School sports days - agree or disagree

Why is it considered humiliation to come last? Someone has to, and if the over sensitive stay at home, someone else will be coming last. It might be a spur to try harder, practice, or perhaps just accept you aren't the best runner in the class and laugh at yourself. The school I worked at had a field where children did a sponsored walk, or run, depending upon preference, for a local chairity. This took place on Friday afternoon; on Monday morning one angry father rang to say his son wouldn't be coming in as he was still 'exhausted' from 'being made to run round the field on Friday'. I suggested he take him to see the GP as he must have a health problem - although the problem was his father I fear.

growstuff

How many posters on here have ever been to a secondary school sports day? From reading the post, it seems that nearly all (if not all) are about primary school.

I've been a participant in both and the Grammar school one was worse than the Junior/Infant. School houses competing against each other all had to participate in the first three years.
We learned how to play the system later and I still got letters written for me, I had a very supportive father and mother.

Joseanne

^the presence of an ice cream van^ and strawberries, scones and tea for the grown ups!

I don't know about an icecream van but the PTA stalwarts are always there with the strawberries and icecreams

Sports at school contrived to make me LOATHE competitive sport. I will never take part because I find it embarrassing and humiliating. Yoga and long walks for me and I never forced my kids to “join in” unless they wanted to.

I thought sports days in this day and age were much more less traumatic than when I went to school.
It was hell for me too, absolutely hated “performing “ in front of the whole school (they probably wouldn’t have looked twice but it doesn’t feel like that at the time!). If a child is really suffering from anxiety then stay home.

My grandaughter (7) recently told me proudly that she had come in fourth in all her races. I congratulated her and smiled at how pleased she was. Her mother later told me there were only four participants in each of grandaughter’s events!

childlike innocence!

My 7 year old DGS who won his races was furious his mummy came only 2nd. ?

Oh, FannyCornforth, how I enjoyed your description of a secondary school sports day?

I was in the netball team and loved playing but I hated sports day!

We used to have House Sports and the competitors were chosen by the children to represent their House. So if you were no good at running you never had to compete. As a result the "field" was much smaller, usually only 2 entrants from each House, and of similar ability. I was not very sporty but could swim so when I was chosen to represent my House in a swimming event I was over the moon. The House Sports Day was not open to parents so any question of humiliation was remote.
Recently my DGD, who is extremely sporty, and another pupil from her class, were asked by the PE teacher if they would mind joining another House to help boost their points. I thought they were very noble to agree and risk the "wrath" of their fellow House members.
In discussions like this one I note that parents do not come out well.

My daughter and son are definitely NOT sporty ….just like there dad. Great disappointment to me as I was very sporty . But I soon got over that. But I would never, ever give a ‘not well enough for P.E. today’ note. I feel proud that they always tried…. they did their best. And that’s what it’s all about. Trying. There was no teasing….. no discrimination ….. no bother at all. Lots of other kids are sporty ( most of their friends in fact) but it never mattered. My best friend at school was hopeless… couldn’t throw or catch a ball…tripped over her feet if she ran anywhere! But she was still my ‘bestie’. It’s the taking part that matters… the inclusivity of it all. Sports day is about more than just winning and losing!

Gosh I never came anywhere on sports day never got any badges or cups but I loved it ….it was a fun day I wasn’t a winner in or out the classroom so are we going to abolish exams because some of us don’t ever come top !!! What s the difference !
It’s one day a year it teaches you to be a winner or a loser both need grace and good manners

Absolutely spot on fanny
Love that idea Callistemom

If sports were voluntary so should all the lessons be if you hate science why can’t it be optional if you’re not good at maths and come bottom of the class week on week let’s make it optional!!!
One day a year let your child experience it all good and bad surely that’s what gives us backbone and character

I feel it’s team event and all children should go even if it’s to cheer on the others. Another case of snowflake era we live in.

At 6stone at the age of six I wasn’t at all sporty - but I remember one race in which we ran so far and put something on then another and so on. Predictably I was last, but I carried on, oblivious and when I finished everyone clapped ME!

And the child should be told that most people won't be looking at him/her - the most important lesson of all.

FannyCornforth

Growstuff I’ve experienced both.
I can’t say that I have found them much different.
The secondary ones involve more indecipherable bellowing through loud hailers; forbidden crop tops and sharing of lip balm; and plenty of avoidant wandering about the school site (both students and staff)

I've never been to a primary school sports day (apart from when I was a child) because I was always working. Therefore, I can't comment on what they're like.

In my experience, only a very tiny number of parents and grandparents turn up to secondary school sports day - and I've sat through dozens of them. I don't recognise some of the descriptions of sports day by some posters.

I recognise the avoidant wandering about the school site, the patrols (crown control) to stop it happening and attempts to stop pupils going home early and/or nipping off for a quick ciggie.

What usually happens is that each form group decides who's going to run in each race. Fortunately, there are a handful of pupils who enjoy running, but there are always some gaps. The 1500 metres isn't usually popular, so the pupils put the shyest pupil (the one who doesn't have the courage to object) on to it.

BlueBelle

Gosh I never came anywhere on sports day never got any badges or cups but I loved it ….it was a fun day I wasn’t a winner in or out the classroom so are we going to abolish exams because some of us don’t ever come top !!! What s the difference !
It’s one day a year it teaches you to be a winner or a loser both need grace and good manners

Absolutely spot on fanny
Love that idea Callistemom

If sports were voluntary so should all the lessons be if you hate science why can’t it be optional if you’re not good at maths and come bottom of the class week on week let’s make it optional!!!
One day a year let your child experience it all good and bad surely that’s what gives us backbone and character

Sorry! I didn't get my backbone from Sports Day .

Joseanne

I think the assumption made that it was primary school was because the parent was "keeping the child home". (Most teenagers make their own minds up!)
The humiliating bit still worries me, (yes, overthinking it, I know!). It can't be the child's peers, because surely they already know who is good at sports and who is likely to win. It most certainly wouldn't be the teachers. So are we to assume it's the other parents who are making a child feel humiliated, or is it the child themself who has an issue,?

No, it was the references to egg and spoon races and pupils having fun.

Juicylucy

I feel it’s team event and all children should go even if it’s to cheer on the others. Another case of snowflake era we live in.

Your first sentence is a valid comment. The second is just plain stupid, imo.

I m sure you didn’t Growstuff but it’s one day a year and teaches you that maybe sometimes you have to do stuff you may not want to do, or may be afraid of, or are uncomfortable with surely you don’t disagree with that do you ?

In Wales we had school eisteddfod as well where all who sing, recite, act, play instruments, compose strict metre prose etc so there was a chance for the non sporty kids to shine for their House.

There would usually be an art and craft section to be judged as - most kids would end up doing something for their House during the school year and it was considered a good thing to at least make an effort.

Pantglas2

In Wales we had school eisteddfod as well where all who sing, recite, act, play instruments, compose strict metre prose etc so there was a chance for the non sporty kids to shine for their House.

There would usually be an art and craft section to be judged as - most kids would end up doing something for their House during the school year and it was considered a good thing to at least make an effort.

Oh yes, February half-term taken over by cutting, gluing, painting, photography, violin practice, poems in Welsh, researching famous Welsh people, making Welsh cakes ? ....... ???????

most kids would end up doing something for their House during the school year and it was considered a good thing to at least make an effort.
Yes, making an effort even if it's not something you're good at.
One of life's lessons.
Not everyone can be a winner at everything.