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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

No, you don't need to know Maths to be a footballer

251 replies

Ronbo · 03/02/2023 10:26

"NSPCC Number Day" at school again. 🙄

The letter says "children are invited to dress up as someone who uses maths/numbers in thier everyday jobs". Lots of girls dressed as engineers, builders, astronauts, chefs. Well done to them.

Of course, just like every single previous dress up for school day, all the boys turn up in full football kits.

"Coz there is a number on my shirt, and err, u need maffs to count the score."

It was depressing when the same thing happened at "dress up as your favourite character from a book day" but for me this is a new low.

OP posts:
watcherintherye · 03/02/2023 10:58

this is a new low

If you’re talking about your op, you have a point.

FourTeaFallOut · 03/02/2023 10:58

What an absolutely ridiculous dress up day. FFS. It's bloody endless, dressing up for this bollocks and that, week in and week out. Of course they went in their football kit: it's to hand, requires no further money and it's comfortable.

MissMaple82 · 03/02/2023 10:58

God I hate these f#@#ing dress up days!!! I too would go for the easiest thing, parents haven't got time for this s#!t

MissMaple82 · 03/02/2023 11:00

Ronbo · 03/02/2023 10:48

Yes, that's definitely how that works.

Also football fans need maths to get drunk in the street and fall over because they have to "know" the gravitational force smacking thier faces into the pavement.

Just listen to yourself! 😳

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 03/02/2023 11:00

I would say the challenge would be more finding a career that doesn’t need maths.

No, you don't need to know Maths to be a footballer
JustFrustrated · 03/02/2023 11:01

There are some god awful comments on this thread. Seriously awful.

I think a lot of people need to look at how judgy they are.

All women who date football players are thick and gold diggers are they?
All footballers are stupid?

Jesus.

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 03/02/2023 11:03

I would also say this dress-up day is an excellent opportunity to show maths to youngsters in a context they can actually relate to. It can make all the difference.

Sirzy · 03/02/2023 11:06

Maybe if more was done to help people realise the day to day applications for the maths they learn in school more people would engage with maths rather than thinking it’s pointless.

Icedcider · 03/02/2023 11:07

You seem to be having quite an extreme reaction to some kids wearing football strips Confused. Did your kid not make it into the team or something?

PeekAtYou · 03/02/2023 11:07

Of course football involves maths. For example they know what angle to kick the ball at when taking a penalty.

If you're a teacher of maths you could work so some work with percentages and big numbers- how much tax would you pay on a salary of £500,000 a week? If your agent takes 12% of your earnings how much does he need to be paid ? How many more people attended the match at Old Trafford than (insert small local club here)?

3WildOnes · 03/02/2023 11:08

I dont have time to think of an inventive outfit and I dont want to waste money or planetary resources buying something specifically for dress up days. My son has very few clothes other than football kits.

pinkfondu · 03/02/2023 11:09

The op has been given way too much credit here, she's purely here to slag off some of the kids.

Rowthe · 03/02/2023 11:09

YABU.

My daughters school just said to put on clothes with numbers on.she doesnt have any.
She was quite upset.

But I'm not running out to buy a whole new outfit with 2 days notice.

She wore something that she is comfortable in.

YABU to judge kids on their outfit choices.

FourTeaFallOut · 03/02/2023 11:10

Dontfuckingsaycheese · 03/02/2023 11:03

I would also say this dress-up day is an excellent opportunity to show maths to youngsters in a context they can actually relate to. It can make all the difference.

Yes, you could make a good stab at how much it costs a parent to keep up with all the unnecessary dress up days, how often these costumes are worn again, how does that compare as cost per use of usual clothing, how much energy it takes to produce an item of unnecessary clothing and what that looks like when it is replicated across a country full of classrooms with a plethora of dress up days, you could talk about disposable income and how it is diminished in a cost of living crisis and the rate of inflation. For a start?

MrsSkylerWhite · 03/02/2023 11:10

Many people can’t afford/have time to put together costumes. Lots of kids have football kit already. Wouldn’t bother me at all.
Does your school charge to wear non-uniform, too? Ours did, £1 per child. Not on atm.

Wheelz46 · 03/02/2023 11:11

Another boy bashing thread?

As long as the child is happy what difference does it make what they come to school dressed as?

JodiePants · 03/02/2023 11:11

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 03/02/2023 10:31

Its pretty handy to know numbers as a footballer in terms of how much you'd need to pay someone off to drop a case against you

My DC are older now but their primary banned anyone from wearing football kit to dress up days which seemed a bit extreme. I don't think I could get worked up about it. It's just another dress up day for the kids with, I assume, some NSPCC aspects thrown in to their day

🤭🤭 haha! So true.

Nearly every job requires maths to some extent. It's important children realise maths is not this out of reach, alien concept for those who just want to be astronauts, accountants etc. Banning children wearing a football kit teaches them that if they aspire to be a footballer, they needn't bother in maths lessons as they won't need it! It further disengages them.

I'm a teacher and every costume day, someone will come dressed as a footballer anyway, regardless of the theme. Some parents don't have the money to buy accessories for costume or the time to make one. Some parents don't have the imagination to make one and some parents just don't care enough about their kids to try. Don't mock the child.

slashlover · 03/02/2023 11:11

After previously spending the last few weeks of every season listening to my dad and brother discuss how "if XTeam draws and YTeam wins by at least two goals then we just need ZTeam to not lose and we can stay up." Then I would think that would count as maths (or, indeed, maffs).

WinterFoxes · 03/02/2023 11:13

Rich footballers need to know enough about maths to check their managers and accountants aren't cheating them. Er...

But I suppose you could argue they need to know the point onn the sphere (ball to kick in order tfor the ball to spin or shoot straight at a given angle. I doubt they think of it in maths terms, though, and I agree you might want them to show a little more interest in mathematicians and inventors.

Alexandernevermind · 03/02/2023 11:13

It's fine. Dress up days are fun for the kids but a pita for parents. If they have a football kit, let them wear it. Everyone needs maths for every part of life, so surely use footballers as an example to encourage an interest in maths and hammer home the importance of maths in every day life? Make it about angles, pressure force, counting their millions even.

TheOrigRights · 03/02/2023 11:18

all the boys turn up in full football kits.

Really?
All of them?
I think your maths is off somewhere there, OP.

midgetastic · 03/02/2023 11:18

How to manage their future huge salary is definitely maths

TheOrigRights · 03/02/2023 11:19

FIFA 23 (video game) uses lots of maths.

Bananamilkshakewirthcream · 03/02/2023 11:19

I think you are being rather rude.

Dress up days might be fun for the kids but they're a pain in the arse for parents. A football shirt with a number that your child already owns is an easy option without having to go buying clothes.

Football is a tactical game there many many ways that maths is involved in football.

Stop looking down your nose and find something worthwhile to be angry about.

slashlover · 03/02/2023 11:20

I would also expect some analysis of the game statistics - possession, goals, assists etc.