What is wrong with America? A Long Island middle school bans footballs, other recreational items?

[Anonymous]

Officials at Weber Middle School in Port Washington are worried that students are getting hurt during recess. Thus, they have instituted a ban on footballs, baseballs, lacrosse balls, or anything that might hurt someone on school grounds. Now during recess, football is out and Nerf ball is in. Hard soccer balls have been banned, along with baseballs and lacrosse balls, rough games of tag, or cartwheels unless supervised by a coach.

Why are we a society of wimps now? There can't be competition anymore because someones feelings will get hurt, so everyone gets a trophy, and now a ban on hard balls for recreational sports!? I get that a child's safety is of importance, but we've survived this long with minimal injuries using hard balls, and it's much harder to go from soft balls to hard balls later in life while playing in organized sports. I feel like this is going to discourage kids from wanting to play sports and be active. Do you agree that we are becoming a nation of wimps?

[madhatters4]

i don't think they are trying to eliminate competition.

it seems it's just a safety matter and consequently a legal matter.

I'd blame more than anything parents, families and lawyers who probably have sued schools for damages associated with injuries occurring on the play ground. Just remember that actions like these are isolated. They are a reaction to situations.

Like the school district Kentucky that was going to ban post game hand shakes (you know the "good game, good game, good game") because of fights between teams. The issue is a reaction to fights. It appears that schools are trying to legislate sportsmanship but really they are just reacting to an issue. link

I think the banning of balls thing is similar. Probably a few dipsh*t parents sued a school for damages cause their kid got hurt playing and now to avoid costly settlements or insurance matters they are just banning footballs, baseballs, etc.

It is another sad example of the direction our country is going...but oh well kids will get over it and play sports in gym and organized sports I guess

[Anonymous]

For starters, the ban on such balls is only implemented during recess. Therefore, I doubtfully suspect that it will influence kids not to participate in sports. As with my male relatives, childhood friends and classmates. I grew up playing various sports for long stints that primarily took place off of school property. During school, physical education class was the basic outlet to unwind and participate in sports. Thus, there was never a great importance to play or practice sports during recess. However, if physical education class is no longer a standard elective, then I understand your premise.

The fact is, the report suggested that there had been a rash of injuries that potentially could have been very serious, which consequently led to the ban. Considering a school's liability if such injuries occurred, one should easily comprehend why such preventive measures should at least be considered.

To address you last question, yes, we are becoming wimps, because we are becoming increasingly aware of easier alternatives to solve our solutions.

[UnderDriven]

1. Lawyers.

2. Rulings which removed regulation of lawyer's fees (1975) and allowed them to advertise (1977).

3. A public perception that a successful lawsuit was like winning the lottery.

However, there is now evidence that playing football can cause brain injury from repeated blows to the head (in the long run, football as we know it is doomed). That is not the same thing as playground football, but it is of concern when a sport which people have enjoyed for many years is now shown to be potentially dangerous. If repeated sub-concussions can cause cumulative brain damage, it may be prudent to review the activities of children because a child's brain is much more at risk...

If you haven't seen the recent PBS Frontline episode on this topic, it is worth a look: link

[UnderDriven]

I should qualify my answer by saying that it is not lawyers, per se, that are the problem but the influx of people into the profession who didn't really care about the law--only about how much money they could make being a lawyer. This was really a consequence of #2, which gave the profession higher visibility and increased the profit potential. By the late 80's, people who didn't want to be a doctor gravitated toward the law as a classy way to make a lot of money...

[Anonymous]

You are aware that our "Survival this long" is entirely based on how we quit doing those activities. Deaths in old football gear weren't super rare and death in lacrosse matches when we first started noticing them ( we being Europeans ) when them Indians were doing that whole savagery thing also were not terribly unheard of. Boxing the same.

Still, that school is stupid. I hope it gets burned down to the ground. Why use hard balls when you can use soft ones? Dumb.

[Asker]

It's totally stupid. We are discouraged to do anything now that could possibly cause us bodily harm. What are they going to ban next? Martial Arts? Mixed Martial Arts? It's sad. Growing up I always loved pushing myself hard to be the best possible athlete I could be and was always a good team player, and if everyone wants these kids to stay active and off of drugs - why tone down sports? But also, since we have a national healthcare plan being forced on us, I'm sure they don't want people hurt.

[Opinion Owner]

I'm almost positive it's got more to do with the fact that people are simply trying to be "progressive" where health is the primary element. What they fail to realize is that coming into contact with germs is good for us and a few bumps and scrapes are a sign of physical progress. It's too bad we're moving away from physical health and almost towards a state of vegetables. Still I can see them taking the hardest balls away, it makes sense, sort of but banning tag? TAG? Pft.

[Asker]

It's easier to reduce a population size of 'vegetables' as opposed to that of active people who will live longer. This is just one of many things designed to make us all government puppets.

[Opinion Owner]

I guess that's one way to look at it.

[Opinion Owner]

Anonymous is a terrifying being?

[Asker]

Anonymous we stand.

[Opinion Owner]

Me too!

[Opinion Owner]

I am not good at being either side but I am sorry that our anti-conservatism has caused you hardship. I agree with you some days and disagree with you others, but that's life, and I still believe that everyone has the right to a voice.

[Asker]

Me too man, me too. 1st Amendment in our constitution gives me that right. Just sucks when it's moderated and censored out.

[Opinion Owner]

Well, the law only stretches so far. This is a privately owned business so .. Eh.

[Opinion Owner]

People here are simply more interested in d***s. And boobs. The good news is that this is the future! The bad news is that this is the future.

[Opinion Owner]

... ... ... -shrug-

[Anonymous]

I heard about that. This nation is going straight down the toilet. I hope to see things go back to normal, but I'm not sure that they ever will.

[Asker]

We need to stop voting in people who don't know how to do their jobs.