Should sports day be optional?

There's no "shaming" of those struggling with English and Maths.

I really don't agree with this - especially in secondary school where there are lower ability sets and even lower ability papers for those who struggle.

Even when I was in primary we had lower sets for academic subjects even though they tried to pretend it was based on other things. The kids knew.

It's not just "coming last". If it's a crap school without control of bullying etc., it's what comes with it, i.e. the ridicule, jeering, name calling, and general bullying that arises out of "coming last".

This is what happens at our school too.

Plus it's not just racing. They also do throwing those foam javelins and bean bags. So actually, a kid like me that wasn't a runner, was actually pretty good at throwing. And it meant I could take part.

I think it's really bad for kids to be told they can not take part and parents reinforce the belief a child isn't sporty.

Sports is important for the mental health of academic individuals as well as physical health and I wish I'd known sport was more than "just running" - swimming, walking. It's so important.

There's no "shaming" of those struggling with English and Maths.

Art is usually dropped by those not interested or no good at it in years 8 or 9.

Team games and “silly” games aren’t always the solution.

For team games you often get moaned or shouted at for being terrible.

And if you are hopeless, and unco-ordinated at sport, chances are you will be hopeless and uncoordinated at silly games too.

Children don’t differentiate, why does it make it better being the centre of attention while you fail to manage to balance a beanbag on your head or step through a hoop, so that slows you right down, rather than when you are slower at running? In fact parents are more likely to laugh at the silly activities, so you could say they are worse.

The problem is often that when you are much slower, you are the only one left for the audience to look at when everyone else has finished.
Often it’s more embarrassing everyone watching you while you fall over in your sack, trip over your skipping rope or lose your egg for the umpteenth time than if you are just running. It’s not always more fun, those activities aren’t necessarily less competitive in the eyes of a child.

If you genuinely want to make things inclusive, you need to start properly thinking from a different perspective.

@PotatoPudding general music lessons aren't the same as private ones where you learn a specific instrument though.

Sports day is based on general sports not on anything specialised - or at least, that was certainly the case where I went to school.

Well he did get something - he got the top result in the year.

I think most sports day winners don’t get anything meaningful other than knowing they won first place?

I'd think (and in my experience) on an every day level you don't get told whose top of the class for English/French/Maths etc

That certainly wasn't my experience of school. There are upper and lower sets for most academic subjects and used to be different papers depending on your academic ability.

They also attend music lessons.

@frankentall if children are made to feel that way because their team loses then that's something that needs to be addressed by teachers, but it's not a reason to let people opt out.

I'm also fairly certain lots of children do feel similarly when they never win any kind of academic achievement and yet Susie and Billy always do.

I hated sports day as did one of my DDs, coming last isn't nice BUT I was top of my class the rest of the year, she won the regional maths competition even, 100% in her gcse etc. perhaps it's good to experience what it's like for other much of the year

That's not really an accurate comparison when all children attend PE lessons.

I think as long as there is a range of events the. It should be for everyone. I’m sorry but in life you can’t just ‘opt out’ of things that you dont fancy doing ( well I know people try but it doesn’t lead to success) it’s literally one day. Cheer on your friends, do the silly obstacle race if you don’t like to run. No one cares and the only parents watching you are yours. Honestly. Every year MN gets its knickers on a twist about those ‘poor children’ it’s really a bit ridiculous. We aren’t doing our kids any favours but constantly trying to shield them from life.

My kids primary school had a great way of organising sports day, the first half everyone competed in their class groups, all in different colour teams with games - egg and spoon, bean bags on heads, picking up obstacles. The emphasis was on phone and they all cheered each other on and enjoyed it. The second half was the more serious events - not everyone competed and those who’d did were chosen/volunteered and they were the talented athletes. Everyone else sat and cheered on their colour team. It was always a great fun day and although I’m sure some kids hated it, no one was left to run a race and come miles behind feeling rubbish. And the sporty kids got their chance to shine.

Yes indeed - in the same way it is optional for a child to play the flute in a school concert when they have never learned the flute!

I was hopeless at all sports at school and having that publicly exposed to ridicule was not brilliant ...

I agree with this completely. The whole school plus hundreds of spectators aren’t looking over little Johnny’s shoulder to make sure he doesn’t make any spelling mistakes, nor are they watching and listening to Alfie struggle through a reading book. What they do get to see is poor Jack finishing a 50 metre sprint miles behind other kids because he physically can’t match them. Then everyone gets to see Jack cry because he is humiliated and overwhelmed.

We’d all have plenty to say if our kids were being humiliated in front of hundreds of people for academic shortfalls.

No. The kids whose main talent is sport don't get to sit out of art, English, maths etc.

What does a non compulsory sports day look like? Kids getting the day off if they aren’t competing, having to sit in a classroom all day instead, or having to watch everyone else? I’m sure a lot would pick the first if it’s an option, but the latter two don’t seem like fun.

When I was younger we were encouraged to take part in at least 1 race and it didnt matter which one. Saying that I absolutely hated sports day as I got older and I wished my Mum would have kept me off (especially her knowing I had SEN)...
The teachers always asked the kids in the class which races they'd like to be in and that was accounted for. Do they not do this anymore?

No. I hated sports day, and I was pretty rubbish. But I think all kids should go - it's part of the school day, and at least they're out in the fresh air. Crucially, it teaches them that we all have to do things we don't want to do. We can't pick and choose what we do in our jobs, so why should we be allowed to do it at school?

No-one I hope, but the effect of being seen to be last, or letting down the side in team sports is the equivalent. The point about Susie always winning the English prize at prize day wasn't a fair comparison unless the prize day included a very public display of how shit some of the others were at English. It's really a pretty straightforward comparison.

It was mostly team games with a few competitive races. It wouldn’t have been a good thing to send her in. She did try it for the first 2 years at school but hated it so I kept her off when she asked in future years. She loves running and is sporty.

I didn’t know at the time, but do now, that she is autistic. I’m very glad now that I chose to keep her off all those years ago. The day wasn’t suitable for her with so many eyes on her, the competition and all the noise. So when you’re struggling to see what is so awful about it, try thinking a big more.

I am not sporty and didn't enjoy sports day but there should be something that they can all do well in. If it is just the traditional running races and throwing competitions then that will only suit a few. Tennis, swimming, rounders etc will open up opportunities for more. Sports are important but so is self esteem.

I'd think (and in my experience) on an every day level you don't get told whose top of the class for English/French/Maths etc

Things like essay competitions , poetry contests, designing a poster etc are occassional things where a winner might be announced. I'm pretty sure it's not publicly announced daily who's good at academic stuff.

And any extra curricular achievements are celebrated so bright kids might enter external writing or maths competitions, but also drama, dance, swimming, gymnastics, karate, tennis, chess etc and all sorts of things that aren't available at school, are usually celebrated.

Tbh if a kid is really sporty it would be unusual their only outlet to pursue that is school sports lessons or sports day. Its likely they'll play for a school team (which will be publicised) and or an out of school club Which will also be celebrated. And its quite feasible that there will be kids who get awards or merits for both academic and sporting achievements. There are girls in DDs year who excel at almost everything - they are extremely bright but also very good at art, music and sports!

Yep, sounds like a much better idea. Let the sporty/competitive ones have their own "sports day" to compete between themselves.