2 minute read
The challenge of handball and other play
There can be few things more important in the mind of a young boy than getting out at recess or lunch time to play handball with a group of peers. There are so many benefits I have observed during playground duty in Junior School which I would never share with the boys, for fear of ruining their beloved activity.
Obviously, it is good for the development of hand-eye coordination. But there is also an entire social labyrinth to be negotiated and navigated: the group must agree on the rules and stick by them. Each player has to deal with disappointment, even unfairness, at times. They experience the fickleness of success and failure –sometimes you make it to ace, other times you are out first go. It teaches patience, having to wait for your turn. One group of boys has a Moon ball which they occasionally use: its claim to fame is that it provides uneven, unexpected bounce. And when play time is up, they are reminded that it is, after all is said and done, a game and they must shift their focus to the next task.
In a sense, handball is just one example of the importance of play for children. People refer to ‘unstructured’ play, but my sense is that unstructured play is actually play where young people themselves decide the structure, with minimal adult input or oversight. Mariana Brussoni has written a wonderful article about the benefits of risky play in particular, “Why Children Need Risk, Fear, and Excitement in Play” in After Babel, February 28, 2024.
Brussoni says, “We’ve prioritized safety over freedom, achievement over play, and screen time over outdoor time. The results are predictable: compromised mental and physical health, cognitive development, and emotional competence.” Ironically, she says, by driving young children around and organizing their lives, we’ve reduced the number of injuries and accidents in childhood but increased teens’ accidents and deaths due to unsafe activities and suicides. By letting them play, we enable them to discover life for themselves. As Brussoni also says, “Risky play provides children with low-cost opportunities to develop the physical and cognitive skills to master the challenges that they will face as they grow older.” Handball is really just 20 minutes of life training – but don’t tell them that.
