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Taking Aim at Dodgeball

For decades, the game of dodgeball has been a staple of playgrounds and physical education classes, making the act of getting beaned by a rubber ball a right of passage for millions of elementary school students.But now, the game itself is under assault. Officials in Cecil County, Maryland, were set to vote in January on officially banning dodgeball from the school system.

For decades, the game of dodgeball has been a staple of playgrounds and physical education classes, making the act of getting beaned by a rubber ball a right of passage for millions of elementary school students.

But now, the game itself is under assault. Officials in Cecil County, Maryland, were set to vote in January on officially banning dodgeball from the school system. Meanwhile, the game has fallen out of favor with many gym teachers, who argue that the game's premise of turning children into human targets could prove emotionally damaging. And since players must sit out after getting pegged, dodgeball isn't optimal exercise. "It just doesn't belong in a quality physical education program," says Paula Kun, spokeswoman for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. "The key with physical education is you want all children to participate."

Nevertheless, dodgeball bans aren't likely to top local government agendas in most places. In fact, Schaumburg, Illinois, is in the midst of fashioning itself as the dodgeball capital of the United States. Last summer, city officials hosted a dodgeball tournament for teams from around the Midwest, including children as young as fourth grade. Schaumburg followed that up last month with an indoor dodgeball contest. "There's so many other problems facing youth sports," says Rick Hanetho, the head of recreation programs for the Schaumburg Park District and director of the National Amateur Dodgeball Association. "To pick on dodgeball seems silly."

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