primary school won't let dd3 go to athletics competition because she's loves sport

[seakelp]

SO annoyed. My dd3 age 8 loves running, her last primary wouldn't let her run in the school sports race 'because she's fast', so instead of the 100m race told her to do the egg and spoon race instead.

Her new primary wouldn't let her take part in the schools' partnership athletics tournament, again because she's fast, and that it was only open to ,nonsporty' children. I asked would there be any other fun athletics tournaments she could go to, they said no.

What exactly is the message here? It's not as if we're sports professionals or anything and dd3 does not have any specialist training, she just absolutely loves running! But she's penalised for it.

[mollymole]

take her to an athletics club - at 8 she is old enought to join
and sod the school - my son was asked not to tackle at rugby because he was 'too good at it' ( and he was a real skinny kid as well) and he was on the G.B athletics squad but not picked for a schools athletics event because he was not present at the qualifying event, even though the rules of the competition said you could submit results obtained elsewhere (he was more
than 10 seconds faster over 400 metres then the kid they chose)

[bigTillyMint]

How bizarre to not let her join in because she is too good

It would be OK if they also ran one which children who are good at athletics can participate in, but otherwise very unfair.

She still has a few years till she can do proper competitive sport at secondary school - can you try to get her into a club for now? (So speaks the mum of two uber-competitive and sproty DC Not that I can take any of the credit!)

[bigTillyMint]

sproty? sporty!

[GrimmaTheNome]

It really is like them being given funding to promote reading, then spending it on the ones who are brilliant at it and have access to lots of books at home. Or promoting musical instruments to children who already play three.

Not really, not if the OPs DD doesn't have any opportunity to use her sporting skills outside school either. Maybe the OP can get her into some local athletic club - but this may not be possible for all sorts of reasons. In that case, it would be more analagous to only offering instrumental lessons in school to the kids who couldn't pitch a note or clap a rhythm.

[RoseC]

As someone who hated sport at school and is still not that mad about it, I don't see the problem with sporty children being encouraged to compete at school. We had school houses and loved getting the sporty children as us unsporty ones had no chance of beating the other houses without them!

Besides which, every child is known for something they are good at and, deservedly, receive praise for - why can't the sporty children have their chance to shine alongside their academic or helpful/socially conscientious counterparts?

[reallytired]

"should have sat her in front of the tv more, given her bowls of crisps and chocolates and told her off for wanting to run around outside. Then she would have been rewarded by being given an opportunity to go to a fun sporty event ."

I had sympathy with the OP before she posted this stupid post. Having an althetic child is an element of luck.

My son had orthopedic problems as a tot and I worked damn hard with the help of a child phyio. He is not sporty, but he can live life to the full. Infact he was nominated by his school for an award for making the most progress at PE across Keystage one. He didn't get the award, but it was still flattering that he was nominated.

I think the OP needs to find an althetics club. My non sporty child enjoys distance running has entered several events outside school. It did his confidence the world of good knowing that he could run a mile non stop. He trained to do it with his Dad.

[bubblesincoffee]

@RoseC, you are right that sporty children should have their chance to shine, I don't think anybody has said that they shouldn't.

However in my experience, it's generally the sporty children that get more chance to shine than the very academic children. Sports day is a regular occurance, chess tournaments and things like that are much much rarer.

Anyway, that's beside the point of this thread. OP was upset that her dd didn't get to be in the athletics competition that was aimed at children who aren't good at sports. Personally, I think that it's very unfair for her to begrudge that opportunity to the non sporty children. She could say that she wants the school to do more sporty activities that would benefit her dd, but that's different to saying that if there is a running race or any kind of athletics event that her dd should automatically involved.

That would be like me saying that it's unfair that my very academic child didn't get to do the extra reading lessons because he was too good at it! And why should other children get the opportunity to have something extra when my dc doesn't, even if he doesn't need it. Grimma, I think it's a perfectly acceptable analogy, because there is no way that the school doesn't do PE lessons, and they probably have sports day. If not then that's what OP should be complaining about.

[xstitch]

Very strange, i thought they were supposed to encourage talent.

Big change from my school days. I didn't get to compete because I was useless.

[Bunbaker]

"That sounds ridiculous. Our primary is very competitive and she would be worshipped here!"

Same here. Her running talent should be encouraged not suppressed.

[fuzzpig]

How sad :( and ridiculous. My DD is looking like she may take after her dad, she's freakishly fast already, so I hope she doesn't miss out. I'm all for encouraging everyone but to do that at the cost of talented DCs rather misses the point I wonder does this happen in other activities? Are the best musicians kept out of the school orchestra?

Not sure if it's relevant but I was quite shocked when I went to my DSDs' school the other week - they are a comprehensive sports specialist college and share grounds with a massive leisure centre etc. My DSD was taking part in an interschool athletics meet, but told me they'd done no practise and the school weren't fussed about it at all. They did really badly. WTF? Am I missing something?

