Wrongfully Accused

Tag has been a recent inductee into the physical education game hall of shame. I feel like the game of tag has gotten a bad reputation for reasons other than the structure of the game. Tag can be a game that gets everyone involved and provides a great amount of activity for the amount of time it is played. Some reasons this game has been labeled shameful is the assumption that students with below average athleticism become early targets and cannot participate until the next session of the game. This can all be manipulated by the teacher. The teacher can design the game for students to be brought back in by other students. The details of the game can also be altered. Students can use different movement patterns to move about. If planned properly, changing the movement skills used can help cut down on the ability gap. If students are just running the fast children hold an advantage. If they are hopping or crab walking or have partners the playing field is much more level for all participants. Tag can be done in so many interesting ways so that students do not get bored. Not to mention tag helps children develop agility and skills that can be used in other activities or sports they enjoy inside and outside the classroom. We play a form of tag almost every week over at St Mary's and these tag games have, by far, the best levels of participation by the students. With just a little planning and some creativity tag can be an extremely productive game to be played in physical education. People should look past the game and to the people teaching it before they make such a harsh judgment.