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DODGEBALL
REVISITED
written by John
Strong, Niagara
County Community College
 During
instruction in an Adventure Education
class recently, I was thrust once again
into the debate on dodgeball.
One of the students peer teaching in
the class led a game in which students
stood on either side of a 20 ft. wide
'alley' on the gym floor and tried to
hit classmates with yarn balls that
were attempting to make it through the
alley. Once across, students could come
back for, and protect other classmates,
to get them successfully through the
alley in order to win the game. I should
mention here that most of the students,
including myself, had a great time playing
this game.
After the lesson was completed, I informed
the student teaching the class that
NASPE was not in support of the activity
in which we had just participated. Further,
I let the class know that any dodgeball
game was frowned upon by the professional
organization that would govern them
in their chosen profession. The inevitable
question of, "Why? Dodgeball's so fun!"
came from a nearby student, and was
quickly affirmed by many of his classmates.
The answer I gave was not precisely
to the letter of the position
statement regarding dodgeball published
by NASPE in 2006, but it captured a
lot of the elements: The targeting of
weaker players, as well as the poor
message of setting up a scenario within
which players purposely try to hit each
other in painful and embarrassing places
in order to crow about the conquest
later.
"Yeah, I loved nailing kids in
the head," came a resigned response
from a pensive student.
"Well how about that?" I
offered. "Is that how you want
the environment in your classroom to
be? Making way for the 'strong to survive'
and the weak to believe there will never
be a place for them to find solace?
Or do you want more than that in your
classroom?"
I offer the same question to folks
who read this article - "what environment
have you created in your classroom?"
NASPE has a defined position on the
'game of dodgeball.' Dodgeball is defined
as equal sides of players, operating
on equal sides of the playing area,
trying to hit opponents with balls.
Players in turn can elude or catch the
balls of the opponents in order to get
teammates back into the game. The ultimate
goal of the game lies in complete elimination
of the opposing teams players. NASPE's
position is somewhat more vague regarding
dodgeball-related episodes, such as
the one detailed at the opening of this
article. The statement specifically
notes:
According to NASPE's
Appropriate Practices for Elementary
School Physical Education (2000), "in
a quality physical education class teachers
involve ALL children in activities that
allow them to participate actively,
both physically and mentally. Activities
such as relay races, dodgeball, and
elimination tag provide limited opportunities
for everyone in the class, especially
the slower, less agile students who
need the activity the most."1
In the activity that my student teacher
played, all students were active. All
students were engaged mentally and physically.
There were problem solving, running,
throwing, evasion, leadership and followership
skills. But the environment was in question,
in my opinion. While no students were
eliminated (made to sit out) in the
midst of this activity, one of the students
was especially uncomfortable. This in
a class filled with would-be physical
educators. The student was increasingly
scared to venture down the alley, not
able to successfully navigate it without
getting hit from a previously unseen
thrower. At the end of the game she
was the only one who had not made it
successfully through the alley even
with the help of her classmates who
attempted to protect her and prod her
on through the treacherous alley safely.
What did the activity teach? What was the goal of the activity? How did it fit into the overall objective of the lesson? Does the activity align with your personal teaching philosophy, or that of your school/district? These are the questions I would like my students to ask themselves when they construct their lessons.
Please consider these questions in
the wake of Halloween and Thanksgiving
games, and while gearing up for those
that will be played in the week before
your students go off to Christmas break.
Consider the games that you've 'always
played' or were handed down to you by
a cooperating teacher. Decide first
if they align with Appropriate
Practices, and then subsequently
resolve if they have an appropriate
place in your optimal classroom environment.
You have a responsibility in your gymnasium
to support all members of your classroom
community, not just the strong or swift.
Do so by making curricular choices that
can be stratified for different levels
of ability, which allow for peer assistance,
and provide an opportunity for everyone
to be successful by giving their best
effort. If putting this premise into
action is difficult for you, my advice
is to take part in a professional
development (PD) opportunity at
your earliest convenience. PD should
not simply be about filling quotas;
it should give you an opportunity to
grow as a professional.
Students who come to your class have
a chance to respect, in lieu of love,
physical activity for the rest of their
lives. Your ability to create an environment
where they can do so comfortably increases
the chances of this happening. Give
them a chance to be successful and watch
them grow as individuals and contributing
members of your classroom community.
I don't count victory here as an example
of success. Winning and losing is a
whole different ball game, and one I
plan to discuss in the near future,
so keep an eye out! But until then,
happy holidays!
- John Strong
1 National Association
for Sport and Physical Education. (2006).
Position on dodgeball in physical education
[Position statement]. Reston, VA: Author.
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