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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Making kids choose 'teams' for PE - assumed this was an old fashioned thing?

240 replies

Devicey · 28/02/2024 16:45

But told today that it happens every week at DCs primary.

Honestly thought this was something I have just seen on films and assumed wasn't done anymore?

Always similar kids left to the last couple that no one wants on their team.

AIBU or are there far better ways to divide up a class of kids for PE?

OP posts:
Kittybythelighthouse · 29/02/2024 00:25

ThursdayTomorrow · 28/02/2024 18:39

The PE teacher chooses the captains- different ones each time. The captains choose 2/3 each the. The PE teacher allocates the rest to balance the groups.
i can’t see the problem but of course people just like to bash teachers whatever they do.

Edited

Measured criticism of something that is very easy to change, has no tangible benefit, is impractical as it stands, not to mention very hurtful and damaging to many kids, is not “bashing teachers” ffs. If only the poor teachers you’re imagining had skin as thick as the literal children who are being publicly humiliated every week.

Kittybythelighthouse · 29/02/2024 00:30

Why should we only encourage “resilience” to the kids who are shy or disabled or simply not good at sports? Are we also “teaching resilience” in this way by publicly humiliating those who are good at sports but terrible at say, art, music, English, every single week? Surely you’d want the sporty or popular kids to learn “resilience” also?

Kittybythelighthouse · 29/02/2024 00:46

wherearemywellingtons · 28/02/2024 21:56

I’m a teacher and we do this, with a different team leader each week to give all children a chance to pick. I firmly believe this is the correct decision.

Why? I’m an adult that experienced this as a child and it was hellish whether I was picking or not. The anxiety over upcoming PE classes overshadowed the rest of my school day, my other lessons, and I was a very bright child who otherwise excelled in school. I would be in tears the night before a PE day every single week. I was also physical - a very strong swimmer but we never went swimming. I wasn’t lazy or anything else. I wasn’t picked for team sports because I had moved from a different school in another town mid year. I didn’t have friends yet so I wasn’t picked. The public ritual humiliation made it even harder to make new friends. It’s a stupid and cruel method. There is no need.

JustDiscoveredBueno · 29/02/2024 01:09

Surprised they still do this. Why do that? When they pick the teams in the Apprentice at the end, it reminds me of the cringiness of school PE team picking. People felt pressured to choose friends, embarrassed to explain to friends after if they didn't choose friends, humiliated if weren't chosen until near the end, those regularly chosen at end were often pitied or became targets.

Don't tell me they still rip the towels off you to check that you've showered / noted down when your period was / make you do PE in your underwear?! PE...so many opportunities to help people engage with sport, put often used to put people off sport at school.

ShareTheDuvet · 29/02/2024 02:43

wherearemywellingtons · 28/02/2024 21:56

I’m a teacher and we do this, with a different team leader each week to give all children a chance to pick. I firmly believe this is the correct decision.

I’ve been the child picked last (due to bullying for many years) and I was a teacher. You’re totally wrong. It’s not the correct decision - it’s a shit, horrible thing to do to your kids. Please stop.

circlesand · 29/02/2024 05:09

TheSnowyOwl · 28/02/2024 17:05

Agree that it can be a good way to look at who is chosen and whether there is low level bullying going on. It should be different people picking each week.

Maybe, but I don't think this makes up for the fact that it's emotionally damaging for lots of children - which we can see simply by looking through this thread and the adults who remember it.

There are many, many other ways to notice bullying and class dynamics which don't involve putting kids through this archaic routine.

circlesand · 29/02/2024 05:11

wherearemywellingtons · 28/02/2024 21:56

I’m a teacher and we do this, with a different team leader each week to give all children a chance to pick. I firmly believe this is the correct decision.

Please can you explain why you firmly believe it is the correct decision, given the other comments on this thread about how horrible it can be for children?

LightSwerve · 29/02/2024 05:28

wherearemywellingtons · 28/02/2024 21:56

I’m a teacher and we do this, with a different team leader each week to give all children a chance to pick. I firmly believe this is the correct decision.

Shockingly bad practice! Kids picking teams went out with the ark, it is extremely poor.

To any parent dealing with crap like this: complain complain complain. I'd refuse to allow mine to do PE with this practice, it's not the 1980s anymore.

LightSwerve · 29/02/2024 05:33

Naptrappedmummy · 28/02/2024 19:58

Seems we talk a lot about resilience but don’t want any of the kids to actually develop it.

This is not how you foster resilience.

You've misunderstood resilience I think.

Breakingpoint1961 · 29/02/2024 05:47

I remember when kids chose their teams (early 60s here) but I don't remember in what order I was picked. However, in primary I was bullied by two girls, and they made sure if the team I was on won (and they weren't in it) I would pay, so I prayed I'd be on their teamSad

Children/young adults will choose their mates and the 'best' at the sport, no doubt about that.

This is seriously outdated and will slaughter an 'unpopular' child's self esteem to be in their boots.

Bullying at a very high 'subtle' level.

greenacrylicpaint · 29/02/2024 06:00

to only do it is not right.
dc school do a mix of teacher choses, other methods (ability, playing cards, dice) or children chosing.

