Thoughts on Sports Day

[Bunnylady53]

Couldn’t find parenting so putting this here. DD10’s school haven’t had a sports day for a couple of years due to bad weather but it’s on today & she was really upset before she left home. She said she’s always last & everybody laughs at her. She was pretending to feel ill so that I would keep her at home. DD has been bullied & her worries about competing add to her general low self esteem. Having said all that, she’s not mentioned Sports Day at all in the days leading up to it so maybe she’s “ putting it on” a bit. I didn’t like doing some sports at school, including athletics.What does everyone think about organised Sports Days? Are they just a box ticking exercise?

I hated them because I was a skinny asthmatic child and I was always last. It’s the only element of school that’s competitive, everything else has been made non-competitive because they regard competition as bad. So I’m not sure why sports day is still allowed to persist?

I like it if done properly.

My DC's school have team races in the morning (skipping, kicking a ball, scoring a basket, mini hurdles etc) you can't even tell what team came last never mind a person. They just do it for a few mins while teacher makes up notes scores. Scores from each class are tallied and one team is announced winner for school.

Then there is one running race. Each class takes part in their year group there is a few groups racing then a final. And someone given a sticker for 1st, 2nd or 3rd. Then every other child claims to be 4th.

I think it is a good balance. Properly competitive all morning would be a bit much.

I was rubbish at sports day, but I enjoyed it. Time out of class being active.

@dinoeggs I am not aware of any other competitive elements that have been phased out?

DS1 loves them, he's competitive and pretty sporty so they're right up his street

DS2 hates them, he has a disability that means he's struggles physically and hates been centre of attention. He got out of this year's sports day as he had a hospital appointment funny coincidence

I think they should be optional, but I don't know how they'd arrange that.

My DCs liked theirs at primary and also now at secondary. Primary was competitive but low key and inclusive. Sprint, egg and spoon, space hopper race and obstacle race, with a longer running race for years 5 and 6. Pupils put in approximate ability groups for sprint, free choice whether to enter the other races. Stickers for 1/2/3 place and everyone cheered everyone. Parent race, toddler race and staff race. I never heard a complaint about it from anyone.

What I think of organised sports days depends entirely on how well organised they are

There are long threads annually about this. (This is the second it third this year) and it isoretty clear that

• many parents see humiliation on the sports field as worse than humiliation in the classroom, even though one is once a year and one is daily and close up personal with peers who really matter
• some sports days are better run Han others
• opinion is divided on whether it is good for DC to not be good at at everything, and that learning to be a good loser is in opitslf important
• also divided on whether it's a good thing for other DC to shine for once (just as pupils good at drama might get starring roles and awards, when other s just stand around in the chorus)

I'm generally in favour, even though I was the non-sporty kid who fairly to very badly every time. DC find them a bit boring, but don't mind them at all, even though to participate in a certain number of events whether they hate them or not. Lots of whining beforehand, but a good enough experience on the day - an exercise in resilience and in being part of their team and being mutually supportive

I hated them, because i always came last , i was also always picked last for teams and it really affected my self esteem and i hated school because of that.
I was bullied because I was a quiet child, who wasn't good at sports.

It’s nice at my kids school. All very relaxed with a big ‘taking part that counts vibe’.

I hate them. DS1 is a natural athlete, competing at national level. DS2 is not, and is so aware of it he was in tears last year. This year I wrote a note saying he wouldn’t be taking part. He’s happy taking part in sports, and has an active lifestyle- just doesn’t like competing. Which is fine. People would think it was ridiculous if all the children in the school had to paint a picture/ do a spelling test then present it in front of all other pupils and parents so everyone could see who’s best and worst, to my mind it’s no different!

Children have to do those things though, Thistles24 and presenting to your form (your closest peers) is just as terrifying and potentially mortifying. And that happens pretty much every week. It's just nit the right comparison, as DC have to perform in the classroom whether they want to or not, and that's the harshest audience.