To think schools should think more about the athletically challenged on Sports Day?

[BeeInYourBonnet]

It just seems like they are set up to fail, which makes them hate sport and sports day for the rest of their lives!

My DD is yet again in the sack race and skipping race.
A. She can't really skip so it will be a disaster.
B. The sack race is like some kind of medieval torture.

She was DESPERATE to be in the sprint or obstacle race, but apparently you have to rank top three in the practice to be in those races.

The sack race however is the 'didn't make the grade' race. It's a great idea isn't it? - let's take the least athletic, make them jump for 50m in a sack, with the almost 100% chance that they are going to end up face down in turf at some stage. That should motivate them.

I feel so sorry for DD, as shes been in tears. I just feel like saying to the school to just let her run, if she comes last she comes last, but at least she won't be traumatised (again) from getting caught up in a skipping rope or going arse over tit in a sack!

Keep her off school on that day, seriously. I would. It's fine for kids to learn that they are not great at certain things but NOT through the medium of public humiliation.

We have a variety of events from running races to the three legged race as well as a long jump, and a handful of other fun events like hula hoop, bean bag toss, limbo, obstacle courses. Students need to sign up for at least two events but it's any two they want, they aren't required to do races if they don't want to and it's pretty low pressure. There's heaps of events running at any one time, so not a big audience watching anything either. The selections for our interschool athletics team is done separately, during lunchtimes when students can choose to try out or not.

The day ends with a massive water fight. The chance of splashing water all over their teachers is usually enough to motivate the kids to want to come along to the day lol.

Yy to the mocking applause. Hated it. I got it in pe lessons as well.

What others have said - it's a chance for sporty kids to shine - just for a day - my ds school is very academic

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It's a bit rough for children who are neither academic or sporty.....

Schools should run competent sports days, just like they should run competent plays, musicals, concerts etc. all of ehich give some pupils their moment in the spotlight, and applause, and public recognition.

The sporty children need their day too (and as there are generally no rehearsals for sports day, they're actually getting a lot less attention).

Those children are seen to shine and are applauded by parents.

Others are rewarded in the classroom, for academic work.

Sporty children need the positive attention just like all the others.

And feel just as cut out when they're never chosen for a speaking part, a solo, etc.

(and some performers of course, are often chosen on the back of hard work which is nothing to do with the school. Just like athletes who also train at clubs).

All races at my kids primary are optional. No- one is forced to compete. In every race there are always some kids that choose not to run, and that is fine with everyone.

TheNewStatesman

Not in my school 9London Primary0. Really not - I can tell the difference

^^ sorry - that was about 'mocking applause'

Posters do realise that nobody actually remembers anything about any sports day ever.. All children have strengths and weaknesses at that age and in the main these skills will bear zero relevance to their future mental well being or earning potential..
It's a bit of fun..

Back in my school days we were also publically humiliated for being unmusical. .. talked to sone classmates about it 20+ years later and weirdly enough those with good singing voices couldn't see the problem with each and every year 7 child in turn being made to sing a hymn solo in front of the entire year group and mocked or praised aloud by the music teacher...

At our school sports days aren't public - no parent involvement, but the kids are ranked and given medals which relate to their performance measured against set standards for their age. This means my sporty son (who is actually also fairly academic in terms of grades, but unpopular and often in trouble with his main class teacher for untidy handwriting, not sitting still, coming in from break sweaty and covered in mud...) who generally says he hates school gets to shine and be proud of himself and praised and applauded by the classmates who usually hear him getting told off.

I hated sports day at secondary but liked it at primary... I think it was the size of the event and level of competition. .. There are ways to manage these things better without humiliating anyone or cancelling them completely!

DS2 is 13 and remembers hating school sports days only too well.

frank they do though - they remember the particularly good or awful bits decades later, as evidenced by the anecdotes on the thread How can you know what other people remember?

I am not going to keep DD off school, as I don't feel that's a good example to set.

She'll go and do it, with a smile on her face bless her little heart. And noone will guess that she'll have been crying about it for a week. And afterwards she will be even more convinced that shes crap at sports (even though she's generally very active, good at bike riding, swimming and 'outward bound' type activity).

And no I'm not going to spend the weekend training her up in skipping and 'sack skills'. Tried that last year to boost her confidence, and it had the opposite effect.

I thought the Labour Party banned competitive sports day for primary schools ? ( their 'no one can come last' policy )
I remember ds's sports day - soooooo boring. Just a load of silly group activities with one 'team' winning. No individual could shine.
Absolute nonsense.
Get back to the old style sports days - winners & losers & just 'having a go' - because that's what life's about - winners & losers. & it gets worse when they leave school.

& to the parents who keep their children off school because they don't want hurt feelings - you're doing more harm than good.

I wonder how many children cry for a week when they're not given parts in plays, or have to stand at the back in the intro/finale only?

Quite a lot, to go by the threads on MN.

I agree about the sack race being harder than a sprint.

If a sports day is the top 3 from each school then fair enough. The top 3 compete. The others don't as they didn't meet the grade.

My autistic dyspraxic DS will not be winning anything at sports day. He'll take part in the day but I would not allow him to do a sack race or egg and spoon race instead of a run - running requires far less co ordination.

Interestingly though if they did a swimming race - he'd win hands down!

He is also top of class for maths and borrow for literacy. So he's been to maths challenges over the years - like people say - let them shine for what they are good at. The other children didn't get a consolation maths day with alternative activities.

Middle dd I had an agreement with from about year 3 that she would be off sick for sports day every sports day cos she hated it with a passion. Youngest dd big age gap is at a school that has it right . They all do everything with helpers from the secondary school who run round at the back of each race and help and encourage and the fastest get to do the final races.

There's a lot of talk about everyone watching their humiliation, but aren't most people only watching their own children?! I normally look out for mine and their mates and cheer them on.

My 3 have never shone particularly at sports day, although they are all sporty outside of school. But they have never felt humiliated by it,they took it as a bit of a laugh.

Surely this is all about life lessons we all need to learn.

It's not the winning its the taking part. It's not the destination it's the journey that's important.

If we teach our kids to only participate when they know they will win them they are not going to get very far with anything in life.

I think as parents we all need to be very careful not to project our own anxieties into our children's lives.

Get out there, do your best, enjoy being outside the classroom with your friends.

Also any event structured around pleasing the lowest common denominator is going to fail most participants.

^
Agree. it's more about the parents insecurities than the child's.

Sports days are huge in South Australia . My school is divided into houses which compete to win the trophy for nosy points abs trophy for team spirit. Every attempt gets one point.

It is non compulsory but most kids from 3-12 take part

"And there isn't a comparison with being good at music, unless you expect someone with no ear or skill for music at all to stand up in front of an audience and sing/play an instrument. Which you don't."

But you do...assembly, christmas concerts etc

I've taught children who absolutely hate singing and standing on stage but they needed to take part because it was part of the curriculum and the larger school ethos. Working together and being part of something.

I think competition is a good thing. In EVERY aspect of schooling. Arty pupils can have art displayed in the main foyer. Musical pupils can perform at concerts. Maths whizzes can wow their peers at maths competitions. Sporty pupils can run like the wind and be proud of themselves. Other children can shine on councils representing their peers. We had Eco reps that weren't particularly academic or sporty but were kind and digilent and committed. Our celebrations when we were awarded Eco status were all about them and their success in leading the school to success. Sports day is fine if everyone has a chance to do well somewhere.