Should sports day be optional?

[Nothinglefttosaynow]

I remember dreading sports day as a child, I was slow & awkward and always near the end if not last. It was public embarrassment for me & I dreaded it. My nephew has sports day next week & is already worrying about it. He is fit and healthy but not a fast runner & has come last for the past 3 years. I absolutely agree with kids taking part in sport at school & at home, but I wonder if forcing kids who clearly don't enjoy it to participate in front of a crowd is fair.

35965a · 17/05/2024 09:15
SonicTheHodgeheg · 17/05/2024 09:02

The people with excellent academic results often receive recognition at awards shows or have their name publicly published in the school newsletter or website.
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We don’t make the less academic children sit on stage and do an academic test and watch them fail directly in front of everyone, though.

Yes, and usually academic 'failure' is more private and far less of a spectacle! Nothing to see there - as opposed to someone like me coming last in every race and panicking.

Perhaps it depends on how sports day is handled.

At our school, the races are in teams (deliberately mixed ability so there's a spread of abilities) and performed in relays, so it's not really obvious which individual kid is performing well or not, as in the end it's the team, not the individual, who wins.

It works well, with the kids cheering for their team member, and the parents cheer for all their kids' team members as well as their own kid, so there's lots of support for individual kids going past, and even those who don't do brilliantly are encouraged on by many and applauded no matter what. It really is the trying and taking part. And any winning is a team win.

They always finish with a teacher & TA races which shows that some teachers are good at some things and others are not but they still try and take part. I suspect some love to ham it up a bit, getting in a tangle in sack races etc, for the amusement of the kids.

I wouldn't consider coming last/not performing to a high standard as 'failing'. I would be really proud of anyone who tried their absolute hardest in a race and came last, as they did the very fastest time they THEY were capable of.

Sports day itself shouldn't be optional but the events should be and there should be helper roles for those who don't want to participate in them. It should just be a nice outside day really, with a few events taking place. Tiddlywinks, marbles, hoopla, tin can alley and egg and spoon race should be options, rather than just the traditional athletics events.

Publicly beating the kid who can't run 20 metres in the 100 metres isn't really an achievement that sporty kids need to thrive. They can compete amongst themselves while everyone else enjoys the fresh air and sunshine.

I was truly terrible on sports day but I will never forget I once won in a relay race. I still have the certificate (from primary school and I’m 40). A genuinely proud achievement. I also enjoyed the egg and spoon race because even being fast isn’t an advantage there.

For me the lesson is that there should be more varied events / team events so the average people can feel some sort of achievement. I also think that sports are really important. We all need to exercise etc but I didn’t find what I was good at / what I enjoyed until long after I left school. I did find what I was good at. Even with running I’m now average not poor. Surprisingly as an adult I’m not the slow or unfit person in my friend circle.

More variety at sports day and inclusion / team activities are great.

In life you have to do things you don't like and since leaving school none of it has involved running pointlessly around a race track whilst being jeered and laughed at.

HTH

Totally agree. You can’t be the best at everything and not winning is an important lesson at life.

Often, it’s the less academic kids who finally have their moment to be the best at sports day, and rightly so. Children’s talents are all different.

Equally, to those saying that struggling with academic pursuits is largely less public, I’m not sure I agree. Kids aren’t stupid; they know each other’s level in maths, science, English etc., and whilst it might not be overt, every time they can’t answer a question in class, others will judge.

I think memories of horrible sports days/school PE in general are a big part of why so many girls drop out of any regular sport or physical exercise as soon as allowed to. We have a significant problem of women becoming physically inactive as we get older, and I think that the focus on competitive sports at school is part of that problem. I wish that my school had included non competitive exercise options such as dance, aerobics etc as these would have been fun and accessible to all. Unfortunately if you weren't any good at netball, tennis or hockey then PE lessons, and sports day, were a misery.

Sports day (primary school) consists of a range of activities from sprint to bean bag throwing. Mine would throw a bean bag up in the air and it would land about an inch in front of her 🤣 but its fun. If your kids find throwing a bean bag or doing one sprint where there will be many last as only 5 run at a time stressful; then increase their resilience and get them doing a sport to improve their confidence. All kids (well and adults) should be doing some sort of sport/exercise regularly for their physical and mental health. So much to choose from; swimming, football, gymnastics, ballet, archery, cheerleaders, long jump, cricket, martial arts, badminton, canoing, skateboarding, climbing, trampolining, roller skating, basketball, yoga, curling, golf, fencing, table tennis, dodgeball, rowing, numerous biking sports etc etc. All kids should be doing something and gaining confidence in their physical abilities.

No, not optional. But inclusive.

That’s because you’re a mature grown up and not a group of 13 year old girls laughing.

I agree, I had to do sports day I sucked at it, but if I hadn't done it after having a hard time through most of school at sport day I would never had learnt I was good at cross country running and I didn't have to do that till the last few years

I was thinking of this thread at my son's sports day this week. Especially when I came third last in the mums' race .

Sadly, if you tried to cancel Sports Day too many of those competitive parents (you know, the ones who love to win the Mum's Race?) would complain "oh no but it's tradition!"

I don't think you can compare it to SATS - these are an important part of reviewing children's learning. Sure, some kids are more academic than others, but it's not as black and white as that. You're not "academic" or "sporty". You might be neither, or average at both.

It's the performance anxiety that is the issue here. So many kids hate it, even if they are good at sports, fit and active.

Like all competitive sports (playing in the football/netball/hockey team) or other types of school performance (school play, choir, band) it could be optional for those that enjoy it. It's just not any benefit to children without giving them choice.

It is NOT inspiring those less active kids to be more active. They should make Sports Day about trying new, different, exciting and fun sports and activities, without parents even needing to be there. I think it would be so much more inspiring.