To think that secondary sports day should be optional?

[Peggy0907]

DS is year 10, his whole school have sports day today at an athletics track nearby. He hasn't been picked for anything, they do tryouts during P.E and he isn't sporty at all so he's fine with that. My issue is that it's compulsory for the whole school to go and watch from 8.30-3pm regardless of if they're doing an event or not. So DS's day will involve sitting in the stands (no roaming allowed), eating and chatting. They can bring a small bag with packed lunch and a reading book so it's not like he can even bring all his revision material.
I'm sure a lot of the kids will love this but DS hates it and is begging me to let him stay home and revise for his mocks that start on Monday.
Aibu to think that either every kid should be involved in some way or that it should be optional to attend if that isn't an option? I understand they're there to "cheer on" their classmates but in reality the kids in the stands aren't even watching what's going on anyway and it just really seems like a big waste of time for them.
Just to say, I think that it's brilliant that the sports department organise this day and for those children who love sports, whether taking part or spectating, it's a wonderful day for them. But for those like my son, it's a day away from learning.

Yeah, it's a stupid concept and a waste of time. He'll lose nothing of any importance by not being in.

lol, and no I'm not taking it seriously. But I appreciate the refreshing bluntness.

I dunno, only on MN would a kid say "Oh mum I so very much want to slog away all day instead rather than hang out & lark about with my friends !" Anti-social lot.

DC school does have some structured roles on sports day for kids who need that, you know, the kids with ADHD or anxiety, not particularly the ones who want to revise for an extra 6 hours.

How much of working in a school consists of sitting around for hours doing fuck all and not even supervising children?

Not a lot, but it definitely provides experience for one day a year, albeit with supervising children included.

I hate sports day, even now as a teacher! However, you can't just opt out of things you don't like. Other students can't opt out of science day or maths day. It's only one day a year.

What is wrong with kids these days? I loved sports days as I made sure I didn't get through elimination rounds so I didn't have to do anything sporty, but could spend the whole day not doing schoolwork. Along with swimming sports day it was one of the best days of the year.

As for sitting around in the heat all day - isn't this the UK we are talking about? It doesn't look that hot to me.

As the parent of a Year 10 non-sporty boy too, and a teacher, I partly agree with you OP. I think the kids should be able to move around and watch different events in between chatting and lolling on the grass. That's what I did years ago; I quite enjoyed sportsday despite not competing in anything! They could also have their revision books with them. Sitting in stands all day would be purgatory.

I hate sports day, even now as a teacher! However, you can't just opt out of things you don't like.

You literally can. What’s going to happen? Are they going to turn up, carry him to the stands and force him to watch under armed guard? Of course, there might be consequences to opting out of things you don’t like, but it’s ridiculous to say you “can’t”.

Yeah, not only can he opt out but if he does it right, there won't even be any consequences.

Presumably on Science and Maths day, everyone participates? Or does a bunch of bored kids sit around all day watching others do equations and experiments?

It's the lack of participation that's the issue here.

I’d have let mine stay off even if school HAD made it so everyone was involved tbh. PE wankers.

PE wankers has got me 🤣🤣🤣

Not that it's relevant to my opinion on this sports day but DS does actually have asd and ADHD. There are no provisions for these children.

A school local to me has the morning as the “academic” sports day and the kids in their houses compete against each other in subjects across the board. The afternoon is the more traditional sports day. Lets everyone shine and everyone compete. They don’t get everything right but in this, they 100% do

Can't say as I'm shocked, speaking as a fellow ND mum.

I'd keep him off - it's ridiculous.

Tbh it sounds shit that at least half the kids aren't competing at all.

I HATED PE at school because I went to a private school where the only options for girls were netball or cross country in winter and tennis, rounders or athletics in summer, all of which I was terrible at. However, Sports Day I loved.

On sports day every child had to participate in at least one event so everyone had to attend but it was more of a "Sports Fun Day" which was open to parents to watch too - we were in 4 houses so sports day was a house competition and we were encouraged to wear house colours, face paints, paint banners to support our house etc. Stands were set up for parents and we could watch from wherever we liked on the field but each house had their own zone in the middle of the athletics track so you could stand there to cheer on your housemates in their races. Additionally there were a few fun events - tug of war, three legged races, parents races, teachers v students etc to keep everyone entertained as well as allow the sporty kids to shine on the more "serious" events.

Elsewhere round the field there were various stalls set up - tuck shop, cakes and drinks, tombola, raffle, hook a duck, coconut shy etc so that a) they could keep the kids entertained if they weren't competing in more than one event b) kids could run the stalls to keep them occupied c) they could make some money for the PTA ... It was great and was always the biggest event of the year because they made it fun for all of the kids, not just the sportiest

@highlandspooce I would not be turning up for a day at work standing around doing no work either

Really? Even if your boss said you had to attend? Course you wouldn't.

The problem I have with sports day is often a competition in things schools don’t teach

I agree with you but it is the same at my DC's secondary school. Ironically, DD, 12 has been selected for long distance running as she is a good runner but she hates getting 'hot' and doesn't want to go.

Not sure why you sent him in when you were clearly having doubts. Him wanting to stay at home and revise for his mocks would clearly be of much more benefit than him just doing nothing in a sports stadium stand all day and he expressed a wish for the revision day.

What the school want of him seems much less beneficial so I'd have let him stay at home on the proviso that he does actually revise (he sounds like he will).

Text him now and tell him that you'll be collecting him. If school ask why then I'd be tempted to tell them and would say bluntly that exam revision will benefit him far more than doing nothing in the stadium.

Just to add, I personally think that sports days should be optional. They were when I was at secondary school (very long ago now) and children only went down if participating, and in time for their event.

The rest of us could go and watch at break, or in the lunch hour. Otherwise, lessons as normal as far as possible.

This reminds me of my own school days - only we sat on the grass rather than seats. Horrible for these of us not competing and with the added bonus of hayfever making it worse.

My own children's school don't have anyone watching sports day. The kids not competing go to class as normal. That seems the best solution. No one being forced to watch stuff of zero interest. But kids who want to compete can at least participate in the heats etc.

Well said! It's like Music, and to some extent tech, there's not actually much (if any) "teaching" going on - you are expected to know the rules of the likes of, hockey, football, rugby, cricket, tennis, etc., and if you don't then you're "bully fodder" when you do something wrong, especially if it leads to your team losing! In music lessons, they don't actually teach you to read music or play an instrument - you're assumed to do that outside classes, so those without musical parents or private lessons are at a massive disadvantage and just wasting time. Same in tech, in our tech GCSE lesson, most of us were sanding/sawing wood, bending metal plates, etc., to make simple things, and one lad was "out the back" welding box section tubes to make a go kart chassis! Turned out his grandfather had his own workshop in a huge garden shed and he'd been taught to weld at around the age of 10! Would be nice if schools/teachers levelled the playing field a bit by actually teaching skills (or at least banning skills not taught within the school!). Though I suppose that's the same with academic subjects too!

At a training day at work. And I'm so bored but it's mandatory. I have projects with imminent deadlines that I could be working on instead.

Seems to me that Sports Day is the same deal for exam takers 😂