For the first time today I decided to watch Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel. Have you ever seen it? The show investigates stories about athletes, sports, managers, etc.
One of todays stories investigated "New P.E.". Some schools have decided to eliminate games such as dodgeball because they believe it encourages bullying. Some have eliminated musical chairs because it separates the competitors (the ones planning their next move) from the "dreamers" (the ones that are distracted by the music and left standing in the end as a loser). Gasp! Yes I said it LOSER!! Ultimately schools are making the move to eliminate
all competitive games that we grew up with, our parents grew up with, even our grandparents were raised playing these games.
New P.E. introduces games that have no winner or loser. There is rock climbing, jump rope without the rope, tag without a tagger. I can admit, rock climbing is a fun sport, but jump rope without a rope? Apparently taking away the rope takes away the feeling of failure when the child trips on it. A principal in Arizona created a game of tag where you could only unfreeze from your position when someone steps on your shadow because the school has implemented a "no touching" rule. A "NO TOUCHING" RULE! This means that the children can't congratulate each other with a high-five. They can't hug. The girls can't play patty cake. The boys can't have secret handshakes.
This is complete bullshit! Children need to learn the meaning of competition, teamwork, proper affection. Without these games children will grow up to be wimps. People need tough skin to survive in this world. Also if they don't learn how to show or compose their feelings appropriately through physical touch at a young age they might grow up to be perverts. By the time they reach middle school or high school they wont understand how to compose their new feelings. Instead of teaching the tender minds of young children, New P.E. is avoiding what is real. Life has competition. Competition builds character. Children need to touch to learn. These are the facts, if you don't like it then lets handle it on a dodgeball court.