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Scene: Focus On Youth Programs North American Youth Sport
Institute Year 2001 Issue In this issue:
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Dodgeball Debate Continues by
Jack Hutslar, Ph.D. North
American Youth Sport Institute www.NAYSI.com Much
to my surprise, I received a telephone call from NBC in New York City to
appear on one of their morning shows. Given the nature of the news today, I
fully expected to be asked about injuries in youth sport or violence among
players, coaches and parents. Those negative topics dominate my calls from the
media. As we should be coming to understand, the media pursues anything that
can be interpreted as dirt. They seldom if ever call about good news. As you
know from the title of this article, it was another call about these silly
little games of dodgeball. I
suppose that it should not surprise us that there are people out there who
have adopted the elimination of dodgeball in the schools as their current
mission. The media, operating as it does, sees a hit with this debate. In this
case, I believe they are helping to make something out of nothing. Nay-sayers
are positioning dodgeball as an unsuitable activity for students. They seem to
be pinning their argument on a position that the powerful players are
permitted to dominate or intimidate the weak players. We can only guess what
the next hot button might be. . . the cannonball off of the low and high dive!
Kickball! My
position is that dodgeball is OK. As a former grade 1-8 physical education
teacher, I used many variations of the game and the kids loved them. I even
used it as a change of pace activity in college fitness classes. All students
seem to play it with the kind of enthusiasm that classroom teachers cannot
begin to generate. For the nay-sayers, I should mention that, in both
situations, we had rules in place that addressed safety issues. In
one newspaper interview, I called the dodgeball debate yet another possible
politically correct issue. I could be wrong but it appears that the nay-sayers
are trying to extend the de-maculinization of boys to this activity. They have
been trying to do this with math, science and the computer. In doing this,
these people seem to want boys to be something other than what many of them
are naturally - active, physical, impatient and inquisitive. One wonders where
the natural tendencies of boys will surface if we attempt to turn them into
something else in one phase of their life after another. Perhaps
we have now introduced dodgeball into the correctness (PC) arena. If this is
so, then, as a local long time observer noted, political issues are not
burdened by accuracy or truth. As we should know by now, political matters
need not follow the rules that even greedy capitalist must follow in
advertising. That is, politicians are not required to be accurate, truthful or
honest. In political matters, the bottom line is money and votes. Unfortunately,
this silly dodgeball debate may metastasize in to what we have experienced
with anti-USAism, anti-capitalism, global warming, religion and education,
correct speech, guns, SUV’s, energy and environmentalism, Boy Scouts,
butterfly ballots, and cell phones. In these political debates, each side has
their experts and proponents. The ultimate winners, if any surface, may be the
side with the most dominant political clout. Truth, in all likelihood, will
not be the determining factor when the dust settles. In
my view, this silly debate over dodgeball is smothering more important issues.
For instance, physical education is losing ground as a valid curriculum area.
In fact, these throw out the ball PE programs, what I call “Fizz Ed,” are
professionally disgraceful. Teachers who conduct programs in this manner are
just flat out negligent. They should either teach or be dismissed. In contrast
to what seems to be developing with dodgeball, I have seen no change-seeking
media crusades against Fizz Ed. On
a broad scale, elementary school through high school physical education needs
an intensive promotional boost from the top down. It requires the attention
and expertise of certified physical education teachers comparable to what
exists in art and music. Otherwise, I believe they can eventually kiss P.E.
good-bye, and none too soon. Classroom teachers who take their kids outside
for kickball (and dodgeball), not to mention Fizz Ed, address no standard
learning objectives. No change-seeking media crusades here. Locally,
teachers have told me about the scorn they face when they take their students
outside on less than ideal weather days. Students have this one figured out.
If the kids are exposed to anything less than chamber of commerce weather,
they go whining to their parents. Parents then hit the principal’s office.
These meek leaders give in to a single parent and drop their load on the
teacher for how it disturbs the comfort level of these fragile students. There
are no change-seeking media crusades here. In
a related matter, I have seen the media make a series out of unfortunate
events that are linked to heat problems. This issue can usually be traced to
teachers and administrators who have not learned how to operate in hot and
humid weather conditions. The solution for working in heat can be addressed by
any football or tennis coach. Gone
are the concerns over running in the hall, spit wads, gum chewing and talking
in study hall. Now, we have a number of well chronicled obstacles to an
informed electorate revolving around people in our schools who:
Please
understand that the above problems are those of properly certified teachers
and administrators, not students. On
the student side, we can add to the previous list many other issues such as:
inattentiveness, sleeping in class, physical and verbal intimidation, fights,
extortion, drug dealing, alcoholism, hangovers, and assaults on teachers and
administrators. In addition to finger guns and butter knives, we should
include the sexual encounters among students during school hours. With parents
standing up for their kids against the schools, is it any wonder that student
performance is called into question. Where are the change-seeking media
crusades. Once
again, when these educational issues are examined, it is difficult to
rationalize how the silly dodgeball debate can dominate these vital issues. It
just does not make sense when the integrity of education is under assault from
all sides. But
wait. There is more. Our state uses a competency test at grades 3, 5 and 8. In
the past, 45 per cent was considered a passing grade. Yes. 45 per cent. There
are very few places in the job world where 45 per cent would be considered
acceptable performance. This
year, the test was made more difficult. So, 25 per cent became the passing
score on the math portion of the test. Incidentally, I understand that this is
a four-item multiple choice test. If that is correct, then it is possible for
students to score around 25 per cent by guessing. What kind of standard is
that! An
NC community college administrator revealed this stunning fact to me in a
frank conversation over breakfast. About 33 per cent of the students in their
nursing program wash out because they cannot pass their college math
requirement. Keep in mind that this occurs after passing high school math or
taking remedial math in college, thus meeting the math requirement at the
college. Students also take a course that covers the math on this critical
test. These students, a majority of whom are female, can take the test three
times. A 33 per cent failure rate in a costly instructional area is, well . .
