Sports day, trans, so many mumsnet flash points!

[Jorah]

Dds school sports day is supposed to be an inclusive day, so there are five option blocks and you choose one from each group. One is dance, yoga based, one has things like mindfulness and Wii sports (!). She's chosen athletics in one and rounders in another.

But the last block has either football for boys or netball for girls.

Dd doesn't enjoy netball but is very good at football. She's in a local team and loves it.

She asked if she could play football - a definite no.

But a girl in year 10 has recently come out as trans. So he's a boy. He now has a boys name although still uses the girls toilets and changing rooms. Of course, he can play football, not netball. Dd (year 7) is angry about this.

AIBU to think ridiculous sex stereotypes like this (boys football girls netball) is what makes the idea of being trans more appealing?!

Shouldn't they be using PE lessons to encourage both sexes to try different sports so that girls don't decide that sport is not for them?

They had a girls football team for two terms but the teacher left and nothing else has been arranged. Yes a girls football team would be good. Perhaps I can use that as a positive way into this tricky conversation

Are you going to offer to run it? I love these parents who are all 'start a baskeball team', 'set up a homework club', without any consideration that it is just more work for a teacher. They never come to you and offer to run these 'desperately needed' extra curricular activities themselves.

Why does a girls team need a special teacher? Any football playing PE teacher will do. They don’t need an extra PE teacher at all. They can easily train alongside the hallowed boys team - the skills needed are no different.

You can't treat girls like second class citizens who should be grateful for scraps then use finding excuses of blatant sexism.

It's not about sexism, it's about putting money where it is most needed. If there are only a handful of kids wanting to do sport A, but 30 want to do sport B, then sport b should be what is done, even if it means that the kids who want to do sport a are sulky about it. There is only so much money, and only so much teacher time available. It doesn't sound like sport for girls is not offered, just that the particular sport that the OPs daughter wants to do is not available. If there are other sports available for girls, then it's not sexism, it's just not what suits the OPs daughter the most.

We rarely offer soccer at our school, because huge amounts of children already play in teams on the weekend. We do offer basketball because there are a lot of kids who want to play, and no real local team for them to join. The soccer kids are disappointed, but since they already get to play on weekends, it seemed a better use of time to offer an alternative sport instead.

My concern would be that they were considering wi fit as sport! Don’t all children have to do proper sporting activity until they leave?

Silly to stop someone playing football if they want to but allowing Mindfulness as a sporting activity.
Whole thing sounds muddled pc nonsense.

If there are only a handful of kids wanting to do sport A, but 30 want to do sport B, then sport b should be what is done, even if it means that the kids who want to do sport a are sulky about it.

That’s not the same at all. Sport B is offered but only if you have a penis.

Fight it OP. We have been fighting school on this for 4 years.

Why do the girls not have football training?

Why do you give 4 hours of coaching to the boys and none to the girls?
Why make the girls use the boys rugby kit when you send them to tournaments?
Why send 3 boys teams and one girls team?

We have offered trained female police checked football coaches who were willing to offer their services free at times which were suitable for after school training.

Eventually, our girls team is hugely successful but it has taken a group of parents to go into school repeatedly to push for it.

I would steer clear of the trans discussion if it were me and stick to the fact that reinforcing gender stereotypes is harmful to both males and females.

Stick to the facts like children benefit from trying as many sports as possible and low levels of participation in female sport especially in secondary school aged children.

Can you channel your DD's anger into her getting up a petition and campaigning in school for a girls football option? There'll be other girls feeling the same way. And maybe you could get up a petition amongst the parents - that would have more impact than just you writing an email