nurse for the trouble than she did checking to see how I was.

Don't recall any big paperwork problems. Guess that's a lot of the difference. In the "old days" it was just, "oops, stuff happens". Now there are apparently reams of paperwork to be filled out for a scraped knee.

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Can they still play "smear the queer"?

In my school, it was WW2, US versus the nazis. Having it known that my parents were German immigrants that talked funny, guess which side I got stuck on? My entire second grade recess experiences consisted of me being chased (and too often caught!) by 18 other kids. Cheesy

Lee · « **Reply #22 on:** October 19, 2006, 08:22:17 AM »

I just wanted to add something else. I spend a fair amount of time at my kid's school and at various school activities. I don't think many people get a chance to do that. There are a lot of good kids around...but there are a number of them that reflect our beloved modern society, i.e. they don't have a wit of common sense, no self discipline, and couldn't give a rat's ass about anyone else. We tend to think about the way we used to play tag (such as running around the grassy playground and not bothering anyone) and the rules we lived by. Many of the kids I see at school now (mostly older boys), will run through or over anyone in their way and not stop, or think a thing about it.
One day, a little bastard about 8 years old just kept trying to kick a ball into my face. I didn't know who he was - I'd never seen him before. After the third attempt, I grabbed the ball, got in his face, and bruised his little ego or psyche or whatever. Truthfully I don't see how teachers and aides put up with some of these kids. I understand completely why they tend to take the easier route and simply ban some activities. If they didn't, they would have hundreds of injuries to deal with every school year. They simply don't have the time to deal with so many poorly behaved kids - it's not just a few bad apples -it's a whole bushell. Long story - short. Blame bad parenting...not the school.

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Author Topic: School bans tag (Read 2803 times)