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??

My 5yo had sports day the other week and I was a little shocked to see him not take part in the whole thing. I asked him about it and he said that they got to choose what they wanted to do. But I'm 100% sure I saw him join the queue for 2 of the events but didn't get to take part in them. They're were 6 events and he came home with 3 stickers but I told him that I was proud of him for doing his best. My daughter who is in year 7 didn't even get an invite to do sports day, they only invite people they want. It's so wrong

I find this a really sad attitude. Considering you're bleating about inclusion.

We had similar with similar reaction our end. DD ( 4) did one race. She had no idea what was going on and was clearly bewildered and intimidated being anywhere near much bigger children. There was positive atmosphere at all and at the end of the hour this thing swallowed up, the children just went back inside. It was grim to watch and even sadder that only winners got a mention.
I'm fine with this sort of formal competitive ethos at secondary level but at primary, it needs to be fun, positive and more relaxed.

@ToCaden

Thank you so much for posting about your own experiences. Yes, to falling up the stairs too. I knew he struggled with hand writing and balance related activities but didn’t realise just how poor his motor skills were. His school wouldn’t refer him for testing because he is excelling academically and they prioritise students who are struggling with the basics of reading and maths, which I can understand. We had to pay privately to get him tested and the detailed report was eye opening to read.

How interesting that you love swimming as well!

We're taking DS to London soon to meet up with family and I’m already feeling anxious about how he will cope with walking along the crowded streets. I’m probably going to continue holding his hand even though he’s a teenager, as I think this is probably the safest option. 🙁

We live very rurally here in Ireland and we call it ‘rush hour’ when there’s two tractors on the road causing a traffic jam, so he’s really not used to walking around in built up suburban areas at all. We don’t take him to supermarkets because he’s liable to knock over the displays. I know he finds it very frustrating as it’s definitely not a lack of trying on his part.

If sounds more like the school should have communicated better how the sports day was being done, and let parents know how many races their child was taking part in.

Whilst giving choices is supporting inclusion by not forcing children to take part who don’t want to, it sounds like they could have made it a bit more equal. Allowing children who can’t cope with sport day to avoid it can be helpful but making them sit in a sun trap for 2 hours isn’t fair either. Those not taking part in many races should have been given other roles, perhaps giving out stickers at the finishing line, keeping score lists. I’d have been more than happy to watch my child take a responsible role in the event but would have been disappointed to assume they take part in all and only see them do one.

I also think inclusion would have been to find a sport that those who hasn’t volunteered would have been comfortable on taking part in. Maybe a child and adult together race (parent or staff member to do it with them).

I’m a teacher and worked in various schools. One school had all students taking part in the races but non competitively. Scores were never collected etc. they all just had fun doing each of the activity and the parents went round the field with their class as they did all the activities. Another school all the children sit and watch each class do each race and every child competes. But 1st 2nd and 3rd place stickers given out each time. But not 1/2/3 out of whole class but each group (random) of 5 that take their turn. No overall winner decided! Then other schools where they collect points for each race they do and points rallied at the end for overall winners.

One of my residing memories of secondary school was being made to do the high jump just because I was taller than everyone else in front of everyone and just crashing into it like a test dummy while everyone stood around laughing. I was already teased for being a bean pole. So yeah. I definatley think more sporty kids should be forced to do this they are shit at. Character building.

Surely your son could have told you he was only doing one event? I was forced to do sports day and I became very anxious and ill because of it. Pro choice here!

This - my son is no good at sport at all and he has horrendous anxiety about sports day every year, its awful, i see no reason to have him go through the humiliation of coming last when he is never going to be an athlete, he has flat feet and dyspraxia, why put them through it ?

you think it was good to be forced to do it even though you remember even now that everyone laughed ?
I have see a grown man cry at a team building event after admitting that at school he was teased mercilessly because he couldn't do sports and came last in everything - he said that it brought it all back how humiliated he felt. Character building ? I dont think so, traumatising, absolutely.

This seems like a very odd way to run it, when I was at school every kid had to participate but could choose which event

@Mojoj really? So a child with disabilities is a snowflake? A child with medical conditions a snowflake? How many hospital admissions have you had? Blood tests? Trips to A&E? How many doctors have you met in your life? You are a nasty piece of work who needs to do some serious work on empathy. These are some of the most vulnerable children in the country and you call them snowflakes.

That's funny, I don't recall the original post being about disabled, poorly children being frogmarched onto a playing field to compete until they collapse?? Get a grip. And, just for the record, you have no idea what my own circumstances are so don't make an eejit of yourself.

On the contrary, I was popular, sporty and academic. The whole package🤣🤣🤣🤣

@Lola4321 primary sports day an all day event including long jump, high jump, discus, shot putt - no offence but I don't think what you are describing is at all typical of a normal primary school sports day in England. Where I am 4 local primaries have sportsdays for 2 year groups ( with more than 1 class each)- so a lot of kids to compete & it's done and dusted in an hour & a half (relay race, hurdles, bean bag flip on tennis racket, sprint and a longer distance run, sack race, parents races (also thankfully optional!) so realistically they would only get the chance to do 3 races maximum anyway.

The subject is about inclusivity and whether all children should take part in sports day. When people have explained why it’s not inclusive to make all children take part you’ve turned up with nasty comments.

Your circumstances are clear. You completely lack empathy and compassion. It’s a real pity you didn’t pick up those qualities whilst busy being brilliant.

@StressedOutMumBex I think you need a lesson in sarcasm my love. Of course I didn't think it was a good thing.

We just received an invite for my daughter's Sports Day next week and it's exactly how the OP's school does it. Kids can volunteer for whatever races/events they want to do. I think it's brilliant because it doesn't force anyone to do what they don't want to. My daughter loves cross-country running and wants to volunteer for several of the races (including 800m which to me is nuts 😱) but she doesn't want to do javelin throwing (which apparently is also an event) as she's scared of it, so she won't volunteer for that. I don't think it's "in the spirit of Sports Day" to force kids to do things they don't want to do in front of an audience.

Some people do peak early.

Our school has house teams that rotate around activities. Throwing bean bags in a hoop, dribbling a football or hockey ball, egg and spoon. It is inclusive and fun, and all of the children are engaged all of the time. I think it’s loads better than the more competitive sports days that we had. And they get ice lollies at the end.

My daughters school did this - the non sporty girls had to sit in the sun all day and watch the sporty ones race. She only went once, sports day became our duvet /theme park day.

🤣🤣🤣

My DC’s school did this too. They’re both upper KS2 so I think it’s different to KS1 where the teachers choose two or three races per child so everyone gets a shot. This year they did as your DC’s school did and let them choose. As a result my DD’s only got to do 1 race (not their choice, they’re both quiet and didn’t dare push for races they wouldn’t have minded doing). Same as you, I ended up standing (no seats left when I arrived on time!) for almost 2 hours in the blazing heat to watch them do the same race!