SANTA
MONICA — A Santa Monica elementary school has banned the game of tag,
once synonymous with youth and innocence, because they say it creates
self-esteem issues among weaker and slower children.
"We
had some children who were not playing 'it' appropriately. How do you
differentiate between those that are playing correctly and those that
aren't?" asked Franklin Elementary School Principal Pat Samarge.
In
the school's weekly newsletter, Samarge told parents that without adult
supervision, the game would be banned. The principal said children
playing tag suffered both physical and emotional injuries.
"Little kids were coming in and saying 'I don't like it.' [The] children weren't feeling good about it," Samarge said.
Dr.
Judy Young, executive director of the National Association for Sport
and Physical Education, disagreed with Samarge, saying that games like
tag "are organized to have a winner and a loser," which is simply a
part of life.
"Self-esteem should not be imbedded in whether you win or lose a game," Young said.
Tamara
Silver, a parent of a fifth-grader at Franklin Elementary School, said
the school sent her two letters informing her of the new rules. The
second letter cited safety concerns, not issues of self-image, to
justify the tag ban.
"I want my child to know that he can have some
freedom," Silver said. "I want my child to know he can play. I want my
child to know that he can fall down and skin his knee."
