To wonder how sports teachers assess students

[TheLasrStraw]

Y8 DD went to badminton club at lunchtime. We play as a family out of school and she was playing with students who could not hit over the net.

DD said the teachers were on their laptops and not looking up. DD didn't get picked for the badminton tournament last year as the Sports Captain chose her friends.

How can I make sure she has an opportunity to take part in a tournament this year?

Dart boards.
Easiest teaching role ever, PE.

You cant make sure she has an opportunity to take part in a tournament this year.
You can encourage her to attend the lunch clubs, play her best, and accept the teachers decision.
DS2 is a decent sportsman. He doesnt get selected for tournaments, unless there is a clear reason to, so he qualifies for all the running ones, but not the teams ones.
But, do you know what? We have the means to provide sports activities outside of school for him. I'm not sure which kids went to the most recent tournament, ut given the catchment area there is a fair chance they are going to reasonable sports-people who dont get the possibility of doing these things out of school. Good on the school for widening participation.

Sometimes sports events in schools are not actually for the best sports people, sometimes they select kids that need a confidence boost or as a reward for actually turning up and getting stuck in regardless of ability. At my kids school if they only selected the best at each sport to go to tournaments etc it would literally be the same kids all the time. They have a competitive football team and cricket team other than that most other sports are selected on a "if you turned up to the club you get to go" kind of a basis.

How on earth could she know that if she was concentrating on playing well?