primary school won't let dd3 go to athletics competition because she's loves sport

[seakelp]

SO annoyed. My dd3 age 8 loves running, her last primary wouldn't let her run in the school sports race 'because she's fast', so instead of the 100m race told her to do the egg and spoon race instead.

Her new primary wouldn't let her take part in the schools' partnership athletics tournament, again because she's fast, and that it was only open to ,nonsporty' children. I asked would there be any other fun athletics tournaments she could go to, they said no.

What exactly is the message here? It's not as if we're sports professionals or anything and dd3 does not have any specialist training, she just absolutely loves running! But she's penalised for it.

[allhailtheaubergine]

How odd.

[GypsyMoth]

idiotic!!

[CrapolaDeVille]

PC gawn mad!!

[GrimmaTheNome]

How extremely bizzare.

The way to do sports days is in houses so you're not just running for yourself, and with different events to suit abilities - sprint for the fast ones, egg and spoon, sack and other fun races for the less sporty. And the participants in each race are cheered on just as loudly by their team-mate because their points all count.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

Could she join a running club? [clueless about ages]

[seakelp]

Am glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is odd allhail, this is a state primary gone too pc imo. I can understand it gives children who dislike sports a chance to have fun, but what about the ones who do like sports? grrrrr

[HelloKlitty]

God it's awful! They're literally holding kids back! Would they do this with a child who was a gifted writer? No! They'd bloody gve them MORE challenges not exclude them!

Get in there...question their stupid reasoning. Fight for your DDs right to excell!

[MorticiaAddams]

That sounds ridiculous. Our primary is very competitive and she would be worshipped here!

If she loves running then I would contact the local athletics club and enrol her there.

[LabMonkey]

I think most running clubs have a kids section where she'll be encouraged to train properly and encouraged to race by others who love to run. It's probably better in the long run because she'll be trained by people who understand what's appropriate for her age and not push her too hard. There are loads of fora online for running clubs or you could ask at your local sports centre?

[eurochick]

That's daft! No wonder we never win anything if that's how kids with a taste for a particular sport are treated at such a young age!

[Andrewofgg]

Oh lord above . . .

[aliceliddell]

shouldn't she be on the gifted and talented register? Obviously she is talented at running. dd's primary had g&t register for sports, drama, dancing etc and academic.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Is the school choir open only to the tone deaf, I wonder?

DDs school encouraged children of all abilities to join the various sports clubs, and they all had to participate in sports day in appropriate events. It was fun and competive! The teams took part in local events, most kids who wanted to got to play. But the real athletes got to go to regional and even national events.

I bet the non-sporty kids at my DDs school had a better experience overall than those at your DDs, and obviously the sporty ones way better.

[Smellslikecatpee]

Thats odd they are been very unreasonable

[bubblesincoffee]

Our school has done an athletics thing that sounds simelar to what you describe, and anothing thing where the children go up to a secondary school to do sports. They were targeted activities to get children who aren't interested in sport motivated to try something they might enjoy.

That's not penalising children who are good at sport, because it's nothing to do with them, it's about encouraging the children who are less confident with their physical ability.

If a child who was excellent at sport were to attend one of these activities that is taylored for the non sporty kids, the children who have the most potential to benefit may as well stay in the class PE session where they are always outshone by the faster runners. It would be like taking a child with a reading age five years ahead and putting him in a group for children who struggle with reading. It would be pointless for everyone.

As for the egg and spoon race, it's a shame that your dd didn't get to compete in her chosen race, but maybe she would have been given the chance at some point had she stayed at the school. They can't only put the best children in the running races, the others deserve a chance just as much as your dd.

If your dd is good at sport, then you will easily be able to encourage her into doing extra activities outside of school where she will get her chance to shine. It's much harder to do that with a child that really doesn't like sport, so they need the targeted attention because excercise is needed to be healthy. That's why schools do things like this.

[seakelp]

I should have sat her in front of the tv more, given her bowls of crisps and chocolates and told her off for wanting to run around outside. Then she would have been rewarded by being given an opportunity to go to a fun sporty event .

Sorry but if there was another event organised for children who actually wanted to do it then fine, yes, have separate events.

But there is no event for dd3 simply and purely because she absolutely loves sports, and loves the thrill of running as she imagines she's galloping on a pony (even though we can't afford one).

[MrsVidic]

PC gone mad- this sort of thing really gets my back up-

[seakelp]

Thesecond coming, should have name changed sorry it comes across like that

[youarekidding]

Seems odd. But why would children who hate sport want to do athletics competitions?

My DS is a swimmer, loves it, I would be a bit if he was asked to take part in football competition because he doesn't play - as he HATES it!

[LDNmummy]

This is odd indeed but maybe take it as a good thing as it clearly shows your daughter has great sporting potential.

Why don't you sign her up for running somewhere? You might be the parent of a future olympics champion.

[fairydoll]

I thought they usually moved them up an age group so they were competing with people of similar ability.

[fairydoll]

However it depends what the purpose of this particular event was.If it's aim is to widen participation which 'only for non-sporty children' suggests Then YABU

[bubblesincoffee]

Children who hate sport might not hate it so much if they find one they enjoy, that's the reason for giving them an opportunity to try out more sports that they might not routenely do. Although I can only really speak for the way our school has done days like this, they are the sort that are aimed at non sporty children.

Seakelp, I find your response very odd. Days like this aren't a reward for children whose parents can't be bothered to feed them properly or give them an opportunity to excercise. I think that's quite a horrible thing to imply, that every child that is not interested in sport is brought up badly. My ds is one of the non sporty children when it comes to PE lessons, but he loves swimming, chess, reading, piano, cubs activites, lots of things. But if schools get funding to promote sport (don't know about your school, but that's what it was with ours) then it would be money better spent on encouraging those who don't show much interest in sport to hopefully find something they enjoy.

It really is like them being given funding to promote reading, then spending it on the ones who are brilliant at it and have access to lots of books at home. Or promoting musical instruments to children who already play three.

I can understand you wanting your dd to have her chance to show what she is good at and do something she will enjoy, I really do. But if you fell that teh school isn't giving her that opportunity then I think that is a separate issue to what they are doing for non sporty children. You should talk to them about what they are going to provide for her, or arrange something out of school. But also remember that they will have PE lessons every week, which of course you don't get to watch, but where it is likely that your dd does very well, and gets praised for that.

There are lots of examples around of pc gone mad, but I don't think a child that is good at running not being automatically placed in sports day running race, or being allowed to go to an event specifically intended for non sporty children is one of them.

Do you know what she did/will be doing at this year's sports day?