Is one child’s injury enough reason to ban a game? And are any PE games completely safe from chance of injury?
Someone sent the AJC a tweet asking that we open up the story about the Gwinnett family seeking to stop a PE game they deemed dangerous for reader discussion. I didn’t post on it yesterday when I first read the piece because it wasn’t clear to me what exactly happened.
I don’t know if this particular game is any more dangerous to children than other playground games, as kids get hurt in tag and soccer as well. I know that many of you are going to argue that this is helicopter parenting, but I can understand the frustration of parents whose child has had his summer snatched away by a gym class injury.
But if one child’s bad experience could squelch a sport, schools would virtually have to ban almost everything except catch with a Nerf ball.
Here is the AJC story:
Tyler Strickland is spending the sweltering days of July wrapped in a sling from his shoulder to his wrist, unable to swim, cut his food or bang out a tune on his electric guitar.
The wiry 14-year-old, who has to take pills to manage pain from a sports injury, says that he hurt his shoulder during a Gwinnett County Schools physical education class playing a game his parents want to see banned.
The Twin Rivers Middle School student said he and classmates were asked to participate in a souped-up version of tee ball for teens. They swung a wooden bat at a volleyball perched on a traffic cone during gym class.
His parents say that the force of the bat against the ball caused their son to experience debilitating shoulder pain that later required surgery. According to medical records, the student suffered two tendon tears and a partially dislocated shoulder. Three staples were placed in his arm to reattach his bicep muscles.
“I believe it was an idiotic thing to ask kids to do,” said the teen’s stepfather, Ken Gittens, a veteran Gwinnett firefighter. “For any action there is an equal and opposite reaction. It would be just common sense that if you whack a volleyball as hard as you can, the bat is going to bounce back and you are probably going to get hurt. Someone who has gone to college should know better.”
Gwinnett school system risk management officials have no record of the April incident.
However, Strickland’s mother, Jill Gittens, kept a copy of the e-mail she sent on June 29 alerting school officials that her son required medical rehabilitation for a shoulder injury that occurred at the gym and then later surgery after the source of the pain was diagnosed. An accident investigation was not found among four reports of other student injuries in gym class at Twin Rivers in 2009 and 2010.
Gwinnett school officials did not respond Tuesday to a list of questions on the game or whether there have been similar incidents.
Gittens said she wants the game stopped so that other students don’t get hurt. The batting exercise is usually performed with a partially deflated volleyball to help players improve their swings.
An official with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education said the game isn’t listed among dangerous activities the group bans, such as dodgeball, but it isn’t one they’d endorse, either.
“Personally, I would probably never do that,” said Dennis Docheff, president-elect of NASPE and a University of Central Missouri professor. “I don’t think it’s an inappropriate practice for the sake of swinging a bat at a ball. But at the middle school level, I think they are ready to hit a moving target.”
Some students may be more predisposed to this kind of injury, said Dr. Jon Hyman. “If a child is loose jointed they are going to be at a high risk to have a shoulder slip out of socket,” Hyman said.
Tyler, who is more artistic than athletic, has been seeing doctors since April.
“I was in a lot of pain,” he said. “Even if I didn’t do anything, my shoulder would hurt. I still am in pain.”
The teen agreed to surgery in late June after weeks of being unable to close a door or pick up his backpack without his right shoulder throbbing. Dr. Charles Morris of Lawrenceville Resurgens Orthopedics performed the procedure that repaired the tendon tear and detached bicep muscles.
Is one child’s injury enough to ban a gym game?
“I’m not sure I’d indict the act,” said Dr. Scott Gillogly of Atlanta Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, head team physician for the Falcons and Atlanta Thrashers. “This can happen in any sport. It can happen goofing around. You can recover pretty darn well.”
As Tyler recovers, he has to sleep sitting up. His mobility is limited and so is his summer fun.
“I have to help him wash his hair and get dressed,” Jill Gittens said. “Tyler has had to endure something he should not have had to endure at 14 years of age. He lost out on summer.”
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
113 comments Add your comment
joe taxpayer
July 21st, 2010
10:24 pm
Ban buses. Hey there is a chance they may crash.
ll
July 21st, 2010
10:26 pm
I think he was all hopped up on the Monster drinks and spazzed when he hit the ball.
