I am a resident of Fairfax, VA and a firm believer in the rights of people to shape their communities for the better. I remember when my parents' childhood days when dodgeball was an integral part of our schools curriculum. It was not just about throwing balls; it was about teamwork, strategy, and resilience. However, over time this game has been phased out from our schools due to concerns over safety.

While safety is paramount, completely removing dodgeball from our schools may not be the best solution. We should instead focus on implementing rules that ensure safe play while still allowing children to enjoy this classic game.

According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), games like dodgeball can contribute positively to children's physical health by improving their motor skills and cardiovascular fitness. Moreover, NASPE also suggests that such games can enhance social skills like cooperation and conflict resolution.

By signing this petition, we are asking the Fairfax County Public Schools Board to reconsider its decision on banning dodgeball from school activities. Let's give our kids an opportunity to have all experiences their parents and teachers had when they were younger.

Please sign this petition if you believe in providing diverse experiences for our children while ensuring their safety at all times.

  I will not only be telling you that dodgeball is fun and that many students and teachers disagree with the unfair rules, but I will be telling you how dodgeball is something that can’t be taken away for fear of getting hurt. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: fear.” ― Paulo Coelho. Everything is dangerous. A student could fall on the blacktop and get hurt but it would be illogical to remove it for fear of students getting hurt. You could make a waiver so if students get hurt, parents won’t sue the school.

 Thank you for reading our introduction. Now, as we begin, we would like to propose the fact that dodgeball is not all bad as is shown here.

The benefits of playing dodgeball include: 

The improvement of agility and balance while you are ducking out of the way of incoming balls. 
You get stronger shoulder and arm muscles from throwing and catching the balls.
 When you jump out of the way of balls and jump up to catch the balls, your leg muscles get stronger. 
We go to P.E. to become better athletes, grow strong, have fun, and play as a team and community. In dodgeball, we get stronger and our teams are our community. Dodgeball is a team game and the game can’t function if the team’s not working together. For example, you have to catch the ball to get your teammate back in the game. 
 In Dodgeball, moving as one unit and working together is a major key to victory. Kids are taught how to throw, duck, and dodge while working together for the victory. Kids quickly learn that working together with a plan makes it hard for the opposing team to penetrate the attack!!! This is very beneficial to all and would make a huge difference.

  The prohibited student activities site (https://www.fcps.edu/departments-and-offices/office-chief-operating-officer/department-financial-services/prohibited ) states different physical activities that cannot be done in school. Some of the listed activities have a single star. That star represents that the activity that the star applies to may be done in P.E. Bike riding and rock climbing both may be done in physical education, but some may argue that those activities are more dangerous than dodgeball. Bike riding could result in crashes and beginner bikers could fall off their bike and scrape their knee/elbow, or worse. Rock climbing could result in the falling off of the rock. Buying harnesses and bikes would cost maybe thousands of dollars. Playing dodgeball is safe and almost free. All you would need is a few balls and energy on the kids’ part. Education Week states that “Opponents of the game argue that not only is throwing things at other people, not behavior we want to encourage in youth, but dodgeball can also lead to bullying, injury, and in some cases, lawsuits.”

  We know what you are thinking and we are a step ahead of you, don’t worry about injuries. A simple resolution to the injury problem would be to use beach balls. I, representative Lee, play dodgeball in taekwondo, and we use beach balls. They don’t hurt and they work just as well as the gatorskin balls. Also, beach balls cost next to nothing. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) late this year released its new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, calling for adults between the ages of 18 and 64 to exercise moderately (such as brisk walking or water aerobics) for at least two hours and 30 minutes or vigorously (running, swimming, or cycling 10 mph or faster) for at least an hour and 15 minutes weekly. There are lots of ways I can prove to you that dodgeball is an exciting sport and keeping it away could end in a tragic mistake. 

The longer, harder, and more often you exercise, the greater the health benefits, including reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer and diabetes, according to the recommendations, which were based on a decade of scientific research.

Studies have shown that people who engage in the amount of exercise recommended by the feds live an average of three to seven years longer than couch potatoes, according to William Haskell, a medical professor at Stanford University who chaired the HHS advisory committee. But how exactly does exercise accomplish this? And what about claims by naysayers that exercise not only isn't healthy but may be bad for you? Is there any truth to them?

Good for the heart and blood vessels

In the past decade or so, various studies involving thousands of participants have shown that workouts lower the risk of heart disease. "Exercise has a favorable effect on virtually all risk factors of cardiovascular disease," says Jonathan Meyers, a health research scientist at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Health System in California. The reason, he says: when a person exercises, the heart muscle contracts forcefully and frequently, increasing blood flow through the arteries. This leads to subtle changes in the autonomic nervous system, which controls the contraction and relaxation of these vessels. This fine-tuning leads to a lower resting heart rate (fewer beats to pump blood through the body), lower blood pressure, and a more variable heart rate, all factors that lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

After I have shown you this information it proves that exercise is good for you, so dodgeball is also good for you because it’s a sport. But of course for the cause of getting hurt parents would have to sign waivers permitting their child to play. After all, it’s just like playing on the playground during recess, at your own risk and choice. If you are still worried, then we can work ideas out. Just because there is one problem it wouldn't mean that you get rid of it. On top of that, many teachers had the opportunity to play these games and make lasting memories. They would be overjoyed if we students of this generation could do the same. 

However, this rule is making that impossible. A lot of things are dangerous, but that can’t mean that you can get rid of it. A lot of things have risks and cannot be avoided. Furthermore, it was said in the prohibited activities on the school website that we could be allowed to play the sport if a trusted adult supervised us when we were playing.

In conclusion, dodgeball should not be banned from schools. You have teachers watching over you while you play this game, and it will not become too violent. It gives you many lessons to learn such as teamwork, and physical ability, along with being healthy as is athletic. Not many activities give you such a positive outcome.