. expensive education. As
with some of our other politically charged issues, I foresee the silly
dodgeball debate as just another mini-media crusade that smothers serious
educational problems. Unfortunately, dodgeball appears to be one of those
issues that moves the media, brings out nay-sayers, and sells papers. If it
did not sell, the media would not do it. In
case you do not realize it, newspapers are profit oriented corporations, and
sales is their bottom line. If it is easy and it sells, it works for the
media. That is what sales is all about. Dodgeball sells. Education does not
sell and it is not easy to change. NAYSInote:
Jack Hutslar, the top dog at www.NAYSI.com,
is a former grade 1-8 and college physical education teacher and coach. He
founded the North American Youth Sport Institute in 1979 to provide in-service
education to coaches (youth and school), teachers, parents and program
leaders. He has become identified by the media as a resource and advocate for
dodgeball in the silly dodgeball debate. Ask
Jack . . .
Ask Jack: My
daughter is nine years old and over weight. What can you suggest that I do.
L.H. on 5/17/2001 Jack
sez: I have received several inquiries like this recently. For
the most part, I believe that
doctors do not consider heavy children much of an issue. However, they should
be changing with the current emphasis on fat-free foods and fitness. If
an exam reveals that there are no medical issues involved, here are my
recommendations.
I
believe that these measures will help her slim down naturally as she grows
over the next several years. See
Ask Jack and our FAQ
at www.NAYSI.com. Go to the search at
www.NAYSI.com top find answers to questions about which you are concerned.
Dudley
Travel Agency, Inc. Piedmont
Triad Sports Club North
American Youth Sport Institute Rising
Stars Basketball Academy
presents Coaching
Clinic . . . solutions
for all sports June 2, 2001 •
Saturday •
9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Anderson Center at Winston-Salem State University Registration: $15 in advance
• $20 at the door Register on line at www.NAYSI.com For more information, contact: Jack Hutslar at 336.784.4926 or Jack@NAYSI.com Register
on line at www.NAYSI.com Coaching
Clinics are pointed toward those who work with the young boys and girls in
community and school sport and recreation programs. In many cases, Clinics
such as this are used as recruiting tools to sign up new parent coaches and
league helpers. The
current schedule is:
The
Coaching Clinic, part II of V, presents coaches,
leaders and interested parents with the methods that are commonly used to
“teach” sport skills. These methods help players learn faster, play in
safety and have more fun. For
more information about these programs, contact Jack at 336.784.4926 or by
email at Jack@NAYSI.com
to be added to the email list. Coaching
Clinic and the associated Leadership Forums are sponsored by Dudley
Travel Agency and The Piedmont Triad Sports Club.
