V.Angry - 9yr olds playing rugby for 1 hour in sleet!

[milliways]

My DS was the last out of school the other day, because his hands were so cold he couldn't get dressed. At lunchtime they were sent indoors as too cold to be out (with coats, hats, gloves etc). After lunch they had a visiting Rugby teacher, so could not cancel and they had to stay out in sleet/snow for 1 hour! He said some kids were crying & he felt sick. Some only had shorts on! When we got home I could wring his trousers and socks out, and top wasn't much better. He had been warned to bring a tracksuit but not all kids remembered. Some wore gym pumps on soggy field! Hardly any had spare socks and came out of school with bare feet in shoes.
Is this cruelty? Would you complain?

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

Yeah, have a word at school. DS1 is 12 and his rugby coach doesn't like the boys to cop out of rugby, but even he wouldn't keep them out in the sleet for an hour. He has them doing training drills in the hall instead. He has no problems training in the rain, but he won't subject them to extreme cold etc. They are really into rugby at his school.

[LGJ]

NO

If it was happening on a regular basis then yes, but we can not wrap our kids up in cotton wool.

IMO

[jangly]

It was cruel. Complain.

[milliways]

It is to be a weekly thing - i have just been out buying more suitable layers!

My brother once collapsed in PE with Hypothermia (outdoor swimmimg pool in Winter!) so suppose get nervous.

[LGJ]

If it is to be weekly, then don't so much complain, as ask, along with the other Mums for parameters when you can expect the rugger pratice to be cancelled or held indoors.

We used to do hockey practice in all weathers and we had to wear a skirt.

How old is he BTW ?

[milliways]

Good idea - he is 9

[Enid]

Dont' think its cruel although a bit harsh - didn't you used to do sport in all weathers?

A little boy in dd1's class wears shorts all year round - they are 5 and I must say I feel sorry for him shivering in the playground in his big coat, woolly hat and...shorts

[actualisedad]

I'm with MunchedTooMany on this one. I played rugby through secondary school, and reckon it is reasonable to play in rain, but not sleet (especially at your ds' age - we were older, and I remember my fingers being too cold to do up buttons on occasion). There's loads you can do inside when the weather's that bad - working on basic skills - and if a visiting teacher can't come up with a suitable plan, they don't seem worth shipping in, IMO.

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

agree with LGJ. Very sensible idea.

[LGJ]

Thanks Mars

[LittleRedRidingHood]

Well i had to stand and wait outside for 5 mins in the sleet today - that was enough for me
I would definitely have a 'word' at the school

[coppertop]

It seems very harsh for a 9yr-old IMO. Surely there was some kind of indoor alternative that could've been arranged??

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

You're welcome

[LIZS]

If it is to be a regular thing then agree there is little point in just complaining. Was this the first such session or have they been asked to bring this extra kit on previous occasions ? Even so I would have expected the school, given the conditions, to have taken a more lenient view of those missing kit and perhaps rearranged the activity indoors. If you provided all the kit requested and it still caused a problem then perhaps you should ask the school what else they need.

[morningpaper]

Is this a private school? I noticed my local proviate school had an army of small boys marching out in the SNOW a couple of days ago. It seems to be the culture.

[milliways]

I sent 1 extra layer (trousers, & sweatshirt over usual PE shirt) + dry socks & trainers, but couldn't believe they actually stayed out in that weather. It was persistant rain/sleet. I just think the request for extra kit should have come in writing as some had usual shorts & most had to wear school sweatshirt as outdoor PE has ALWAYS been cancelled if wet (let alone snow!). Apparently the class teachers were all moaning about having to satnd out in the cold - in their coats! Still - he will wear a zippy jacket over sweatshirt over rugby shirt next week, and thicker jogpants.

[MunchedTooManyMarsLady]

he may not milli and not coz of teachers but coz he's a 9yo boy. DS1 rarely wears enough clothes. Seems to think he doesn't feel the cold. (And I'm the Queen of Sheba! )

[milliways]

He asked me to get them & chose them in Sports Soccer today - so he'd better wear them! He feels the cols as is v.skinny (makes all other mums laugh at swimming lessons when he doea back stroke - all the ribs out the pool!)

Morningpaper - no, it's the local primary! (new head teacher though)

[morningpaper]

Is the new head-teacher ex-army?

I ALWAYS hated this sort of thing but I do remember being made to do cross-country when it was bloody freezing at school. I remember a friend I had who went to private school saying they used to make them TAKE THEIR TOPS OFF when it was especially cold!

[milliways]

agree, but my memories of cross country etc were secondary school. DD gets cold but it is part of life, I just think primary school is a bit young.

[SeaShells]

I would complain, that is so out of order! I'd be fuming! I always remember doing cross country running at school in those stupid little shorts and freezing my a**e off while the PE teachers stood around in coats with cups of tea

[morningpaper]

Do you know any other mothers? What do they think? Does the school have a policy on when it's just TOO COLD to go out? It might be worth asking?

(Remember having to do this in NAVY KNICKERS? What was that about?!)

[milliways]

Oh no - ours were royal blue!

[LGJ]

Bottle Green here

[LGJ]

Or rather they were, not they are iykwim.