New York School Bans Balls At Recess

When I was a kid, our playground was primarily on concrete.  We played cage ball and tag and 4-square. We drank from a hose on the side of the building and if we fell and scraped our knees, we got up and dusted ourselves off and went back to playing.  And we survived.

The world has turned soft since I was a kid. So soft that a middle school in Long Island has banned some sports equipment during recess including footballs and soccer balls because of safety concerns. Kids at the school also aren’t allowed to play tag and they can’t do cartwheels unless they’re supervised by a coach.

The school superintendent says the rule was put in place for safety reasons, citing a recent increase in playground injuries.  Students are upset, calling the ban “ridiculous” and saying that during recess they just want to “go let loose” and “have some fun” after “sitting behind the desk learning” all day.  And some parents claim the school is simply trying to protect itself against lawsuits.

While the school sorts out the matter, the kids will be allowed to play Nerf balls, which are soft and less likely to cause harm.

What do you think about this?  How would you feel if your kids came home from school and told you they weren’t allowed to play tag or do cartwheels or play with footballs or soccer balls?  Do you think the school has gone a little overboard or do you think they were in the right with their decision?