[fuzzpig]

Just realised my first paragraph sounds really bitchy - what I meant was, I do think non-sporty DCs should get opportunities, but if they get ALL the chances and the talented ones get NONE then of course it is not ok.

[seakelp]

ReallyTired you are quite right, as is bubbles, in the points you are making, but I'm not referring to children with special needs at all and this post isn't about that. At my school the children who were chosen complained, their parents complained and they said they had a rubbish time. One mum said her son shouldn't have been made to do it because he missed his favourite tv programme.

I find it incredible that dd3 would love to be very sporty but isn't allowed to be.

No chance of her going to an athletics club unfortunately.

[fairydoll]

I thought every county had inter-school competitions and tornaments , Youth Games etc where the most talented athletes could compete? At our school the kids are forever going to hockey, rounders, football cricket, netball, cross country, gymnastics tournaments , mini olympics etc

[bigTillyMint]

fairydoll, if only

[reallytired]

"At my school the children who were chosen complained, their parents complained and they said they had a rubbish time. One mum said her son shouldn't have been made to do it because he missed his favourite tv programme."

That is very sad. I cannot blame you for feeling upset. My son has never represented his school in sport. He would love a non sporty school tourament.

I think that non school events are better. Have a look on this website for sub 5K events. A lot of sporting events have a children's race.

www.runnersworld.co.uk/defaultevents.asp?v=1

My son has done several events and there is a real party atmosphere. Any child can take part.

[AurraSing]

I'm with bubbles on this - I think you are missing the point of the sessions. Our school has similar schemes to encourage non sporty children to find an activity they enjoy, not to develop obvious talent. Perhaps you could ask if the school would be willing to organise an athletics club for children who show promise?

[seakelp]

Thank you for the suggestions. I wish our area was like yours fairydoll. May be the lack of facilities has put off children being sporty here. At dd3's last primary there was no playing field, the one she's at now has a very small one. It's not surprising they'd rather watch tv or go on a computer than play sports.

Anyway, seeing all her classmates troop off for the tournament for the day in their PE kits while she was stuck in the classroom has certainly had an impact. She thought she wasn't chosen because she wasn't good enough or there was something she did wrong.

I asked the head if she was given an explanation, he said no because it had to be kept quiet.

So that's the situation.

[HSMM]

There was a girl at my school who could run like the wind. She was always in Sports Day, etc. She just waited for us at the end. Everyone cheered her on, just the same as us slowbies. I think the school is being unreasonable.

[bubblesincoffee]

To be fair, she doesn't actually deserve an explanation. What is on offer to other children is not really any of your dd's (or your) business. Again, in the same way that you wouldn't expect the school to broadcast that some children were having extra maths or reading lessons. You can explain to her what the situation is, and surely she will be able to tell from regular PE lessons that she is one of the best at it. She will definately get more opportunity when she goes up to secondary.

You seem to think that the school is completely responsible for providing your child with sporting opportunities. They are not. They have a duty to make sure that dc get some excercise, but that doesn't mean that it's not up to you as the parent to encourage her talent and provide opportunities at all.

If she likes running, you're onto a winner! Apart from trainers, it's not one of the more expensive sports that require you to buy equipment. Maybe you or your dh could go running with her, even if you followed on a bike and timed her, or measured her distance. There must be something available locally that she would enjoy. Councils often run subsidised schemes.

[seakelp]

You are completely right bubbles. It would not be good to give her an explanation and I certainly did not. It's just a terrible shame there are no fun sporty events on offer for sporty dc in my area, that's my point. In fact, why don't they want to encourage these children? I'm going to ring the partnership to find out.

Unfortunately as I'm disabled as much as I would love to I cannot take her running or go to extra curricular clubs with her. It would have been really nice if the school could encourage her sporty interests like they do in many areas and in many other schools.

Sorry for feeling bitter

[reallytired]

Where is your area? I am surprised that there REALLY is nothing. I live in a built up area and we have loads.

[seakelp]

Yes, I heard big towns/cities get loads. I really don't understand why small rural primaries in a supposedly wealthy county (q. a bit west of London) get so little.

Head came and found me today and he told me the Govt have cut funding severely to the partnership, earlier they had to pull out of a hockey tournament as it was going to cost the school over £200 in transport alone.
He felt bad about the situation and acknowledged that without facilities children can't practice and without practice they don't perform well in tournaments anyway so basically they aren't going to raid the school budget over it.

Talked to a mum of a yr 5 boy who also was sporty but not given any chance whatsoever so he has now gone to an independent school which she says is fantastic for sports (not so good academically)so he's loving every moment.

We can barely cover the mortgage let alone pay for 5 dc to go private but this situation is horrendous as it clearly puts the independent system at an advantage.

[mollymole]

why is there 'no chance' of her going to an athletics club