School PE lessons, children made to pick teams, disgusting or what

[DistingusedSocialCommentator]

I've just read a thread by an FM here asking if "schools were getting children to choose teams" and FM felt it was "old-fashioned"

Schools bang on about inclusion/fairness/caring/MH well-being, etc etc

FFS (sorry about my language) how the F does a child feel when they are the group of children who are almost the last ones to be picked???

What ruddy clowns at schools still allow this disgusting and ignorant method of choosing teams?? Are you not ruddy aware that this method of choosing teams can and does affect children's MH and can scar them for like

Any teachers here care to comment, or justify this ludicrously pathetic and ancient method of hosing teams??

does it go in your child's school or one you work in? If so, have you pulled up the culprits?

AIBU to believe this method of choosing teams is outdated and harmful to many of our DC?

Tomorrow, I will get on to the papers/radio and tv stations to outlaw this crass method of choosing teams in PE and other settings in schools.

They would quickly learn to stand apart to be on the same team!

I hated picking teams at school, but it generally only happened on the playground, not in lessons.

Dear me - do calm down! Yes it's a bad system, and I seriously doubt there are many schools which do it that way these days. The thread was about one school. Possibly just one class in one school. If you're really planning to go to the papers, maybe try sounding a little less bonkers about it. I doubt they would be interested anyway. What are you going to say to them - 'I read on an anonymous forum that one woman’s child's PE teacher in some school somewhere let the kids pick their team'? Seriously?

I was always picked last. It didn’t cause me any childhood trauma that has impacted my life

It taught me that there are things I am good at and there are things I am not. And other people will be better than me at certain things. A good lesson to learn

I am not against the 121212 option, but I certainly couldn’t get as worked up as you sound about the other way

Nice try.

I've already posted that there was a thread about this asking about this as they felt it was old-fashioned. I was a victim if this method, so it did touch a raw nevere when I read that thread, ok!

Thankfully our three children were leaders in their respective classes and our GC are on a similar path. It was me, becuse of the colour of my skin and the other one that was always last was the Irish lad - he was average at sports but was almost last from what i noted

I can't stand hypocrisy as schools beat on about MH well-being of all kids.

Thank you for your offer I'm not sure what your work status is but if you ever get a job where people get training days/team days and you are the last one to be picked, just ask, ok.

I don't know why you're getting such a rough ride, OP.

It's bleeding obvious that picking teams that way has the potential for mean, cliquey behaviour to flourish. I'm in my 50s and clearly remember the stress of waiting and hoping to be chosen (it had nothing to do with ability), the eye rolls and groans if a team was left with no choice but to take a particular kid.

Anyone would feel awful being treated like that or repeatedly left until last. As you pointed out, there are simple alternatives.

When was this please?

I left school towards the end of the 70's and in two team events the pe idiot teacher got their choosen leaders to pick their teams. IMO it can mark for life who may be last to be chosen because others see them as not fitting in. This just makes it worse for them

Why not use a better alternative like the one I and others have mentiond

Could have written this word for word.

We had an even worse idea when I was in 5th year(that would be year 11 in today's money.) The PE teachers decided we should learn "proper" dancing. So, in the gym, all the boys lined up on one side and all the girls on the other while the male and female teachers demonstrated how to do the next dance. Then, here's the killer, the boys had to choose which girl to dance with and cross the room to ask her. Of course what happened was a swarm of boys gathered around the popular and attractive girls, most of who then gradually decided to make do with one of the other girls. Then the final humiliation of the male teacher having to frog march the remaining socially awkward boys across the room to ask the least attractive girls "for the pleasure of the next dance."

Hideous. Being often in the group last to be asked I did toy with the idea of a minor injury to get myself out of PE for a bit. However, it passed.

Not mentally scarred by that or the traditional team picking method. Is anyone ever really?

OP you sound a bit unhinged

Grow up

I was always picked last for team sports because I was shit at them (probably would have been better if someone had bothered to explain the rules, especially for netball because I didn't have a frigging clue)

Hasn't scarred me for life - I'm extremely good at other things and still shit at team sports.

The problem with the 'it develops resilience' and 'they will find their talent elsewhere' is that some kids will not be good at anything at all.
I remember the 'sporty' kids also being top sets. I'm not sure I knew the sporty but lower academic kid scenario.
I have seen kids split into ' all forwards/ strikers here, wingers over there, defenders over there, then split evenly from there. Mix of abilities on both sides.

Please see earlier posts about lack of resilience hampering children's ability to cope in the real world ....and wise up

So?

Sorry - is the OP about choosing teams by any chance?

Thank you
The "rough ride" is by the entitled lot as some want to make out they lead. What they are missing is the whole point of this thread.

I hated it and feared this happening at work but thankfully our manger/s were on the ball but if they had not been, I or others would have said something. Thankfully at work, older and more assertive, I had my own group of workmates and would have been lead or picked quickly. However, I've never forgotten the humiliation I felt every time it happened at shcool, high school.

I'm far from perfect but the older I get, I always try to reflect on my behaviour and how this may impact others. I don't want to see children, adults made to feel small and I'm flabergasted that stupid ..... in school in some schools are still allowing this method,

I've just read a thread by an FM here asking if "schools were getting children to choose teams" and FM felt it was "old-fashioned"

BTW what is an FM. I don't think I have seen that acronym before and can't work it out.

It was done like this when I was at school (90s). I was always one of the last to be picked. I don't think it's affected my MH as such, but I hate team sports to this day due to experiences in school.

Is that aimed at your next-door neighbour?

I'm pretty good at almost everything I do but even I'm not yet a fully-fledged mind reader ATM

I agree that this is an outdated and horrible way to treat children
Am a bit shocked that in these days of inclusion this still goes on
A lot of overweight children will be last to be picked. This makes PE horrible for them and can put people off sports and exercise for years of adult life
I don’t think you will get that far with a media campaign though as fat is the last acceptable prejudice and from some posts here perhaps you have to have been damaged by this behaviour to actually understand how harmful it is.

So you're going to contact various media outlets and you expect them to change the law? Do you know how legislation works?

I'm like you but from what I've seen and read in recent 10 years is that more children, younger children are more mentally scared than I can ever recall.

Just reading the other thread threw me back to the high school days and some kids can be nasty, very nasty. As I said, I did not fit in, hence me being almost always last

YABU, OP. I was nearly always picked last for school sports teams. I didn't enjoy PE and wasn't good at it but it's not a big deal and I absolutely wasn't scarred for life. Children need to learn that they can't be good at everything. Stop trying to smooth the way for kids - they need to develop some resilience and know that shit happens.

Do you actually have to ask this?>>

It's not just about whether they are good or not though, there are bigger factors that creep in eg. she smells, he is fat and so on.

Correct

They've do it to mobile phones recently and its not the "law" but the terms and conditions of schools. I can't see a problem with it.

If you have a child/GC/step-child etc that was almost last or last being chosen for whatever reason and they told you, how would you feel, friend?