What is up with the side rail on his bed?aybe he actuall hurt it falling out?
joe taxpayer
July 21st, 2010
10:28 pm
P.S. Boortz was wrong to not criticize Belinda. He totally wimped out on the crocs issue. Remember in our sicirty its always someone else fault.
Darryl Moore
July 21st, 2010
10:30 pm
Kids are so wimpy these days…you can’t have them on the monkey bars, no dodge ball, and they even wear helmets and elbow pads when they ride bikes…LET’S PUT DIAPERS ON THEM AND LET THEM WEAR AIRBAGS FOR CLOTHING!!! Get tough for crying out loud!!!
Ric Flair
July 21st, 2010
10:32 pm
Toughen up kid. You are a wuss! I hope you didn’t hurt your “Playstation shoulder”! Now get outside and play. Boo Hoo! Mommy will make it all better by making it a political issue. How embarassing to be you right now. Take your lumps and move on. You are going to break bones in life kid. You are going to get your heart broken too one day. Is your mommy going to write a letter to that girl’s father telling her what a terrible daughter he raised?
Ric Flair
July 21st, 2010
10:32 pm
And one more thing…… WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAUREEN IS SO RIGHT!
July 21st, 2010
10:44 pm
Maureen get taking to task PLENTY on here; leave it up to the readers if it’s deserved or not. But this one hit the the proverbial ten penny nail on the head!
Boortz the hypocrite…when it was HIS producer, HIS friend he didn’t say SQUAT about the crocs did he? I imagine no one wants to call him on it on his show in deference to the feelings of the producer.
Of course Boortz was going on today about the teacher unions, and criticizing something the AJC actually has right, in Georgia, they are teacher organizations, not unions in the traditional sense.
He referred to wikipedia and of course you could loosely define an organization that has common interests as a “union”.
So if you got the patience to wait on hold, and hoist Neal on his own petard ask him if he’s a member of the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts (which he is)
Then ask him, since it’s an organization that, just like PAGE advocates for the common interests of the group, why doesn’t he refer to THEM as a “union”?
But what do you expect from a guy who had to openly shill to get himself in the Radio Hall of Fame?
David in Snellville
July 21st, 2010
10:45 pm
My oldest son broke a leg in high school wrestling. My youngest son broke a wrist when he was tripped playing organized soccer. I did not even think of suggesting that those two activities be banned because of their injuries. Injuries and sports go hand in hand. Always have – always will. And I was injured when my right elbow clipped a telephone pole when I had my arm hanging out the passenger side window of a car. Did I suggest keeping people safe by banning windows in cars? No. Did I suggest banning telephone poles along the road. No. I merely stopped hanging my elbow out the window of moving automobiles. These parents apparently have not grown up themselves. Actually, I hear a lawsuit pending, kaching kaching.
Friendly reminder
July 21st, 2010
10:45 pm
“I offer that up only to show that it is easier to criticize from afar.”
I hope our blog moderator remember those words when it comes to dismissing the educational concerns some raise on this blog.
Gwinnett Teacher
July 21st, 2010
10:54 pm
All that will happen is that the poor PE teacher will be badgered and probably forced to resign to so the administration can prove that they are being proactive in the situation which is a farce as it is. The teacher did nothing wrong but in the Gwinnett County School System it doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong, just in how you appear to be to the public or in the eyes of the parents. The administration and teachers are almost forced to kow-tow to parents in order to avoid any potential threat or hint of a lawsuit. Welcome to the new age of education. Custom order give me what I want not what I need education. Good Luck Mr. PE Teacher.
Sara Watkins
July 21st, 2010
11:05 pm
Quoted directly from the original article:
“I’m not sure I’d indict the act,” said Dr. Scott Gillogly of Atlanta Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, head team physician for the Falcons and Atlanta Thrashers. “This can happen in any sport. It can happen goofing around. You can recover pretty darn well.”
My kid’s have torn ligaments, broken ankles, sprains just to name a few, all in the name of High School sports. Even with crutches and surgery my boys remained active to some degree. They were injured all times of the year…
Marcel Mauceau
July 21st, 2010
11:06 pm
My students were never injured by the equipment in PE
R. LEE ERMEY
July 21st, 2010
11:15 pm
NAMBY PAMBY CRYBABY!!!!!
Keep your progeny in CHESS CLUB and TIDDLY WINKS
As so many before me have stated, CHILDREN GET HURT!!
Wrap little Johnny and Sally in bubble wrap.
