The war on dodgeball is gathering steam. Several school districts including Fairfax County, Va., and Austin, Tex. have banned the game. At the Fiske Elementary School in Lexington, Mass., kids still get to play, but anyone who is eliminated from a round just sits out for only a brief time to eliminate hurt feelings. At other schools, students play using a large beach ball. In Miami-Dade, dodgeball hasn't been banned, but gym teachers are being taught to modify the game to make it less competitive.
Kids stand in a circle with a deflated ball in the middle.
All the children then throw their balls at the target in the center, trying to nudge it. The weirdest part of all this anti-dodgeball hysteria is that it's taking off at the same time as the sport is gaining its first real following among adults. You can now find local adult dodgeball leagues in several major cities. The first-ever world dodgeball indoor championship was held in Schaumburg, Ill., on January 6th. Dodgeball Day 2001 is July 28, also in Illinois.