School sports days - agree or disagree

On sports day most schools pick the students who are good at sport or at least interested to participate. The rest go as a kind of cheer squad depending on school houses and year levels and I can’t see the problem with that. No bullying or belittling whatsoever.

So should all the not so bright bottom of the class children be kept home on spelling test day, reading to the class day, verbal maths day?

Sounds like a mountain being made out of a molehill to me, having sporty but not sports day sporty children, it’s one afternoon out of the academic year. How does this child cope with PE, swimming etc at school?

As for school performances, with five children I can assure you I have sat through some shockers

My sons' junior school used to have Field Day - in addition to competitive races there were displays such as aerobics to music, gymnastics, ball games etc.

Everyone got to perform without being measured against others.

DGS1 sports day not like that. First one for 2 years last month. Whole upper campus took part, lovely day, cheered on by nursery as was in field beside nursery garden. Children were in classes and did activities like throwing balls, slalom hockey - never done it before and was funny, jumping over a bench. High school pupils were helping. There were house points but no winners/losers in classes. I hated sports days as a child.

I hated school sports day especially at junior school when parents were invited. My parents weren't the attending sort because they both worked and could never afford time off.

At secondary school members of staff would allow well behaved pupils who volunteered to help with end of term jobs. So that got me out of sports day.

I still think it is important that DC learn they can't opt out of something just because it's embarrassing and they don't like it. Especially if they are the child who is very able and succeeds at everything else.

My sons are dyslexic and hated the humiliation of the weekly spelling tests. Reading out loud was terrifying for them. I know this was only embarrassing in front of the teacher and their class mates, but some of the more able spellers did makes nasty comments.

It's once a year.

If it's on the school calendar I think all people should do it. And the teachers are pretty skilful at dealing with any reluctant customers.

My son hated sports but still participated and took it on the chin as it’s all part of growing up.

people .. should say pupils

There was a wonderful video that did the rounds recently of a young lad at sports day who was struggling to get to the finish line.
His class mates stopped running , turned back and ran with him.

Joseanne

If it's on the school calendar I think all people should do it. And the teachers are pretty skilful at dealing with any reluctant customers.

Let's go back a stage and take it off the school calendar - it is just a hang over from the public schools.

Or let's get all the unmusical children to stand up in front of the entire school and parents and make idiots of themselves trying to blow a note on a clarinet.

Sports day is ritual humiliation and should be ended. For the unsporty it is hell.

Thankfully many schools are beginning to realise this and have adapted theirs to try and create a fun day outside.

Abd what about the mummy who face planted showing her bottom!

I well remember the son of a neighbour - he was about 12 - refusing to participate in a school swimming gala. We lived on a construction camp in the Middle East, with a big pool on site, so it was a short walk away.

A notoriously bossy, domineering ‘friend’ of the boy’s mother, came round and insisted that he go - said she’d drag him there if necessary.

As I was told later by the boy’s mother, he said, ‘You might boss everybody else, Mrs X, but you’re not going to boss me!’

As I told the mother, I’d have been thoroughly proud of him! Mrs X was a dreadful woman - the boy’s mother often admitted to me that she allowed herself to be bullied and domineered by her.

Whether the boy ought to have gone is rather beside the point - it was the principle of standing up to domineering Mrs X.

The usual dig again? Totally irrelevant.

Sorry, it didn't copy, it is just a hang over from the public schools.

Sago

There was a wonderful video that did the rounds recently of a young lad at sports day who was struggling to get to the finish line.
His class mates stopped running , turned back and ran with him.

How wonderful that the children were showing the teachers the way!

Imagine being the fat boy at the back of the race, sweating and struggling in front of everyone. If we want this boy to be less fat then activities need to be found that do not include humiliation.

Our sports' day is a carousel of activities. Everyone takes part and has a go at everything. The activities are designed to show the skills being taught through the PE curriculum. The afternoon finishes with a whole school dance.
Parents can move around with their child or stay still in one place as they choose. All very relaxed and informal.

When I started teaching we had old-style sports' days including the dreaded and hotly-competed teachers' race. So glad it changed.