This bunch of self centered, egostictical kids, who believe they are special
because mommy and daddy said so are -ussies.
Now lets get in a group hug and sing KUMBAYA and LEAN ON ME!!!!!
Grow a pair of brass ones!!!!
Old Man here Over Sixty
schlmarm
July 21st, 2010
11:21 pm
I grew up in NYC and attended public school there. If you know the city, most of the schools are 4 or 5 stories high. In 5th grade, my homeroom was on the top floor. Being a klutz, I tripped over my own two feet on the staircase, chipped my tooth, and got a fat lip. My parents did not request that the stairs be torn out or that all future schools be built on ground level only or that everyone from the custodian to the mayor of NY be sued. Good gravy, accidents happen anytime, anywhere, why don’t we all just bubble wrap ourselves?
Ros Dalton
July 21st, 2010
11:23 pm
@Ken I don’t hide under a fake name either. I think your son’s injury was an unfortunate but also extremely unusual accident, and not a result of any flaw in that particular game. See the examples I listed from my own childhood. Kids get hurt while playing. It’s a part of life.
I don’t know where the line about him being ‘artistic’ came from, but doesn’t that bother you? The idea that art and athletics are on some weird kind of axis never to cross pathes. The crude implication that being interested in Picasso makes you vulnerable to gym injuries. It smacks of hyperbole and undermines your case.
If you want to convince a reasonable person that this game has an abnormally high risk of causing injuries you’re going to need (a lot) more cases than just your son, and if you can’t convince a reasonable person that the risk is high then the game should not be banned. Think about it.
Serious question
July 21st, 2010
11:31 pm
Does hitting a slightly deflated volleyball with a bat really offer significantly less resistance to the the batter that a fully inflated ball? I could see hitting a bowling ball being problematic, but is there really that big a difference between a mostly deflated and fully inflated ball?
Too bad David Platt went to Dubai. Bet he could tell us.
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:36 pm
this is just stupid.
poo happens. it’s called life.
how many 1000s of kids do this (or something similiar)
daily and don’t get a scratch?
Matt the Brave
July 21st, 2010
11:37 pm
While I do feel bad for the kid in terms of his pain, it’s ridiculous that this parent has so little things to do that they want to ban a made-up game. I guess this will go the way of ball-wall, red rover, and dodgeball. While I don’t want to have overly aggressive children, we are raising a generation of kids that are wimps!
Dekalb County taxpayer
July 21st, 2010
11:37 pm
These parents are watching their child suffer—and they want to warn other parents so their children won’t end up in the same situation. They don’t sound eager to sue any one. The majority of responses seem unreasonably ugly. I liked Maureen’s story about Neil Boortz and his coworker’s child..
This is fun !!!!
July 21st, 2010
11:43 pm
WOW….just stumbled upon this blog and, WOW !!! Let’s see…gotta kid injured while playing a game in P.E. Then the mag pies chime in..”I got hurt playing football”…or” I was an idiot and stuck my arm ouuta the car and they didnt ban telephone poles”! Well Einsteins ‘, I have heard of MLB, NFL, Natonal Hockey League etc., But have never heard otf the” V/T-ball League of America ! How bout the “I fell off my skateboard ” fools??? Were you required by, a so -called Certified P/E instructor to, ride that skateboard or play kickball in the street in order to get a grade??? Now lets look at all these “Tuff guys” hiding behind their keyboards…..”Test for brittle bones”..”maybe needs to stick to rhytmic gymnastics”!!
just sayin Oh,yeah….Like my name says…This is fun !!!!! Follow me and we’ll go beat up on someone on another blog !!
Makes ya feel tuff huh? Got your chests bowed out when you type in such a “masculine’ manner??? I dont now bout this kids parents……but I think I’d be calling some a$$ wipes out about now. I’ve read the article and I have pretty good comprehension skills, unlike quite a few of you other posters. Lets look at a few facts that are known……..“ Personally, I would probably never do that,” said Dennis Docheff, president-elect of NASPE and a University of Central Missouri professor. “I don’t think it’s an inappropriate practice for the sake of swinging a bat at a ball. But at the middle school level, I think they are ready to hit a moving target.” Now what does that say to uou knumbskulls?? The kids own stepdad posts a link to a video on this very blog!!!! How many of you holier-than -thou fools even bothered to watch it?! Now , I want to get to the “cha-ching” crowd. Where in the entire article does it mention…even once,,,bout any money or lawsuits?! Huh?
