Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that girls weren't allowed to do triple jump at school in the 90s?

181 replies

ImRonBurgandy · 03/08/2024 19:48

Just that. I definitely remember (secondary 1990-98) being told that we couldn't do triple jump as it could damage our insides?

OP posts:
EmbarrassingMother · 03/08/2024 20:50

I did triple jump in the 90’s in year 7/8. Also did pole vault and javelin. And shotput. We also played cricket with real cricket balls and without any pads or helmets. Health and safety obviously wasn’t an issue back then

FretfulPorpentine · 03/08/2024 20:51

TeaGinandFags · 03/08/2024 20:20

Our cross country went past the chippie so we all arrived back at school smelling of vinegar.

Show quote history

We went to my friend Maria's house for a cup of tea. Her mum was always pleased to see us.

MrsMitford3 · 03/08/2024 20:51

SilverPuffin · 03/08/2024 19:55

I started (a girls) high school in 1995 and we definitely did triple jump in athletics, called it ‘hop skip and jump though’.

Edited

Exactly!! Hop skip and jump. Much girl-ier 😂

ChubSeedsYorkie · 03/08/2024 20:53

I was at school in 2000s and I don’t remember this but I do remember that girls weren’t allowed to do 400m and instead had to do 300m. I even remember doing a 600m instead of an 800m which the boys got to do. I really hope this isn’t the case anymore at school.

5foot5 · 03/08/2024 20:54

Notsureaboutusername · 03/08/2024 20:41

In the 1970’s I remember being told girls could not do the Triple Jump as it would damage your womb!!!!!! I really was not bothered either way.

I was at secondary school in the 1970s and we definitely didn't do the hop, skip and jump, though the boys did. I don't recall ever being given a reason.

Our athletics events tended to be based around the ones you got points for to earn the AAA badges, do I guess if it wasn't officially recognised as a girls event we wouldn't do it.

Only the boys did pole vault too.

We didn't do cross country either, but that was apparently because the senior mistress believed it wasn't nice for the girls to get sweaty and muddy!

DaveWatts · 03/08/2024 20:56

Softleftpowerstance · 03/08/2024 19:56

It was called hop, skip and jump at my school in the 90s and girls were allowed to take part. We weren’t allowed to run the 1,500m though as we were told our bodies couldn’t cope with it.

This is so funny, we weren't allowed to do the 800 but the 1500 was apparently totally fine 🙄

SkankingWombat · 03/08/2024 21:06

I started secondary in '95. We did the triple jump along with every other track & field event except for the hammer and pole vault. I hated getting sand in my socks from the triple and long jumps, but quite liked high jump and javelin. I made sure I was injured on the days we had to do any longer runs... 😬 We also did rugby, football and cricket too plus the usual 'girls' and 'unisex' sports (by old fashioned labelling).

MiddleAgedLurker · 03/08/2024 21:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the OP's request.

WorriedMama12 · 03/08/2024 21:18

I did the triple jump at school in the late 90s early 2000s. What exactly did your school say it would do to our 'lady parts'?? Lol.

PoliteOtter · 03/08/2024 21:19

Baffled by this. Pretty sure we did all of the above. 90s secondary. Not football, rugby or cricket though. Or 3000m but this was surely negated by endless cross-country running in a very hilly area.

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 03/08/2024 21:20

I was at secondary school at the same time as you and did it. For some reason, despite not being at all athletic, I thought that, provided I got the timing right with the hop, I would gracefully fly through the air. That didn't happen! It was very disappointing. And very sandy.
We did the 1500 but were told that they didn't expect more than one or two of us to be able to run the whole way. I was baffled to get to Uni and find people running 5k and enjoying it.

mitogoshi · 03/08/2024 21:20

Triple jump and Pole vault were only added to women's competition relatively recently.

LuluBlakey1 · 03/08/2024 21:21

We did triple jump but called it 'Hop, Skip and Jump.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/08/2024 21:22

I think we did it in the 90's.

LuluBlakey1 · 03/08/2024 21:23

Never did pole vault and was too scared to do javelin. Rubbish at shot. I only really could do running but hated it. I preferred tennis, badminton and squash. Hated netball, lacrosse and trampolining and gymnastics.

didyoudothat · 03/08/2024 21:23

I did hop, skip and jump in the early 1980s
Don't remember any different treatment from boys at my school

Plmnki · 03/08/2024 21:30

Bloody hell this is bizarre. Was born 1968 and this was totally fine in school (I was quite good at it). Weird nonsense about lady parts sounds like a sketch show not reali life. What on earth happened (that is relevant to this) in Britain between say 1980 and 1998?

Pirrip · 03/08/2024 21:32

Girls' school 1970s - we did triple jump and, like another poster, cricket.

damebarbaracartlandsbiggestfan · 03/08/2024 21:32

Good Lord I'm really shocked by some of these anecdotes. I was in the equivalent of todays year six at my first secondary school in 1988, and at both that secondary, and the next one I attended after we moved house, girls were fully encouraged to take part in all sports.

KreedKafer · 03/08/2024 21:33

We did it at my school, and I was at secondary school 1987 - 1992. All girls’ school too.

Growlybear83 · 03/08/2024 21:33

We did the triple jump when I was at school in the 1970s.

damebarbaracartlandsbiggestfan · 03/08/2024 21:34

I'm envious of those that got the chance to try pole vault, neither of the secondaries I went to let any of us kids do that! 😄

ViciousCurrentBun · 03/08/2024 21:34

I did triple jump at school and I remember because I was bad at it and also long jump. I was however a decent distance runner.

GreenShady · 03/08/2024 21:40

Yup - at school in 80s and girls weren't allowed to do pole vaulting.

SockQueen · 03/08/2024 21:41

1995-2002, private school. We did triple jump, though I was shit at athletics so opted out of it as much as possible. I don't think either sex did pole vault. I once got forced to run the 1500m for my house on sports day, walked half of it and got disqualified. Didn't play rugby or cricket but I think that was partly not having enough staff to coach it/girls interested in playing (quite a small school)