Let's Get Physical

So it appears that schools are now starting to ban Tag. Tag. That's right, the game where basically you run around a lot and someone is "IT" and tries to tag the others. Pretty innocent game that we all played as a kid. But apparently "they" (ie administrators who think they know what is best for kids) say it singles out kids and reveals a hierarchy of the good and the bad. This is inline with schools banning dodge ball because "the strong prey on the weak." Also, these people think that there is the chance that someone might get hurt. Millions of school kids have grown up playing these games. I doubt any of them have had "severe mental trauma" due to them; likewise anything physical that happens are your ordinary bumps & bruises.

There are two things that really get me when these things happen. One is the fact that we, as a nation, are growing increasingly fatter. These games serve a simple purpose where the kinds run around and burn calories. Those of us in the industry would refer to this as "aerobic exercise." Its a basic tenet of living an active lifestyle. Kids these days (I can't wait until I'm a grumpy old man) come home, watch TV, hop on the internet, and play video games. There is no more just running around outside games. Then schools are cutting recess and phys ed...add to this the wonderful nutrition options, and it's no wonder kids and our society are fat. I'm not asking all kids to be in travel sports teams with overzealous parents (thats a topic for another day), but being active for 30 min a day can do wonders for a kid.

The other thing that bothers me is that one of the reasons they've banned these games is because these games result in a pecking-order of the best to the worst. They (the administrators) want the kids to know they are all equal and on a level field. One of the things in life is that we're all separated from best to worst in everything we do -- school, athletics, looks, income, jobs...nothing in life is equal and we're all on various parts of the Normal Curve with all these things. Yes, it's not fun for a little kid to lose, but if they find out at a young age how to deal with not being the best & losing, it'll serve them better later in life. It also helps to motivate them to find out what areas (sports, school) they are good at. Life is all about dealing with rejection in some way or the other. Whether its the girl you asked out, or getting turned down a bunch of times before you get a job, or applying for a mortgage...we find a way to deal with it. This reminds me of that South Park episode where they were putting on a Christmas show/pageant at school. In order to not offend ANYONE it went from a show about Christmas and Santa to this "interperative dance" number where everyone was dressed in black dancing to European techno music and it had NOTHING to do with Christmas. Its things like this that make me wonder if this country is really headed in the right direction.