All I saw was athe kids mom saying she’d liked to see it banned so no other kid has to go through this!!! It never ceases to amaze me how bold and brash idiots can be while “hiding behind a keyboard” How many of you posters…Eric, Justin..Aristocrat……….Would say what you did , to these parents face? C’mon..man up! It may be overkill in some eyes and it may very well be this kids parents simply trying to get the word out…kind of a “heads-up” folks…..but I do know that if this was my kid, I would really like to meet a few of you keyboard commandos in person……guarantee you wouldnt find the experience pleasant!
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:45 pm
injuries I recieved in school:
1) broken nose – slipped on stairs – install elevators with attendants
2)broken arm – playing evil football before school – outlaw physical
activity before school. have them all sit still
3) skull split wide open – slipped on ice – outlaw winter
4) pulled hamstrings – track practice – no running!
5) broken wrist – showing off – that’s it! no moving!
seems like the only real solution to keep kids safe is
to outlaw school. considering how badly we’re doing lately
that might be a educational step forward.
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:47 pm
Ken-
toughen up. teach your kid to toughen up.
life ain’t easy and you do him no favors with
this kind of attitude.
poo happens
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:48 pm
there you go “fun”
said as close to his face as I can.
Tweets that mention Is one child’s injury enough reason to ban a game? And are any PE games completely safe from chance of injury? | Get Schooled -- Topsy.com
July 21st, 2010
11:49 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Danielle Dellorto, Tyler Texas News. Tyler Texas News said: Is one child’s injury enough reason to ban a game … – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog): After their son was h… http://bit.ly/aXYoFk [...]
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:51 pm
funny how “fun” derides keyboard commandos while
behaving like one red bull.
just sayin’
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:53 pm
worst, most profound injury I ever had in school was
being shot down by girls I wanted to date.
guess we need to make it so girls are not allowed to
refuse an invitation.
don’t want anyone getting hurt, after all.
This is fun !!!!
July 21st, 2010
11:53 pm
Hey Booty Farnswad…..why dont ya post your real name so Ken can see it?
alpha
July 21st, 2010
11:54 pm
Everybody here saying get over it would be at the first lawyer’s office they saw on TV if it happened to their kid. You know you would. It’s a payday!
This is fun !!!!
July 21st, 2010
11:55 pm
C’mon Booty…u can do it….maybe Ken would like for to get a lil closer!
This is fun !!!!
July 21st, 2010
11:57 pm
Did you read the stepdads post?? obviously not
bootney farnsworth
July 21st, 2010
11:59 pm
@ Maureen,
sorry, but that Boortz example is vapid and useless.
the difference clearly is there is no reasonable expectation
of Crocs melting on escalators. that is a case of defective
product.
there IS an expectation of bumps and bruses with boys & girls
when doing something athletic.
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze
bootney farnsworth
July 22nd, 2010
12:02 am
@ alpha
actually, no.
but a nice view into how your mind seems to work.
This is fun !!!!
July 22nd, 2010
12:03 am
Off to bed !!! Hang in there Tylers parents. Just want you to know that there are decent folks out there……Dont let the idiots like Booty, R.Lee and the others get ya down! Thanks for the heads up on sovereign immunity….makes one think.
Emily
July 22nd, 2010
12:04 am
Why wasn’t an accident report filled out? Schools have very strict procedures for these things in case of liability issues. I am sorry he is hurt and missing out on summer. at least he does not have to be homebound for several months during the school year. Hopefully he will recover and have more function before school starts so he can be with his classmates. I knew many students who had sports injuries from basketball and football, most notably ACL and other leg ligament tears, and no amount of tardy notes can really make up for it. feel better soon.
Is This For Real???
July 22nd, 2010
12:05 am
Home school the kid…that way the rest of our children can continue to get a physical education in the GREAT Gwinnett School System! I certainly don’t want every parent complaining when their child gets hurt in a PE class otherwise we will have to ban it altogether. GA aleady has some of the most obese children in the country due to the limited PE classes because of the cutbacks.
Also, I am more worried about this boy being emotionally scarred for life!!! I have 5 kids between the ages of 13-26 and I guarantee if I brought this type of situation out in the public about one of my children, my child would never speak to me again due to the humiliation. Parents need to remember middle school is soooo dificult even when things are going well. Now this poor boy has been hurt both physically and emotionally and I think the emotional part is going to last the longest!
bootney farnsworth
July 22nd, 2010
12:07 am
@ 4 Real,
I’d had similar thoughts myself.
