School bans tag, other chase games. What do you think?

Question

School bans tag, other chase games

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

Answer 1

Umm...kids are SUPPOSED to get hurt! It's a natural animal way to establish a pecking order with these games. How else are we supposed to know who is the strongest, fastest, heaviest, ect.
We are turning our kids into a bunch of big fat sissies! First we overfeed them, then we have them play video games inside to keep them quiet, now we take away running around at recess? What's the matter with us?

Answer 2

I have to agree with the parent quoted in the next-to-last paragraph. We all played tag and whatnot at recess and lived to tell about it. Here in my city they've removed the swings from elementary school playgrounds on the grounds that a child could walk in front of the swing and get kicked in the head. Well, of course that could happen, but that was true 30 years ago when I was an elementary school kid at recess; I was smart enough even then not to walk where I could get kicked in the head. All this stuff is part of being a kid and normal outdoor activities should be encouraged, not discouraged... kids are spending enough time in front the the tv or playing video games and we're seeing an increase in childhood obesity because of it. If we discourage them from pursuing the same activities we enjoyed when we were running around outside like maniacs, the problem is just going to get worse.

Answer 3

There will be a Keep Tag in Attleboro rally this Saturday (10/19/06) from 10AM-noon at the Willet School in Attleboro. Local newspapers, radio stations, and television stations have been notified. The next PTO meeting isn't until 11/18, and we want our voices to be heard sooner.

The purpose of the rally is to attract the attention of the Willet Elementary School officials, voice our concerns, and work with the school to find a compromise (ie, tag free zones on the playground).

For more information contact [e-mail].

-Attleboro resident, Mom, and tag enthusiast

Answer 4

Well, I think that everyone should just put their children in bubbles and keep them indoors at all time without any contact whatsoever with other children, this will eliminate the possibility of anything ever happening. Heaven forbid a child get a scrape or a bump or even have any fun at all-ever. Um...how many of you played tag and other such games (butts up, red rover, football, etc..)? Are you still alive and well? GET OVER IT PEOPLE!!!!!! Let your children have some frickin fun, do not allow schools to have this much control over your children. Fight for your kids! You remember recess, it was the high point of your day. You got to go outside, run around, play and interact with other children. So what if you fell and scraped your knee, you got to go the school nurse, get a bandaid and go about your business. Did your parents threaten to sue your school? What is this world coming to?

Answer 5

Two things come to mind: 1) the litigeousness of our society is having a real cost in the education of our children. In this example, how are kids to learn to be competative? How are kids suposed to learn to play by the rules when you're on your own - no adult supervision and no referee? These games are not just physical exercise which, G-- knows, our overweight kids need desperately, but also teach how to get along and manage yourself in a "game" environment. That's what the world is. 2)This is exemplary of how contrary our politically correct society has become. All the hue and cry about equality of the sexes and the need for women to compete and learn the rules of the game, i.e. "the Playing Fields of Eaton". Not every activity is supervised. I note that even playgrounds have been sanitized so that most of the truly phyisical activities are gone like monkey bars, trapeze, etc. Sad. To quote Dean Wormer (Animal House), "Fat, dumb and stupid is no way to go through life, son..." Well that's what we're institutionalizing in our schools if this type of hysterical approach to play takes hold.

Answer 6

I can understand the legal problems local communities face, with children receiving injuries while playing sports on public grounds. Especially with our litigious society, it seems like nothing is considered "just an accident" when a child gets hurt playing in a school ball field or community park. Maybe the answer is for parents to sign a release giving their permission and allowing their children to play. Although a lawyer might then argue the parent wasn't in their right mind when they signed the release.

Answer 7

Our politically correct society is the cause of childhood obesity.Children are no longer allowed to play tag,dodge ball,cops and robbers,cowboys and indians and the many more because of liberals,yet they are the ones complaining about kids being fat.Children are no longer able to play sports for competition either,whats the sense in play sports if theres no competition?I can imagine what a profootball game is going to look like in 10 years if the libs continue on the path they are on..,its coming,no scores allowed for profootball,baseball or basketball as they dont want to destroy ones selfesteem by losing.You watch sports fans,it is coming.

Answer 8

Yes, let's make sure that our kids NEVER EVER get hurt by anything ever, never get disappointed, never get a bloody nose or a scrape on their knee, never learn how to deal with any sort of hurt or injury at all.

THAT should prepare them for life in the real world.

Answer 9

I have no problem with those rules. Parents object until it is their kid who is injured, and then they want to hold the school responsible. Cutting back on the possibilities of injury during recess is a good idea.

Chow!!

Answer 10

this is such a load of crap, and anyone who wants to tell the school what they think can e-mail them here E-Mail: willettschool @attleboroschools.com