I consider myself plenty intelligent. Still, there are some things I just can’t wrap my head around. One of these things is dodgeball. I don’t understand dodge ball at all. When did it become fun’ for kids to hurl hard plastic balls at one another? And why is this considered a game instead of a form of violence?

I can remember being on the playground as a child and dreading dodgeball. We had no way to get out of it. Out on the concrete, our gym teachers would herd us into a circle and pick a few unlucky kids , usually the new kids , to stand in the circle.

These kids in the circle were the targets for other kids to try to hit with the balls. The kids would have to bob and weave and try to keep from being hit as long as they could. It was impossible to successfully dodge for long. The first time I played, I got hit smack in the face.

It hit me so hard, in fact, that it knocked me out. I fell down and was out for two minutes. When I woke up I started crying; it hurt a whole lot. I still felt my face throbbing a day later and I had a bruise that served as a sore reminder.

I can’t figure out where the benefit is. It’s not really a sport, it doesn’t teach anything but brutality.

I mean, think about it. What does dodgeball teach? Be afraid of your peers? People are going to attack you? Really, there is no constructive outcome to this game.

When I look back to my own childhood, I am astounded to think about kids being able to play this way. There are so many other games to play while on recess. Why would schools want to encourage a game that is based on being violent?

I truly cannot think of any benefit that can possibly come from dodgeball. I’m so glad that I won’t ever have to take a gym class ever again.

The writer also often writes about products such as portable digital projectors and the projector stand.