Sport at son’s school

[KatieJ2023]

Just wondering what the norm is at independent schools….son’s football team …:::: put together in September and then thrown into matches and tournaments with no practice sessions . Would you expect more?

What year is he?

Yep that’s normal. What year? They’ll all be in the same boat, although of course, many kids will have played in clubs outside of school. Same goes for hockey, rugby, netball etc - matches start pretty much straight away from Year 5 onwards.

Presuming they will be practicing during the week too, as well as holding regular matches?

Thanks. Thought it probably was the norm but just seems tough when they’re playing for clubs with great training and clear instructions to go to something that’s so vague and frankly so poor in terms of not being the slightest bit interested in who plays for clubs snd in which position and then to be told weekend school fixtures should prioritise club fixtures

How old?
They will get practice sessions as the term goes on won’t they.
School can’t really base their team decisions on what kids may or may not do at a variety of different non-school clubs. They could have kids from at least 4 different clubs. All in different or the same position. What if 10 of them all come along and claim they usually play striker?? They can’t all do that.
School will have to get to know the kids and sort their team out from there.
It is normal for them to start teams and fixtures pretty quickly. They work out pretty quickly who is more natural athletes who will make the strongest teams.

Normal. Go and speak to them if you want your dc to miss school matches for team matches. But don't expect your dc to win any school sport prizes!

Normal. DS1 (Y7) has played a couple of D team matches. Utter chaos, full of boys who’ve never played competitively before. Next term is rugby, which I’m dreading as he’s all limb and no heft and then the relief of cricket (he’s just got back into the county squad so is competent there). I’m sure some of the football mad kids will be a baffled by cricket as he is by football. It settles down in Y8, I’m told, and at his school in Y9 he can pick sports so will do who knows what in the winter and then cricket all summer unless something mad happens.

Thanks everyone. We were just a bit surprised but seems to be the norm so won’t worry. Just not what we’re used to from previous school.