Dodgeball – Just my opinionated response to the consideration of the game being banished from school P.E., gym class, etc.

Dodge ball … oh lord. I have mixed feelings about this game. Yeah, it was fun and I was the fastest runner in my class (small school), however, I was a very awkward girl shy, and not much a fan of competition girl I also despised it. 

Personal dodgeball story? Ok. So, during PE class (9th grade I think)  I was remember the one of the “popular” boys who a lot of girls had secret, or not so secret, crushes one, launched his ball straight AT MY FACE and busted my lip open, blood dripping down. Yeah, at 31 years old I still remember this whole incident in minute details which I won’t bore the world with except to say that right after school was out for the day, it had been planned tbeforehand that my father would pick me up and take me straight to the Washington Passport Agency to get a new passport photo taken and to apply for a new updated passport book. It was necessary for since I was to be visiting my best friend in France over my Christmas vacation since she had sadly moved back there the following year. So, not only did I Dodgeball diminish my ego by busting my lip open and then publicly humiliating myself because I couldn’t control my tears from streaming down my face, I got to have a PHOTOGRAPH of my face with busted lip et al professionally laminated onto a government document that would remind me (and everyone else in the world, literally!) of that fateful day of Dodgeball whenever it was opened. Ugh.

Well, at least, back then anyway, teens needed a new picture every 5 years so I was beyond thrilled when 1999 rolled around and I got to get another photograph taken –  albeit it being equally as awful looking, but without any personal “stigma” attached.

 I don’t necessarily think the game should be banned from schools, but maybe aiming for the head should not be allowed and should it happen would cause the THROWER to be “out” instead. It’s a cruel game, but so is school, really, and taking dodgeball out of schools is NOT going to make being in school any easier whatsoever…In fact, teens need an outlet and some teens don’t get the chance to have a proper way to ‘let it out” once they leave school property. Having an emotional outlet, even if it’s in something as silly as a game of the much loved/hated dodgeball game, is a million times better than the possible alternative of drugs or, god forbid, another mass school shooting.

Just my two cents and experience.

Thanks for reading.

xo

Anna