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View Full Version : Toronto school bans 'hard balls'


Screen Legend
11-17-2011, 05:30 PM
I thought that this should go in the Electronica Express because it's currently making news at the moment, but then I thought that it would be considered controversial, as it should be, so I'm placing it here. Feel free to move this if I'm wrong. :)

Source (http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20111115/school-bans-hard-balls-111115/20111116/?hub=OttawaHome)

Citing safety concerns, an east-end Toronto school is banning students from playing with soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs or tennis balls in the schoolyard.

A letter issued on Monday, stated that students at Earl Beatty Jr. and Sr. Public School are not allowed to bring or play with any kind of hard ball.

"Any balls brought will be confiscated and may be retrieved by parents from the office," the statement said. "The only kind of ball allowed will be nerf balls or sponge balls."

The decision was made after a parent complained to school about being hit in the head by a soccer ball.

Principal Alicia Fernandez told CTV Toronto that some of the younger children are afraid to play in the schoolyard because it area too small and they were often being hit by the hard balls.

"It is a school issue of safety. I am the principal, I care for the kids' safety and I have that decision making right," Fernandez said on Wednesday.

The letter had also mentioned that the school had some serious incidents where students, staff or parents were hit, or nearly hit, by a hard ball on school property.

So, what does everybody think? I think it's stupid. I mean, really. When I was in school, we played with hard balls all the time and there was no injuries [well, my brother and his friends threw footballs at this one girl they didn't like but that was deliberate].

We, well I never did because I was a scaredy cat, used to play a game called Red Butt. Someone or two people would stand against the brick wall facing it and people would throw a hard red ball at the wall.

Caroline Forbes
11-17-2011, 06:59 PM
Just another case of over-reacting. Don't they have better things to be doing than worrying about this?

Jill Monroe
11-17-2011, 07:01 PM
this is ridiculous. I was slammed in the side of the head by a volleyball once during a game. sure it was a major wallop, it left me literally stunned & it was embarrassing,but hardly anything i'd complain about to the point where EVERYONE is penalized b/c of it.

As w/ any game played, SAFETY is necessary. That includes the spectators as well but everyone should realize @ this point there's always a risk. you can get hit by a stray flying ball...its not like you were targeted for it. this is just stupid to me.

so now kids can't play sports like soccer etc, what are they supposed to do? you take away decent, safe, FUN activities like this & they're gonna turn to something ELSE that might not be what you want for them.

Screen Legend
11-18-2011, 01:01 PM
It is stupid! I mean, look at all the concussions hockey players have suffered? How come professional hockey isn't being banned [and trust me, concussions in the NHL have been recently in the news].

Not to mention the camaraderie between schools. I don't know what it's like in America, but in Canada, we have tournaments between the schools. An example of that is in my school district/county: LSSAA (http://www.lssaa.net/).

I don't know what it's like in Toronto but how will they play in a tournament with 'hard balls' if they can only play with nerf balls?

I fear that this will soon be happening more and more frequently...not just in Toronto/Canada. Which is utterly ridiculous.