Other contributors include Out West Steakhouse
and Saddle Room, Voortman
fat free Cookies and Bisquitville. Look for weekly updates and new information about youth sport and education at www.NAYSI.com Educacion Deportiva Internacional (EDI) Education programs in all sports for coaches and teachers are conducted in Mexico and other Hispanic nations through Educacion Deportiva Internacional and the North American Youth Sport Institute. Lic. Roman Perez Villejo, a specialist in sport management, and Jack Hutslar have been conducting programs throughout Mexico. For more information, contact: Lic. Roman Perez Villejo Activity Tip of the Week starts on www.NAYSI.com in May 2001 We
are pleased to announce that we will be adding the NAYSI Activity Tip of
the Week to our web site at www.NAYSI.com
in May 2001. Parents, coaches, teachers and kids of all ages seem to be always
on the look out for new ways and old ways to teach this and that. Sometimes,
however, they just want something fun to do in their spare time. In order to
fill that void, we will begin offering. We expect to offer a wide range of
activities for all ages and purposes. Want
to find a Tip from a past issue. The Archive
at www.NAYSI.com will be used to store all
weekly issues. Teaching and Administration Workshop at NCACE, June in Indy Quality
sports begins with quality coaches. Would you like your child to be taught
that 2 plus 2 equals 5 or that Cleveland is the capital of Ohio. The answer
would certainly be no. However, would it be all right if your child were
taught that by a volunteer teacher aid. Would that make it OK? Well . . . No. In
some respects, that same thing is happening in sports. Volunteer coaches,
bless their hearts, fail to teach, use improper or ineffective methods, teach
the wrong thing and fail to correct obvious errors in skill. The most
forgivable act in my mind is to not teach. In fact, I would prefer that to the
other happenings noted. If coaches are not teaching, then perhaps the players
are at least playing. This might give them a chance to learn new skills by
trial and error. Jack
Hutslar will lead workshop at the National Coaching Conference in
Indianapolis June 28 - July 1, 2001. Coaching Education is the purpose of
the National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education. NEW, FREE feature via email NAYSI
News FYI is a new FREE on-line
informational service about kids and sports published by the North American
Youth Sport Institute. Each issue, published every 3-4 weeks, deals with
topical news and information related to kids and sports. To subscribe, simply
send an email to Jack@NAYSI.com
with “Subscribe to NAYSI News FYI” in
the subject line. This NAYSI News FYI is published monthly, sometimes more frequently, and may be copied and forwarded to others but may not be reprinted for commercial use. For that, you need to Ask Jack . . . the management . North American Youth Sport Institute (NAYSI) NAYSI/Sport Scene was started in 1979 by Jack Hutslar. Our mission is to provide assistance to the people who are working with children and teenagers in sport, recreation and education. Many of our products and services have been moved to the internet at www.NAYSI.com where we present a variety of resources for coaches, teachers, youth leaders, administrators, club staff, and youth work professionals, see the award winning www.NAYSI.com. It features Ask Jack, FAQ, NAYSI News FYI, Sport Scene, KIDbits, Technical Support, training services, NAYSI On-Line Course, and much more. Click on the media page for biographical information. The NAYSI On-Line Course is free and can be accessed through www.NAYSI.com. It includes a free downloadable copy of BEYOND X's and O's by Jack Hutslar. While surfing, check out Books Etc., formerly called the NAYSI Resource List. Receive Sport Scene via e-mail . . . NEW Subscribers to Sport Scene may now receive electronic issues directly to your desktop. When you subscribe, Sport Scene will arrive as attached files in both Microsoft Word for Windows and MAC format. Sport Scene is published six times per year. Your subscription fee ($16 US and North America, $24 outside North American) includes two hard copies and all six issues are delivered directly to your desktop. To subscribe, send your subscription fee along with the e-mail address to which you want your e-copies sent. KIDbits: NAYSI Youth, Sport, Facts "Number Of Kids Doing This And That" KIDbits, edited and published by Jack Hutslar, presents a wide range of data annually about tots, children and teenagers and their activities. The 1998 edition includes participation reports (1997 data) from almost 50 national youth sport organizations such as AAU, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, YBOA and others. The 1997 On-Line edition can be viewed only at www.NAYSI.com. The 1998 edition includes:
KIDbits 1998 - Vol. V. Latest hard copy edition with the NAYSI Survey of Youth Sport Organizations. $24.95 plus $3.50 postage & handling. 1997 edition, Vol. IV, KIDbits On-Line edition only, 61 pages, $24.95 when printed directly from www.NAYSI.com. 1996 edition, Vol. III, 56 pages, $24.95 plus $3.50 postage & handling. Hard copy edition with the NAYSI Survey of Youth Sport Organizations. A few copies still available. KIDbits is available only through the North American Youth Sport Institute. Order your hard copy of Vol. III or V today. Send $24.95 + $3.50 shipping to NAYSI Resource List, PO Box 957, Kernersville, NC 27285. FREE NAYSI On-Line Course See www.NAYSI.com The NAYSI On-Line Course for coaches, teachers, club staff, parents and youth work professionals is available at no charge at www.NAYSI.com and www.usasportsnet.com. A FREE copy of BEYOND X’s and O’s can be downloaded from that web site as well. Directions: Go to the Course at www.NAYSI.com or www.usasportsnet.com. Download and print each chapter of the book or you can purchase a copy of the book, BEYOND X's and O's for $10.45 which includes shipping. Next, read and study the text. Then open the NAYSI On-Line Course and take the test on-line. The registration form is at the end of the test. Take the test as many times as necessary until you pass at the 80% level. When you pass, you will immediately receive an e-mail based on the address submitted and you will have an opportunity to print out a certificate. CEU’s are offered for $10.00 for those who can use the Course for job advancement credit. Contact Jack@NAYSI.com when you have questions. Munchkin Tennis Upgraded In 1998 MT, originally written by Jack Hutslar for the United States Professional Tennis Registry, has been revised and upgraded to include more good stuff for kids. If you work with youngsters, age nine and under, in any capacity, add Munchkin Tennis to your library. Cost is $14.95 plus $1.75 shipping. See the NAYSI Resource List. NAYSI Technical Support
a fee is charged for this service CEU’s . . . option with NAYSI training programs for coaches, teachers, club staff, parents, administrators and other youth work professionals.Material in Sport Scene
and throughout our web site at www.NAYSI.com Sport Scene (ISSN 0270-1812) "So
Youngsters Can Learn Faster, |