Dodge Ball: Pro or Con

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Revision as of 04:01, 8 May 2006

Development of Dodgeball

Dodgeball is a game that seems to have been around forever. It may not have has been named dodgeball, but people have been playing games with similar rules since the beginning of time. Some names you may have heard it called are Dr. Dodgeball, Prisonball, German dodgeball and many others. Over time dodgeball in physical education classes has become a huge controversial issue in our schools. Some people feel as though the game has no benefits in our classrooms while other people believe it is one of the greatest games of all time.

Classroom Application(pros)

Why do many teachers and most students still believe dodgeball should be part of the physical education curriculum? First of all, the game of dodgeball is fun for most of the students. http://www.pelinks4u.org/discus/messages/6/25.html. Yes there are students who do not like this activity, but that goes for almost any activity we do as educators. Dodgeball is great for hand – eye coordination, arm strength, balance, and conditioning. http://www.sports-media.org/Sportapolisnewsletter6.htm also states that an individuals agility, catching, and accuracy increases with the use of dodgeball. Teams and individuals also learn how to strategize to win the game. This activity also develops a student’s competitive drive. Competition is part of life and dodgeball challenges a person to compete and do the best they can or just quit and lose. We want to teach students the advantages of being competitive and how that is part of life. Everything we do we must compete for it. Nothing in life is just given and cannot be taken away.

One advantage dodgeball has from the past is the type of balls we can use today compared to those in the past. In the past people used balls that would leave welts on a person of they were hot hard. Today we can use gator skin balls and foam nerf balls that do not hurt the students at all when they get hit. Many people worry about the injury factor and I see dodgeball as no more dangerous than most other activities. I try teaching students in all activities that injuries are part of activity. I try to avoid them, but injuries are part of exercise and athletics.

Uses of Dodgeball

One of the biggest factors teachers face is when and how dodgeball should be implemented into the curriculum. As we have stated before many schools do not believe there is a place at all for dodgeball, while other districts do not have a problem with this activity. Teachers who do use dodgeball as an activity must set rules before playing with consequences so the students know these before the activity starts.

Criticisms of Dodgeball

Many people believe dodgeball should not be part of the physical education curriculum. These are some of the criticisms: 1. Turns kids into human targets 2. Allows for bullying 3. It is humiliating for some students 4. Students are eliminated early from the game, resulting in less physical activity. 5. Leaves emotional scars http://www.pe4life.org/articles/Dodge_Ball_Column.doc stated these top reasons. Other people just say it is an injury risk and should not be part of our physical education programs. Individuals can get the same advantages by playing other activities other than dodgeball. http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/pdf_files/pos_papers/dodgeball.pdf#search='dodgeball%20in%20physical%20education'

Personal Experiences

I have been teaching physical education over the last thirteen years and have played dodgeball at one time or another throughout each year. I have found that students love the game of dodgeball. I also believe dodgeball is very beneficial for the students. The students have use so many body parts when they play that the whole body gets a workout. I have very few injuries while we play and believe the positives far outweigh the negatives in the game of dodge ball. Bret Helms

I am not a PE teacher, but the power of of the game is seen everywhere in our school during dodgeball "season." Kids are preoccupied before, during and after gym class about their session of dodgeball. I have seen students who don't normally get excited about anything relating to gym class rambling on about who they hit or a great catch that they made. I've also seen kids come into AP Calculus with icing their arms because of a wicked game of dodgeball. Is dodgeball good or bad? I can only say it makes school a little bit more interesting for the 3 or 4 weeks that it is played. Brad Frey - Johnsburg High School

References

Position on Dodgeball in Physical Education http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/pdf_files/pos_papers/dodgeball.pdf#search='dodgeball%20in%20physical%20education

Dodgeball Debate http://www.pelinks4u.org/discus/messages/6/25.html

We Can’t Afford Dodgeball In Our Nation http://www.pe4life.org/articles/Dodge_Ball_Column.doc

Is Dodgeball Traumatizing Our Kids? http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0106/18/tl.00.html

The Weak Shall Inherit the Gym http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/magazine/life_of_reilly/news/2001/05/08/life_of_reilly/

Dodge Ball vs. Dodge Ball Activities http://www.sports-media.org/Sportapolisnewsletter6.htm Dodge ThisBanning dodgeball is like banning childhood.

http://www.nationalreview.com/nr_comment/nr_comment050401a.shtml

What’s Wrong with dodgeball? The new Phys Ed and the Wussification of America. http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b2e222552a4.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dodgeball