Shouldn’t after school clubs be for everybody?

After school clubs should be for all but if it is a school team that meets after school then it's reasonable that they want strong players. We have an after school football club open to all but we also have after school football training for the team.

It is very odd there is no open after school provision for either. So I would be asking about the nature of the club and if it is just an after school club I would complain about the selection process.

But you said your ds was attending both clubs previously?

Op states that her ds went to both clubs previously, so perhaps they are limiting how many free sessions each child has

Totally agree, kicking off about freebie clubs, especially when your ds attended both clubs in first term, doesn’t look good

If they are inundated with responses, it kinda would make sense to only have it open for the kids that didn’t get to go to either club in the first term tho?

Maybe this is their way of ensuring as many children as possible get a chance to take part?
you’ve said your ds was going to both clubs, were these other boys doing both clubs?
Obviously there’s a limit to how many can attend, but there is better ways to organise the clubs than how they’ve done it.

Fast track way to teachers stopping running after school clubs which they aren't obliged to.

Not saying the set up is fair but of course kids can be talented in more than one sport. Often it is the case that high level elite players were excellent at other sports too.

The activity clubs run for a few weeks, ate a lot shorter, and can be cancelled at short notice. They aren't reliable childcare.

Except to a parent trying to work out what to do with their child after school, they aren't different they both serve the same purpose - fundamentally in both scenarios their child is looked after and safe but one is free, the other isn't.
How is that fair?

Primary school sports is crappy, I thought same as you op but at my son's school they have to try out and it's ridiculous. Some kids just get tapped on the shoulder for things, especially if they're known to do clubs out of school as can just be taken to matches and bring back trophies I don't get the point. This is a state school. There's a second paid football option but they treat it like a premier league camp my kids hated it as just wanted to play a bit and have fun not some coach yelling at them constantly. My kids either do other less popular sports like hockey or whatever seems fun or don't bother

In PE lessons? Where the teachers are paid to teach the sport.

If the club is free and being run by a teacher unpaid then surely the teacher can chose who attends the club, and if they can only handle a certain number of children then select the children based on criteria. Ability criteria makes sense, especially for team sports like football and basketball, especially they hope to get involved in school competitions.

If it was a free art after school club, which is more individual then selecting by ability would make less sense because that is more individual.

I’d be warily of kicking up too much of a fuss about ability selection unlike some PP because if I was a teacher running something for free and I was getting complaints or worse had to take on less suitable kids when I can only handle a limited amount for a team activity/sport because the headteacher told me too, then I’d probably just pack it all in next term to avoid the hassle. Unless a 2nd teacher stepped up and also volunteered so we could take on the extra kids.

If you want a guaranteed space for your child to do extra sports then pay for it at a sports centre/club.

I would find out who your school governors are and make a complaint to them as well as the headmaster, questions need to be asked on how one teacher is able to pick and choose which pupils are by their definition are better than others and how that goes against the ethos of the school about inclusion. I am sure they will have something written down about being inclusive to all.

Which is why you do first come first served, waiting lists go first, names out of a hat or an underhand ability pick if you're so inclined, but everyone should have the opportunity to apply.

Sorry but my ds was that kid.

I do agree with others who have said that there shouldn’t be kids getting a space on both when some get none.

Unfortunately this is the age of child where it starts to become about the coaches’ own egos

There really was no need for this comment.

He usually attends football and basketball

Your son has had a turn at attending both OP. Perhaps there are only so many spaces and others are now getting the opportunity to attend?

It's to do with supervision ratios, surely? You can't just allow as many people as want to to come because it wouldn't be safe if the entire school showed up and only one teacher to supervise.

If its free, I assume the coach us giving up his time for free so really the school are not in a position to say anything unless they want him to stop aktogethwr

When my Ds1 was about the same age he was desperate to try rugby after school club. I asked the coach if he could wear trainers first session to see if he liked it. The answer was no he had to have rugby boots so we spent a full day and a lot of money to get some.
Anyway he let him practise a little bit but never let him go to the games they had some sort of interschool league. Ds1 got very disheartened so I went to see the teacher and he actually said, we don't want him in the team because he's no good and I need the trophy for the school. Wanker. Son never played any sport after that.
Some teachers are glory hunting bastards.

If they're effectively using it for team coaching then it isn't really an after-school club and they should really be offering another session for everybody else if that is possible. However there is never room for everybody who wants to do sports clubs after school.

Sorry if somebody else has already said this, rushing a bit and haven't read all the posts.

How so ?
Dd rode 3 X a week after school in yrs 4- 8 I would definitely used it as child care.

No country made it to the World Cup on the quality of their primary school teams.

No wonder Scotland seldom qualifies for the World Cup