Catholicism is always counter cultural. As evidence of this, my children’s Catholic grammar school is running a dodgeball tournament as part of Catholic Schools Week. Let’s face it, you don’t get much more counter cultural than dodgeball.

Sure it’s fun but I would suggest that few things prepare children for a deeper understanding of their faith and the world in general like a competitive game of dodgeball.

1) People will peg you and bring you down to advance themselves. It’s a hard truth that is best taught by an inflated rubber projectile in your face thrown by someone you eat lunch with.

2) One of the corporal works of mercy is to visit the imprisoned. Not only do you do that in dodgeball you actually set your teammates free from jail. What’s more Catholic than that? In life, there are people who will be considered “out.” Help them, even at risk to yourself.

3) Dodgeball teaches young people to avoid near occasions of sin -aka – duck.

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