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

[Ronbo]

"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.

Dress up days are a pain in the arse.

What jobs don't use maths though?

I work in a shop and routinely use maths.

What did your children dress as?

I don't get what the NSPCC has to do with maths anyway?

Maybe individual schools should discuss with parents what a realistic number of dress up days they can cope with, and plan accordingly.

Do they have a dressing up day for sexist ill-informed bigots with no appreciation of the value of grass roots sport? You should go along OP, you'd have no problem fitting in.

I'm so glad I have an A in A-Level in Maths, it really has helped me being a football fan. I know exactly how many drinks (using maths) it takes to smack my face onto the pavement.

@Ronbo looking forward to your World Book Day rant, they haven't even read the book, its a Disney film not a book etc etc etc

I agree in part. Non-uniform and dress up days at primary always mean there are lots of children wearing football kits and making a tenuous link. However, finding, buying, making numerous dress up outfits costs time and money and is not a luxury a lot of parents have so it’s to be expected. I haven’t the time and money to source x3 outfits for comic relief, children in need, world book day, roman day, christmas jumper day etc etc. It’s a waste on the environment too unless you can always find second hand and pass on.

Rugby and cricket would also make no sense. Darts would be fine but it's not a big sport round here.

It really isn't "arrogant and condescending" to believe that Christiano Ronaldo doesn't spend a lot of his time solving geometry problems.

Trying to somehow fit footballer into the category of "someone who uses maths in their jobs" is just lazy. It's not like it's really difficult to think of a job that really does actually use maths.

Just looked on Researchgate at the wealth of articles on the biomechanics of football.
You are showing your ignorance, OP!

Am interested in hiw you dress up as an engineer?

Obviously you don't use maths as a footballer beyond the maths that everyone uses day to day.

But then these dress up days are nonsense as well. If it was DD, I'd have dressed her in something reasonably smart looking and said she was a maths teacher. Or I'd have put her in normal clothes and said she was an accountant, which is what I am and I wear jeans to work. I would not have made a costume.

YABU dress up days like this are just stupid gimmicks. My kids were allowed to wear whatever they wanted.

I mean, you're right in that its the kids just wanting to wear their football kit and not caring about the maths element, but in reality, maths is in everything we do, most of the time, so of course a footballer needs to know maths, and maths is far more than just 'geometry'.
I would actually say, find me a job where maths isn't needed at all? There's a reason why a maths GCSE is required for most jobs...

My DC just had to wear a number on their clothing at nursery so a football shirt would he perfect.

Not everyone has funds for costumes or time/skill to make their own. A shirt with a number on is fine for number day.

I too am curious to how an engineer is meant to dress. I actually know a few people who work in that area. They just wear ordinary clothes.
I know a few accountants too - they either work in an office so 'smart casual' (ie normal clothes) or work from home - where they probably wear pyjamas all day 😂

Yes, me too.

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."

Who are you implying is stupid here by your deliberate misspelling @Ronbo ? Professional footballers or ‘all the boys’?

Either way it’s a very rude thing to imply, but if you’re referring to the latter then it’s an incredibly sexist and stupid thing to write.

DC’s school sent very different instructions to the OPs. Just come to school wearing an item of clothing or a whole outfit that is inspired by maths or a number.

A football shirt with a number on the back fits that description perfectly.

It's a bit of a silly idea as maths, or at least arithmetic, is an integral part of every day life. You could argue that just about everyone needs to use numbers in their work. Ok, it's more important and more complex in some jobs than others but of the aim is to encourage children to enjoy and value maths then it needs to be made clear that it isn't only important to those in overtly STEM careers. Otherwise you risk the "well I don't want to be an engineer, I want to be a footballer so I don't need to bother with maths" thought process which I guess is the exact opposite of what is desired by instigators of days like this.
Sport is increasingly scientific anyway. I don't know much about football but I know that in the sports my son plays there is a very logical and scientific approach to training etc. And I think there is a lot more focus on post retirement careers, financial planning etc for professional sports people nowadays in the past. So yes, some understanding of basic principles of maths is important for them. The stereotypical view of sportsmen being all brawn and no brain is very outdated. Still true of some of course, but looking at someone like Marcus Rashford it's definitely not universal. He might not have a degree or anything but he comes across as an articulate, bright young man and I would imagine he is pretty clued up on where his money is going.

My son would have been one of the ones in football kit. At primary he wanted to be a professional footballer. He realised not going to happen but that there are lots of career opportunities in football without being on the pitch, eg others have mentioned the business side. He is currently applying to unis for Sport and Exercise Science courses - on the open days seemed like lots of numbers and maths involved (put me right off!) They analyse the data to improve performance.

Tbh if it could have been predicted there could have been a session created “maths in football” and opened the pupils’ eyes to uses for numbers/maths beyond counting the score and numbers on shirts.

Reported for being un-neccesarily rude and unpleasant

^^This feels appropriate - I was thinking very similar.

They just wrote "ENGINEER" on the back of a track suit. Probably washable ink.

Of course, for the parents of boys such extreme preparation would be unthinkable. Especially when they've got a football kit with a number on it just sitting there.

Such a pointless rant. The girls are, presumably allowed to wear football kits if they want to/if they have one.

Yes how do you dress as an engineer?

Maths is useful in pretty much all jobs and areas of life. Even down to time management, money management. This is a hood way to get the children thinking about how maths is important no matter what they want to be.

I watch a lot of kids football and I would argue that some of the very academic children are very tactical players.