As Some Skate Forward, Others Dodge PE

Dodge ball--the time-honored tradition of physical education that can elicit unflappable enthusiasm or paralyzing dread. Team captains choose up sides, selecting first the best athletes, then reluctantly divvying up the rest: most of the girls, the skinniest or fattest, the uncoordinated.

After teams take their places on opposing sides of the gymnasium, the onslaught begins. Large rubber balls are hurled back and forth, whizzing within inches of the students who dodge and dive out of their paths. Those who are too slow or indifferent get pegged in the arm or leg or even the back of the head with the ball, then escape to the sidelines where they sit and watch their more talented classmates continue the game.

For many adults, dodge ball, and a variety of other competitive team sports, dominate their memories of gym class, as do repetitive tasks like calisthenics and...