To think DS sports day was odd and not really in the spirit of inclusion?

[Notbeinfunnehbut]

Me and DH and DM attended DS sports day yesterday
it was very hot and it wasn’t set out like a traditional sports day I.e activities each team goes round
mall kids were seated , activities did happen but certain kids from each team were read out and all other kids remained seated , there were children who took part in multiple races , and some none my son did 1! Being stood in a sun trap for over 2 hours to see him do one race at the end 😡

like I said some kids did nothing,

I asked him and he said teachers asked kids which ones they wanted to do instead

AIBU to think the whole point of SD is that everyone takes part??

@PrisonerofZeroCovid is that I’m the U.K.? I’ve worked in a few primary schools and never seen that. Relay is the most I’ve seen.

*in the U.K.

@PrisonerofZeroCovid state or private?

Fuck me! Please don’t tell me you’re a Primary school teacher??

Have you heard of Dyspraxia? My son is dyspraxic and has serious balance and special awareness issues. He definitely wouldn’t want to take part in a sports day competitions with parents watching. I’d be very surprised if you’ve never come across a child with Dyspraxia but maybe you’ve assumed they’re being pathetic and just need to be forced into doing stuff? 🤦🏻‍♀️

How are kids getting traumatised at sports days? I am shite at sport, my DC are as bad or slightly better than me. But we all have good memories of junior school sports days - more distant for me, very recent for them. Lovely sunny days with picnics on the field. Chatting to friends. A bit of tug of war, water fights, mums and dads races, three legged race. All very light hearted. Stickers for all. Those iced things in long plastic wrappers. Lots of cheering and a very supportive friendly environment. My parents could never come to mine because of work, but that was the same for other kids, and I don't remember it ever casting a shadow. The days I've not made it to my own kids sports days I have been gutted but known they were still having a great time. Always thought sports day was more about the school community coming together with a bit of a backdrop of outdoor activity.

Have you heard of Dyspraxia? My son is dyspraxic and has serious balance and special awareness issues. He definitely wouldn’t want to take part in a sports day competitions with parents watching

Beware of putting ideas into your DC's head. My DS1 is dyspraxic (extra time in exams, the lot) and he used to love sports day as much as my extremely sporty DS2. A day of no proper school running about the field and parents all there clapping. It was non competitive in the sense the 'events' were fun like an obstacle course done in teams of about 15 so not directly racing against each other etc.

Schools which aren't making it fun and are making it overly competitive/ running/ athletics based, are the problem. Don't send your kid to a school like that!

PurpleDaisies · Yesterday 14:09
Inclusion doesn’t mean forcing everyone to participate, even if they don’t want“

agree.

So your DS is quite sporty. Good for him.

Do you understand what ‘serious balance issues’ might mean?
My DS spent two hours completing various tests last year led by a specialist occupational therapist here in Ireland, where he scored 0.5 on the scale for balance and co-ordination with 50 being classed as average.

Any sort of obstacle course would be the worst kind of hell for my son.

He regularly falls into me when we’re out shopping as he tries to walk alongside or just behind me but struggles to work out the space around him.

He is however, a great swimmer as he has had a course of 1:1 swimming lessons with an excellent teacher. He occasionally hits the ropes dividing the lanes but his swimming and breathing technique is great. He has learnt to climb trees during lockdown which was a major achievement.

Academically, he is extremely capable and classed as ‘gifted’.

The only ideas I’ll be putting into his head is that he can choose not to take part in something if he doesn’t want to risk public humiliation.

I wasn't sporty at School, nor was I a bully. In fact I was the one bullied by the sporty kids. I'm not saying they should have to do it, but just if they don't want to do it then why sit there opting out and watching other people do things that you don't want to do? Surely those who don't like sports (or sports day) could all do a different activity inside? ANyway, I'm sure those kicking up a fuss are over-reacting. It's, what, 1 or 2 hours out of the year? It's not as if they're being forced to do it every day

Just because you don’t like doing sport doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy watching it or supporting your friends.

Pressed post too soon. It also doesn’t follow that you don’t enjoy sport because you don’t want to perform in sports day. Some kids don’t like the pressure or being on display. They can still enjoy pe etc.

Interesting. Rather severe dyspraxia here too. I was never without bruises as a child. I've also always loved swimming, especially underwater.

Walking alongside someone is still a bit of a challenge, but less falling and walking into walls nowadays which is lovely. Have to employ a few tactics in order to manage stairs and not veering off the pavement. And sometimes I can even pass people in the hallway without bumping into them or the wall!!!

I hope your DS also sees improvement when he reaches adulthood.

I love that kids are given a choice here. Sports day must be so traumatic for some kids in certain school environments.

@Léighméleabhair in my very first post I said chn take part unless there is good reason why that might be difficult. Our sports days are inclusive and fun. We have had a children with a physical disability or SEN and their need ma are met in lucid that means their race is adapted or that they want to have a different role such as score keeper etc.

But for some children that adjustment will be to let them not take part at all.

Ds school (secondary) have sports day next week. DS has already said he won’t be taking part and so school have made reasonable adjustment for him and others. He has additional needs (a whole host of!) and gives 110% is all subjects including PE but can’t cope with the “chaos” of sports day which is fine.

some children who aren’t very good at sports normally choose to sit out. It’s quiet considerate of the teachers to allow them rather than ridicule and shame them for not being the most athletic. In my day you had to ‘bunk off’ to avoid sports day if you were one of the more self conscious kids.

I think all children should take part. It's annoying how people think Maths and English are important and exercise isn't. By all means have different events, so the ones who excel do the running and sprinting and the others do the throwing bean bags into a pot etc. I agree with the posters who talked about resilience and not growing up thinking they can cherry pick what they like and don't like.

Yes @Sirzy that could happen. I can think of one child that may apply to this year. These things are dealt with when they become apparent. The problem with making something openly optional is that some chn who are just a bit nervous will opt out. Over and over I see chn that we’re anxious about doing something, overcoming their fear and being elated and proud that they managed to take part with their best effort.

I think all children should take part. It's annoying how people think Maths and English are important and exercise isn't.

Literally nobody is saying that. Exercise is important. Sports days are not the same as enjoying regular exercise. It’s usually a competition in front of peers and strange adults in primary.

You don’t have disabled kids do you?

I will spin it. If a child was dyslexic would you make them stand up in front of the other parents and do a spelling bee?

Its not inclusive to force all children to take part. It’s inclusive to adapt activities so children can take part when it’s appropriate. For some sports day quite simply isn’t accessible because there are parents there. Please don’t judge a situation you know nothing about. As a parent of two disabled children one of our biggest issues is this everyone must be included nonsense.

Do you live on the moon @Mojoj

firstly lessons and assessments are adapted for children based on ability and disabilities. You won’t have a child who’s lower performing at maths doing a higher grade paper. And accessibility arrangements are required. But more importantly no children are forced to publicly humiliate themselves or perform maths papers in front of their peers parents.

Does you school host parent observed maths competitions?

There are major problems with inclusion in PE and sports. Eg Traditional sports arent actually the best thing for fitness, especially for children with SN or coordination difficulties and sports days are emblematic of this

I have been saying this to my daughters school for so long, it literally is like talking to a wall.

I thought the way my son's school set up sports day was quite good. Each class was split into 3 groups, reflecting physical ability/stamina and they competed within their groups. Finally, the long distance running was totally optional.