LostittoBostik · 29/02/2024 06:01

This brought back horrific memories. Ugh.

cariadlet · 29/02/2024 06:05

I remember studying Kes for O level English back in the 80s. At one point the class are choosing teams for PE and nobody wants Billy.

Our English teacher said that if Billy had been popular then he would have been chosen even if he wasn't very good at sport.

That really made me feel like shit. I was always last or almost last to be chosen because everyone knew how rubbish I was at PE.

I've been teaching primary for 30+ years and have never had 2 children picking teams.

x2boys · 29/02/2024 07:01

wherearemywellingtons · 28/02/2024 21:56

I’m a teacher and we do this, with a different team leader each week to give all children a chance to pick. I firmly believe this is the correct decision.

Let me guess you were good at sports at school 🫢 yes all children may have a chance at picking but for every other week how do you imagine that child who.is always picked last feels?
Do think it's good for a child's self esteem to be humiliated week after week? I'm 50.and still remember how awful PE lessons were as I was. Always picked last or second to last
If you want to foster a love of sport maybe have a little think about that .?

Phoebefail · 29/02/2024 07:28

Again! Must look after our snowflakes, and another way of nagging a teacher in the same post.
Just tell them to get a grip and get on with whatever is in front of them. Life is unbalanced. Cope.

SoupDragon · 29/02/2024 07:31

Phoebefail · 29/02/2024 07:28

Again! Must look after our snowflakes, and another way of nagging a teacher in the same post.
Just tell them to get a grip and get on with whatever is in front of them. Life is unbalanced. Cope.

I was always last to be picked. The result was that I gave up on any kind of sport at all.

x2boys · 29/02/2024 07:45

Phoebefail · 29/02/2024 07:28

Again! Must look after our snowflakes, and another way of nagging a teacher in the same post.
Just tell them to get a grip and get on with whatever is in front of them. Life is unbalanced. Cope.

Not really I was from.a very non snowflake generation born in the 70,s I was neither sporty or outstandingly academic ,being picked last every week made me hate sport
We say kids need to.do more exercise but methods like this are just a popularity contest and are both cruel and unnecessary.

MinnieCauldwell · 29/02/2024 08:58

booksnbaking · 28/02/2024 17:15

"It actually probably gives the teachers insight into the dynamic of the class and the "pecking" order. It may also provide evidence of low level bullying?"

In my primary it was the PE teacher doing the bullying, and it wasn't all that low level either. Admittedly I was pretty useless at team games, but my God she made sure I stayed that way (apart from one glorious moment, one in 6 years of hockey, when I saved a goal). Every time I go on a solo hike now and peacefully gaze at the countryside around me, I think back to that horrible woman.

Glad to hear others do it very differently!

Likewise for me in secondary school, she bullied me relentlessly, so hate doing any exercise now and was left feeling humiliated and worthless. I have often thought about starting a thread in here to ask PE teachers why they are so mean, I guess they see un sporty kids like me as a waste of time.

MinnieCauldwell · 29/02/2024 09:08

Just to add I got my revenge, Thank You Friends Reunited....named and shamed.

Lovemusic82 · 29/02/2024 09:12

This needs to be stopped. I hated PE for this very reason when I was at school, I was rubbish at team sports so would always get picked last even if my so-called best friend was the child choosing (they still end up picking the sporty kids first as they want their team to win), it’s awful for the less popular or the kids that are not so sporty, it’s singles them out and makes them feel awful. It effected me a lot….probably more than anything else that happened to me at school.

iwiporangi · 29/02/2024 09:15

Millions of adults have managed to survive the 'children picking their own teams' issue without being scarred for life or having breakdowns.

Sue me

hookiewookie29 · 29/02/2024 09:17

justaboutdonenow · 28/02/2024 17:49

I hated it, as neither sporty nor popular I was always one of the ones picked last.

It doesn't do anything but put less sporty kids off playing sport.

This!
I've never been sporty, and was always picked last. It was sad an humiliating,knowing that nobody wanted you in their team. It's a horrible, outdated way of doing things
Our schools stopped it a long time ago.

Lovemusic82 · 29/02/2024 09:22

iwiporangi · 29/02/2024 09:15

Millions of adults have managed to survive the 'children picking their own teams' issue without being scarred for life or having breakdowns.

Sue me

What proof do you have that it hasn’t effected people or caused them issues. It defiantly knocked my confidence and made me feel worthless.

iwiporangi · 29/02/2024 09:28

Lovemusic82 · 29/02/2024 09:22

What proof do you have that it hasn’t effected people or caused them issues. It defiantly knocked my confidence and made me feel worthless.

Show quote history

defiantly?

what proof do you have that this process is scarring the precious little darlings for life?

x2boys · 29/02/2024 09:28

iwiporangi · 29/02/2024 09:15

Millions of adults have managed to survive the 'children picking their own teams' issue without being scarred for life or having breakdowns.

Sue me

Why do it to a child though I was that child that was always picked last
Yes of course I survived and no I don't dwell.on it apart from when I'm.reminded of it
But there are much fairer methods of picking a team than this
Why choose the cruel and uncessary one?