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Is there a Place for Dodgeball in Physical Education?

Understanding I am committing professional heresy, I believe there is a place for dodgeball in physical education. There are very few activities, if any, that are inherently good or bad. It is how an activity is used, with whom it is used, and how it relates to our goals that dictate its relative value. Such is the case with dodgeball. The most fundamental criticism of dodgeball is that it is an elimination game. While this is a fair criticism, there are many variations of the game where elimination does not occur. Another criticism is that children should never be made into targets. Again, a fair criticism; however, there are many young people who very much enjoy this aspect of the game and relish in making throwers miss them. In other words, the game is not for everyone. The same can, and should, be said of basketball, football, soccer, etc.Yet, these activities have been questioned very little. The irony here is that these "traditional" sports are potentially more damaging to many students than dodgeball. Skill in these sports is highly valued by many in society. Thus, very few unskilled students are excited about playing these activities and facing the ridicule that often follows poor performance. So, the real question is not just "Why dodgeball?" but also "Why football, soccer, basketball, baseball, etc.?" Everything we do as teachers must be done with a goal in mind, and that goal should never be to make students into better football, soccer, basketball, or baseball players. It should be to help them appreciate and understand the health and social benefits of being active. So, my answer is that no activity