I remember the teacher taking us outside and lining us up against the school wall.
Half of the students were given balls and faced us, who stood against the wall.
We, against the wall, needed to dodge the ball or catch it.
When I was in school, only rubber balls were used.
I could do neither. I had no depth perception. I wore a patch on my eye, and I was half blind.
What was that teacher thinking?
I don’t remember much more than that. I do remember failing at dodgeball.
Read my post about my ordeal at six years of age with amblyopia (lazy eye), including eye surgery and eye patches.
It was medically impossible for me to catch or dodge a ball.
Playing the Game
The targets were on the wall. If you caught a ball, you got off the wall and could join the throwers. Being hit by the balls was supposed to motivate you to catch a ball.
It was medically impossible for me to catch a ball.
As the targets left the wall, the number of throwers increased. I remembered being in the wall alone and dozens of balls coming my way at once.
The theory is that it would be easier to catch a ball with a greater number of opportunities.
In another variation, if you caught the ball, you switched places with the thrower and they became a target on the wall.
This variation was the most brutal.
The throwers would hurl the balls fast and hard to prevent their ball from being caught.
Again it was impossible for me to catch a ball.
Dodgeball was supposed to teach us how to catch. No amount of that “game” would be able to teach me, even if played for an eternity.
I remember being hit and constantly bombarded, which was the motivation and incentive to catch the ball.
I remember every teacher from kindergarten to 12th grade except her.
They can cause nose bleeds, concussions and other injuries.
I have a fond memory with my classmate Randy of those red rubber balls when we played kickball. The one time I caught a ball was merely by accident. I didn’t even try. The ball landed in my hands, and I wasn’t even looking.
The Reason Dodgeball Was Once A Much More Dangerous Game To Play (grunge.com)
Dodgeball-related injuries treated at emergency departments – PubMed (nih.gov)
Dangerous Dodge Ball: 4 Lawsuits Stemming from P.E. (publicschoolreview.com)
8 Essential Dodgeball Injuries: Prevention and Tips for Dodgeball Players (kidsmartialartsguide.com)
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