HS and middle school is often hell for kids who have
overprotective parents
Boortz still a hypocrite
July 22nd, 2010
12:07 am
Neal when on and on today about how PAGE is a teachers union, because they are “an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions” according to wikipedia. Of course Boortz didn’t mention the NEXT sentence which was:
“The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members (rank and file[1] members) and negotiates labour contracts (collective bargaining) with employers”
But to prove his true hypocrisy, has he EVER referred to the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts as a “union”?
bootney farnsworth
July 22nd, 2010
12:08 am
anyone else notice the backhanded slap Maureen took at Boortz?
bootney farnsworth
July 22nd, 2010
12:14 am
@ Ken,
“He, like every other kid, took for granted that his instructors knew what they were doing. Evidently not!”
so how many other kids in the class were injured? to even begin
to make the case it was anything other than a freak accident you’re
gonna need a list of kids who’ve had smiliar injuries doing the
same thing.
bootney farnsworth
July 22nd, 2010
12:15 am
I understand the desire to protect you kids, but Ken & co are
doing the boy way more harm than good here.
Boortz still a hypocrite
July 22nd, 2010
12:16 am
He deserve it. He called PAGE a teachers union today quoting wikipedia, saying it was “an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals” therefore it’s a union.
But does he EVER call the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts a “union” even though it’s an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals?
No wonder Boortz won’t interact with readers on his Saturday columns; can’t handle the heat when HE doesn’t control the mike.
Concerned parent
July 22nd, 2010
12:16 am
Is This For Real??? Question for you? Why would this kid be scarred for life?
I read the article and it states what happened. He was injured in P/E and had surgery. His mom simply wants everyone to be aware . No where in the article did it make this child out to be the bad guy. Only on this forum, where there are obviously ignorant people, is anything said that would emotionally scar anyone. I agree with “this is fun”, not 1/10 of the crap would be said aloud to this childs parents. As I see it, tylers’ parents have done nothing more than try to inform people that just because those in “authority” are believed to be competent, doesnt necessarilly make it so.
Boortz still a hypocrite
July 22nd, 2010
12:17 am
I wouldn’t mind if Maureen “slightly deflated” the blog filter, so we could take turns hitting it with a baseball bat!
Boortz still a hypocrite
July 22nd, 2010
12:25 am
Boortz calls PAGE a “union”. But does he also call the “National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts” a “union” or an organization?
Beard
July 22nd, 2010
12:31 am
this is bull-capokky….when i was a kid we played….if you take out PE, we get weak losers……if you get injured, suck it up…..SH_it happens.
Concerned parent
July 22nd, 2010
12:32 am
Is This For Real??? Why would this child be “scarred for life” by anything in the article? Only on this forum, where there are obviously ignorant people, has anything been said to the detriment of this child. The article didnt make Tyler out to be a bad guy, and his mom just wants to not see another child injured. I tend to agree with “this is fun”, 1/10 of the trash here would never be said to either of these parents.
For those who keep asking how many others have been injured doing this hybrid game of t-ball? I dont know, do you? A Professor in the article stated that he wouldn’t have anyone playing this game. And one other thing to think about. How many people do you suppose drove home tonight eith just a liitle too much to drink? How many wrecked, got injured or were killed??? Do you know? I know it is not a safe practice, but not everyone who drinks and drives are injured or killed. Kind of the same with this “game” this child was injured in while participating, isn’t it? Seems Tyler was just one of the unlucky ones.
Boortz still a hypocrite
July 22nd, 2010
12:37 am
I’m tempted to string together 15 curse words, only because this *&%&*> blog filter would probably post THAT.
Whatever
July 22nd, 2010
12:42 am
Oh come-on – how STUPID can people be. I guess that boy’s parents are raising a fine, try sissy. I guess the next thing they will want band is Boy Scouts – because their poor little boy might get bug bites. How stupid can these parents be??
Concerned parent
July 22nd, 2010
12:43 am
Beard…..did you actually learn to read in skool??? No where in the artcle does it say anyone wants to ban P/E.
Ok-for now
July 22nd, 2010
12:43 am
Just one piece of advice for the mom and dad – Let your freak’n son grow-up. You are creating a wimp.