To withdraw dd from or am I being a 'snowflake' ?

[Thebighit]

NC
Prepared to be flamed.

Last year dd did boxing in PE. Her teacher teaches PE and a science subject if relevant.

During this lesson from what I can gather the PE teacher taught them boxing rather than a person brought in to teach it.

This teacher might be qualified to teach boxing I have no idea but in the class there was a lot of messing about and silliness with a room full of beginners and dd was hit hard in the face leaving her with a black eye and also a lump over her eye that stayed for weeks. I think I posted about it at the time.

Another teacher did come in at some point to teach but then it went back to the teacher. I am aware according to dd that the teacher has done a 'bit of' kick boxing but I have no idea as I said above if they are a boxing coach or qualified and don't think they have to be as it's school PE anyway.

Fast forward a year and they have split the class into two. Dd has spent a certain amount of weeks doing another sport and now we have been told it's boxing again. Dd is really unhappy about doing boxing again and asked if she could join the other group and repeat the other sport unbeknown to me. Teacher has of course said no.

I'm not that happy to be honest. I wouldn't be thrilled about her doing boxing anyway if I'm completely honest but if she wanted to do it I would find a club with a qualified and trained specific boxing coach who had experience of teaching and controlling classes of beginners.

I'm a martial arts black belt so not against self defence for girls at all but every martial arts!

Dd has additional needs including Dyspraxia so is not very keen on sports or school as it is so the idea of boxing until Christmas is going to put her off altogether and probably cause school morning battles again sigh...

[FireCracker2]

Is it proper boxing? DD did something in PE where one partner holds 2 pads and the other partner wears boxing gloves and punches the pads. If this is the case I think you are being precious.It sounds like an unfortunate accident where a kid missed the pad, rather than a problem with the activity or its organisation.If it's full on boxing in a ring where they are aiming for the opponents body then YANBU!

[Thebighit]

I will clarify with dd what happened in the lesson as I can't remember. I know that it was definitely during lesson and they were being told to punch each other (can't remember if pads involved) and lots were being silly about it and when it was dds friends turn to punch she punched dd hard.

'Potentially dangerous contact sport + 30 kids who haven't chosen that sport and therefore aren't behaving spells disaster really.'

This ^

The lesson has been split to half the class now but still...

Do PE teachers have to be qualified in coaching to teach boxing or martial arts though?

[Thebighit]

They have it for the whole half term now so not just a taster.

The only reason it only ended up a couple of lessons last time was because of special events in school and dd was poorly so missed some.

[CardsforKittens]

It's never fun being punched in the face, unless you've chosen to take that risk. I've been punched a few times playing sport (not boxing!) and it's annoying to say the least. But it sounds like the biggest problem last year was inadequate supervision. So I think YANBU unless you can get the school to guarantee that it will be taught safely.

[monkeywithacowface]

Boxing is a moronic sport and I would not allow mine to participate head gear or not.

[BewareOfDragons]

Refuse permission for her to participate.

[Thebighit]

OK possibly slightly more snowflake. I clarified with dd. They were doing pad work and were being told to put more power into the punch and dds friend was being silly and hit her in face no where near the pad because everyone was messing about.
Sigh.

Interestingly that never happened in the 15 months she did karate once. No injuries at all!

Oh well it sounds a bit more reasonable if it was just pad work.

[Thebighit]

I might seek clarification that it won't move on from pad work though seeing it's been listed as boxing rather than anything else. Seems crazy schools are stopping contact rugby but teaching boxing!

[WildRosesGrow]

I wouldn't be happy about school doing boxing at all. IMHO it is barbaric and I don't understand why it is seen as a sport and certainly not one that should be forced upon children like this.

I've never heard of a school teaching boxing. It sounds like it has been chosen as one of the teachers like the sport, and given that your child has already been injured (and laughed at by the teacher when reporting the injury), I think you should contact the school to express your concern.

[TheLegendOfBeans]

Boxing? Fuck that. YADNBU.

[Twinkie1]

Boxing is a brilliant way to help with co ordination and to get a good cardio work out whilst not actually beaten by 7 bells of shit out of someone.

