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Original poster

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:
Minibea · 03/02/2023 11:49

I don't disagree with you OP, but don’t find it more offensive or annoying than the heaps of little girls in Disney princess dresses on world book day etc. Feels like the whole concept is a little flawed tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️

TheKeatingFive · 03/02/2023 11:50

So can the boys just not be bothered, or is it uncool, or are they all so one track minded that football is the only thing that springs to mind. Why are parents not encouraging boys to extend themselves?

(Just like WBD is meant to be about books and reading, not your favourite Disney Character which has been back made into a low quality book).

Honestly, I think much of this is a reaction to how dress-up days have become an over used and lazy way of schools engaging with these topics.

Lots of kids aren't particularly into dressing up. Mine aren't. They love books and would be massively interested in how maths is used in careers but have no interest in sourcing an outfit. WBD shouldn't be about dressing up clothes, but actual books.

RomansTheyGoTheHouse · 03/02/2023 11:51

Ah, the OP's just trying to wind people up.

Comewithmefriday · 03/02/2023 11:52

TeenDivided · 03/02/2023 11:38

I think the OP has a point.

If the school is going to do dress up days, then it needs to consider what it thinks the point is and the response it gets.

If the boys 'en masse' just turn up in football kit, then they should consider why this is and adjust accordingly. The girls engage and have a variety of costumes, so the boys could too, it can't be financial if it is split like this.

So can the boys just not be bothered, or is it uncool, or are they all so one track minded that football is the only thing that springs to mind. Why are parents not encouraging boys to extend themselves?

I don't think 'maths' as such comes into the kicking, even though trajectories are bounded by physics. But I do think probability for which way a penalty taker should go etc does.

(Just like WBD is meant to be about books and reading, not your favourite Disney Character which has been back made into a low quality book).

As the op hugely exaggerated her goady little low class rant, I doubt there's any reason to examine why 'boys' have no imagination while all these wonderful little girls are wearing such aspirational costumes

.

Leafsontheline · 03/02/2023 11:52

Am wondering what the girls dressed as engineers are wearing.. I’m am engineer, currently working from home in tracksuit bottoms and hoodie…

LakieLady · 03/02/2023 11:52

wonderstuff · 03/02/2023 10:51

Lots of maths in football. I’d personally question how dressing up is doing anything at all to improve maths. Honestly don’t understand primary obsession with dressing up.

Neither do I.

It must be really difficult for families who are just struggling financially to get all these outfits together.

stayathomer · 03/02/2023 11:54

I honestly don’t think it’s a poor thing at all. My kids (boys) just have zero interest in dress up days and I’m not creative enough and don’t have the time if they won’t work with me on it. It is a fair enough point that Terndivided makes- is it a boy thing? It seems from here to be- every girl I know puts so much work into dress up, my kids are just embarrassed and assume people will laugh at them etc, there’s no excitement or enthusiasm unless it’s a sport shirt day, and they’re not even sporty- it’s just they know they can do it easily and blend in!

Botheredland · 03/02/2023 11:54

A lot of parents can't afford new costumes every damn dress up day. There's a million of them, even if it's just a wear something yellow day there's a chance one child may not have anything yellow suitable (I.e onyl a yellow t shirt when it's winter) and I'd have to buy something new when I really can't afford it.

TeenDivided · 03/02/2023 11:54

TheKeatingFive · 03/02/2023 11:50

So can the boys just not be bothered, or is it uncool, or are they all so one track minded that football is the only thing that springs to mind. Why are parents not encouraging boys to extend themselves?

(Just like WBD is meant to be about books and reading, not your favourite Disney Character which has been back made into a low quality book).

Honestly, I think much of this is a reaction to how dress-up days have become an over used and lazy way of schools engaging with these topics.

Lots of kids aren't particularly into dressing up. Mine aren't. They love books and would be massively interested in how maths is used in careers but have no interest in sourcing an outfit. WBD shouldn't be about dressing up clothes, but actual books.

I think that's my point. If parents don't have the energy/resources to facilitate dressing up days, then don't have them, or make them non uniform (and no football kit) days. That's why a school should look at the response they get and adjust.

whataboutsecondbreakfast · 03/02/2023 11:54

I can't think of any job that doesn't at least require a basic understanding of maths.

