When I was growing up, physical education was called gym class and it was not a fluff class. It was one of the classes in which I did not get very good grades because I am not a natural athlete. I love to hike, play in the park, an occasional soccer game, day of kayaking, and other activities but I am never in the front of the pack. I have never been mistaken for an expert in athletic activities.

I am a fan of professional sports. I love watching tennis and soccer in person. I watch boxing, football and golf on television. I love the Olympics. Part of the enjoyment I get from watching professional sports comes from understanding the game. Most of my understanding of sports comes from gym class. We played and studied actual sports. Even in high school at Ursuline we had to learn about organized sports.

With so many overweight children, it seems like common sense would dictate some pretty active physical education classes. At least at my son’s school, nothing could be further from the truth. Pool noodle sword fights, marbles, and watching tapes of the Olympics are all recent activities from his phys ed class. I have nothing against having fun with pool noodles, but in the 1^st month of school? It seems to me that pool noodle activities would be something to do in the last few weeks of school when the children are too wired to do organized sports.

They have never played soccer, baseball or any other popular organized sports in his phys ed class. For awhile the children were not allowed to play ball games during recess on the blacktop because they "might get hurt." Although the ‘no ball playing allowed’ order was rescinded, they must now bring their own ball to school with which to play.

I would bet that the new curriculum is a result of some ridiculous bureaucratic order based on liability and insurance instead of health and physical skills. In my opinion, I believe it is a disservice to children to forgo a true physical education experience.

The facts of life and sports are that some people win and some lose at different times. Some people are better than others at certain things. There is nothing wrong with that, it means every person is special in a unique way. But the Dodgeball principle, as I call it, states that activities in school should be constructed in a certain way to prevent anyone from feeling badly about themselves, everyone must feel equally competent. Children in my son’s school are not allowed to play dodgeball in or out of phys ed class. The idea that everything has to be fair and no one can have hurt feelings is unrealistic. It robs children of the opportunity to build their character by being graceful losers, or good sports. When I attend my son’s soccer games I notice that many boys have no idea what good sportsmanship means.

Peter and I work hard to educate Pierson about organized sports. Good sportsmanship is the only acceptable behavior before, during and after casual or organized games. He is learning that it is possible to do everything ‘right,’ try your best and still lose, and there is nothing wrong with losing in that case. Why should that lesson be such a controversial one in our schools?