I would have been cross with her friend at the time and then moved on, no way would I think it an adequate excuse to stop doing it.

[disahsterdahling]

I don't agree with anyone being "made" to do boxing. It should be matter of personal choice. If some people like it and do well at it, eg Nicola Adams, that's great for them (and the UK medal table). But under no circumstances should it be compulsory.

I'm iffy about contact rugby, too. There are plenty of other options for school PE.

[Ttbb]

What kind of school teaches boxing?

[Floralnomad]

I would still be asking about the teachers qualifications and the risk assessment . As you say her friend missed the pad and hit her accidentally but she could just have easily ended up with a detached retina as well as a black eye . I still think this level of risk should be optional .

[FireCracker2]

Most sports can result in serious injury especially if people are moronic enough to punch someone hard in the face.That isn't a failing of the school, the lesson, the teacher or the supervision.It is putely down to her idiot of a friend

[RidingWindhorses]

No child of mine is doing boxing full stop. I'd call the school tomorrow and make that clear. Also share your concern that it's inadequately supervised.

[Viviennemary]

I don't agree with anyone doing boxing. It is a vicious and dangerous sport and the very idea of children doing it totally horrifies me.

[mirime]

That isn't a failing of the school, the lesson, the teacher or the supervision.It is putely down to her idiot of a friend

And kids act stupidly sometimes, the teacher should be in control of the class.

My games teacher used to mostly turn a blind eye to boys rugby tackling the girls when playing basketball. Yes the boys were being idiots, but the teacher should have made it clear it was not acceptable. If this school is going to give boxing lessons the teacher needs to be able to stop dangerous messing around.

[Aeroflotgirl]

The teacher by the sounds of it is not qualified to teach boxing. I do kickboxing at a martial arts centre, and all the instructors are properly qualified, and never have I got a black eye, even when sparring. I would withdraw her, and really make it known that she is not to do boxing. The teacher teaching the boxing sounds like they don't have a clue.

[Aftershock15]

Do you think this isn’t so much boxing as in fights, but more the boxing solely with pads used for fitness? Lots of women (including me) incorporate bits of boxing work out into fitness routines and possibly at year 10 they are hoping to offer girls a chance to try less mainstream school sports, in the hope they find something they enjoy and carry on with once they leave school. I imagine at this age the girls who aren’t the super sporty ones are starting to try and drop out of sport, which isn’t good for long term health.

Assuming it is fitness boxing I imagine the PE teachers qualifications would be more a general fitness one, than boxing specific.

That said the class is obviously not being controlled correctly. I have never seen someone hit in the face (or anywhere other than the pads) in a class and we are encouraged to hit as hard as we can.

[Hulababy]

Nobody, imo, should be made to do full body contact sports. Even with pads accidents are likely, especially if being taught and supervised by people who are not an experienced coach in the sport.

School PE, especially for teenage girls, should be all inclusive and encouraging imo. We have so many teen girls turned off sport and exercise and school PE must be playing its part in this. Its time for a change and get girls fully engaged in sport in some form. For many I can't see boxing doing it I'm afraid.

[Phalenopsisgirl]

Then I think she needs to give it another go, unfortunately kids will always ‘dick about’ be it in boxing or hockey or golf and occasionally that leads to injury. Kids mess about, schools can’t stop every activity where someone was being silly and something happened once. I got smacked in the face by a ball my friend launched at me with intentional ferocity once because she was being silly, she wasn’t expecting to completely shatter my nose though, I still remember her horrified face as the blood exploded from my face.

[Aeroflotgirl]

Kickboxing at least, taught properly by qualified instructors, is a very safe sport, there are strict safety rules that govern it. A proper martial arts centre has to comply strictly with health and safety.

[BoffinMum]

Safeguarding nightmare, which is why schools don't usually teach sports like this. And 'doing a bit of it at the weekend' is not a coaching qualification. I would ask for her to be withdrawn from it and I would raise it with the HT.

[Hulababy]

That isn't a failing of the school, the lesson, the teacher or the supervision.It is putely down to her idiot of a friend

Had there been appropriate and adequate supervision by a qualified boxing coach I suspect it wouldn't have happened.