Underparmummy · 03/02/2023 11:57

Jeeez. Primary school boys wearing football kids. How horrible of them. Nasty little football loving boys. You sound like my Ds's reception year teacher.

toomuchlaundry · 03/02/2023 11:58

Surely the important thing it is to explain to those who dream of being a footballer that maths (and education as a whole) is important. So explain the importance of angles etc. Use statistics to show how few people get to be top class footballers. How to budget.

But also that the timespan of being a top flight footballer is very short and they need something to fall back on, possibly managing a team and how important maths will be in running a club.

MishaBukvic · 03/02/2023 12:00

Yeah, footballers might be stereotypically thick but I doubt they're crying into their silk sheets in their mansions about how disappointing you think they are!

Sneer at football fans all you like, but I'm sure the majority of them are good at maths when it comes to regulation zone predictions / promotion points / points in table / goal differences.

TiaraBoo · 03/02/2023 12:00

Well the poster (not a person posting, the advert poster) that someone showed did have a football on there so leads me to believe the aim is to show maths can be used in so many things and they’re trying to be inclusive and positive about maths rather than slating little kids for wearing their kit and parents that are fed up of random dress-up days.

It’s important to know that maths can be used in so many different ways or physics, chemistry etc otherwise kids grow up saying X is boring and I don’t need to know anything about it and their parents reinforce that message.

FluRiddenbutfestive · 03/02/2023 12:00

I wonder if you'd have had the same reaction if they dressed up as rugby or cricket players? I suspect not. Also, to assume that experts playing at the very top of their sport wouldn't understand that manipulating an object in space involves geometry is unbelievably arrogant and condescending.

Original poster
Ronbo · 03/02/2023 12:01

I agree the whole dressing up thing is annoying but that's a separate topic.

If it's just because of the faff for the parents then why the difference between the girls and the boys?

The children were invited to dress up as someone who uses maths in their jobs. If it was really true that you need maths to play football Gazza would have won the Fields medal.

OP posts:
IsItThough · 03/02/2023 12:02

Maths dress up days are unreasonable
and you are a snob

mamatoTails · 03/02/2023 12:04

Some kids just don't like dressing up days, I don't blame them!

Sparklingbrook · 03/02/2023 12:04

I agree the whole dressing up thing is annoying but that's a separate topic.

It isn't. Dressing up is annoying and we used what we had. Football kits. Some did the same but wore horse riding gear or whatever sport they did.

Starlightstarbright1 · 03/02/2023 12:05

Not depressing at all. It gets more use out of an outfit. Far better for the environment and parents wallets..

Sparklingbrook · 03/02/2023 12:06

The children were invited to dress up as someone who uses maths in their jobs

The school is unreasonable too.

DarkShade · 03/02/2023 12:06

The children were invited to dress up as someone who uses maths in their jobs. If it was really true that you need maths to play football Gazza would have won the Fields medal.

But that's absurd, most of use maths in our jobs, and we haven't won the Fields medal.

The point of this brief presumably was precisely to show that almost all jobs require some level of mathematics? It didn't say, dress as a mathematical genius. It said dress as anyone who uses maths. The boys in football kits chose their their prefered clothes that fit the brief. what is the problem?

PlaitBilledDuckyPuss · 03/02/2023 12:07

They'll need maths when working out how to invest their huge salaries for the best return!

listsandbudgets · 03/02/2023 12:07

These dress up days are getting ridiculous. Charities and retailers may see it as a way of making a nice bit of cash but for parents it's insane -

Yellow day for mental health
Show your spots for children in need
Numbers day for NSPCC
Red nose etc. for Comic relief
World book day

Probably some other rubbish I've forgotten -

It's a whole load of time and effort and / or money

I do not blame parents for taking the easy way out. Sadly DS hates football so today he's gone to school dressed as a calculator!!

FluRiddenbutfestive · 03/02/2023 12:07

Also, I suspect the object of the exercise is to demonstrate how maths is relevant in every job ie there isnt reqlly any job that dowsnt involve maths at some level. In opening up a conversation about how maths is relevant in sport, art, literature, you could spark an interest that wasn't there before.