One of my grandchildren when at nursery, was leading by a fair distance in a trike race when he turned and saw his little friend struggling. He stopped, got off his trike and pushed it back to join his friend and pedalled slowly over the line with him holding his hand, coming in last. I was such a proud grandmother. That was many years ago, but his still has the same kind nature.

One thing that constantly appalled me over the years both as a mother and a grandmother, was the number of parents who opened cheated in the parents races.

Vintagejazz has told us that the child gets upset at being humiliated every sports day by trailing in last at everything and in front of all the pupils and parents

I would have thought from this, that clearly we are talking about an old-school type sports day. These non-inclusive events must still happen.
It's obviously not a school which encourages other activities for those who feel humiliated.

Given that, I think it's the parents' responsibility to prevent the young person from being subjected to the abuses that many of "our" generation were forced to endure.
Keep the child off I say. Do something lovely instead.

Luckygirl3

Joseanne

If it's on the school calendar I think all people should do it. And the teachers are pretty skilful at dealing with any reluctant customers.

Let's go back a stage and take it off the school calendar - it is just a hang over from the public schools.

Or let's get all the unmusical children to stand up in front of the entire school and parents and make idiots of themselves trying to blow a note on a clarinet.

Sports day is ritual humiliation and should be ended. For the unsporty it is hell.

Thankfully many schools are beginning to realise this and have adapted theirs to try and create a fun day outside.

I would say sport in school is slightly different.

Sport/physically activity is important for everyone. Especially those who find it difficult. Everyone needs to learn to swim and ride a bike IMO. We all needs to keep fit and learn to fail at something. My boys never excelled at sports day but they did in team sports when they were older juniors.

Music is an extra. A lovely extra for those that enjoy it. DC can learn a lot from it but it's not necessary. I always wished I had learnt to read music but I have lived a full and happy life without. It never stopped me enjoying listening to others perform. I did make sure all six DC had the chance to learn music. School did a bit but not much so it had to be an out of school activity.

It is not a good lesson to opt out of what you do not excel at, it is teaching her that nothing is done for the sheer enjoyment of it and if she doesn’t want to do something she doesn’t have to.

No wonder we’re producing a lot of ‘snowflakes’ with attitudes like that of the OP’s friend. What has happened to join in, do your best, enjoy, perseverance, not to mention exercise is good for you.. We are also producing many overweight children. Perhaps exercise is the very thing they need. Children don’t need to win at everything, the lesson should be that you do your best and that’s enough. This child is being taught that if it’s difficult simply don’t do it. Not a good lesson in life.

I think it's a bit of an over statement to say the child is trailing in last all the time. I don't think for a moment that a non sporty child will be entered for every race. I think as lixy says school sports days have changed and there are all sorts of things going on. I agree with GG13 it's once a year and no one excels at everything, a lesson to be learned.

Mamardoit

Luckygirl3

Joseanne

If it's on the school calendar I think all people should do it. And the teachers are pretty skilful at dealing with any reluctant customers.

Let's go back a stage and take it off the school calendar - it is just a hang over from the public schools.

Or let's get all the unmusical children to stand up in front of the entire school and parents and make idiots of themselves trying to blow a note on a clarinet.

Sports day is ritual humiliation and should be ended. For the unsporty it is hell.

Thankfully many schools are beginning to realise this and have adapted theirs to try and create a fun day outside.

I would say sport in school is slightly different.

Sport/physically activity is important for everyone. Especially those who find it difficult. Everyone needs to learn to swim and ride a bike IMO. We all needs to keep fit and learn to fail at something. My boys never excelled at sports day but they did in team sports when they were older juniors.

Music is an extra. A lovely extra for those that enjoy it. DC can learn a lot from it but it's not necessary. I always wished I had learnt to read music but I have lived a full and happy life without. It never stopped me enjoying listening to others perform. I did make sure all six DC had the chance to learn music. School did a bit but not much so it had to be an out of school activity.

Learning sports and exercise is fine. Being forced to perform in front of the entire school plus parents is the issue.

I can’t swim or ride a bike. I chose not to, and neither has ever inconvenienced me. Music, on the other hand, is breath of life to me.

I don’t remember hating school sports days. I think I just didn’t care about them. They were for the boring ‘gamesy’ people!