http://www.wral.com/education/10102602/detail.html

Chasing Game Considered Dangerous

POSTED: 9:11 am EDT October 18, 2006
UPDATED: 10:51 am EDT October 18, 2006

ATTLEBORO, Mass. -- Tag, you're out.

Tag is as much a tradition at recess as the lunch lady is in the cafeteria. But when youngsters at a suburban Boston school go outside, they'll get in trouble if they try to play tag.

Students at Willett Elementary School in Attleboro can no longer play tag during recess. The same goes for touch football and other unsupervised "chasing" games.

The school's principal said there's too much risk of injury to children during games like tag. Officials are also afraid if someone gets hurt, the school will get sued.

Principal Gaylene Heppe is in her second year as principal at the school.

Parents are divided.

Debbie Laferriere -- who has two children at the school -- said playing tag is part of being a kid. She told the Sun-Chronicle of Attleboro that unsupervised games help children develop social skills that can be valuable later in life.

"I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged, and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," Laferriere told the paper.

Other parents said it's ironic that schools are banning games like tag at a time of rising concern over childhood obesity.

"I think it's a little bit silly," said parent Christine McAndrews. "The kids love to play pick-up football games that they organize themselves. It's great for their social skills and they resolve things on their own. It's good for them."

But another parent, Celeste D'Elia, said she's witnessed a lot of "near collisions" between children and supports anything that makes the playground safer.

According to the paper, Willett Elementary is not alone. Schools in Cheyenne, Wyo. and Spokane, Wash. banned tag at recess. A suburban Charleston, S.C., school not only banned tagged, but outlawed all unsupervised contact sports.