Why would they cheat?

[Witchesandwizards]

My year 5 dd took part in a 1.5km county running competition today. All fairly low key for us and our entrants are pretty much self selected.

In previous years, despite rules saying it's not allowed, there were adults pacing some children and this time everyone was told before the event that this would lead to disqualification.
However there was a man (parent? teacher?) clearly pacing the children from one school. For the first race it wasn't obvious (think fairly chaotic park run type set up), but by the third and fourth it was clear that he was coaching (DH saw him shouting to children in all the races) and pacing the children, stopping just out of sight of the finish line each time and doing comedy stretches. There were 130 children in each of four races and 'his' children came first in 2 out of 4 races and the girls won the overall 'team' points award. Although by medal time he had conveniently disappeared.

I know that it was mentioned to the organisers, and DD overheard him telling a steward that he was just out jogging, but no action was taken. I am not criticizing them as I'm not sure it would be fair to disqualify the children, this is more a musing about morals and what they are teaching the children.

Our school is in a fairly deprived area of London and doesn't have great facilities for sport, pretty much just a playground, but this school is in a very, very wealthy area of the county and has great facilities, coaches for different sports etc. They already have every advantage, yet they feel the need to cheat.

The girl who won DD's race has won for the last three years and won with ease - I have no doubt she would have won anyway, so there really as no need. I find the whole thing bizarre.

DD came 8th, no cheating

There are always going to be parent/teachers who cheat. Football referees are the worst in my experience. Does the kids no favours really and is actually quite insulting, implying they couldn’t win under they’re own steam.

When I see or become aware of situations like this, which seem to me to be very unfair, I have to have a word with myself and really think "Which type of person would I rather be?"

And I'd MUCH rather be me. Although I'm not particularly successful in anything, really. And I'd like to be more successful and I'd certainly rather be richer. But not at the cost of my soul.

I hang on to this and it helps!

This would be my Dds school, if they could get away with it. Sport is the only thing SLT care about and they HAVE to win. Runners up is considered a failure. For my DD, who is not sporty but gifted in other ways, school is a burden, somewhere she is ignored and feels invisible. Sadly only viable option for primary. She is also Y5 and I am counting the terms until she goes to the lovely, nurturing secondary where her brother has flourished.

Oh, and the primary is allegedly outstanding. It for my children or many of my friends kids.

It is not for my children

I volunteer at jnr Park Run and every week there is a mother pacing her DS who is at least 10 (so upper age limit where we are) yelling at him to keep going. It feels really unsporting.