to think that getting 8 year old (unsporty) DD to run the 200m sprint at sports day is indicative of PE teacher's sadism??!

[misspollysdolly]

DD (8) goes to a private school, (Before you start, please don't get all arsey with me over this very fact alone - our choice, her particular needs, etc, etc), where there is quite an organised and 'secondary school' (at least based on my experience) approach to sports and games. Moving from safe, fun infants/pre-prep to juniors has been daunting for us all - much more akin generally to my experience of secondary school - timetables, daily homework, expectation to be very much more independen generally and MORE emphasis on proper sports than I think is really necessary, frankly!

She is not sporty though has been very willing/happy to learn the games they have been learning this year(hockey, tennis, netball, rounders).

Anyway, she came home from school today saying that she has been chosen by the PE teacher to run the 200m (possibly for her house - or year 3? not sure) - (out of a possibility of 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 - blardy hell, methinks) after she came LAST in the 50m they'd just been practising - oh, and that she hasn't told anyone, but that she really doesn't like running (Not surprised!!).

Not really sure why I'm feeling wound up about this, but I just feel really sorry for her that she's been told she has to run this race that - for her, at least - will be difficult and blardy long, if nothing else.

I guess I also feel sad that her days of carefree egg and spoon races are over in place of inappropriate (relative to age) and frankly rather unnecessary sprints and distance races. Hardly likely to instill a love of exercise or competition is it?! Also isn't it a bit cruel insensitive of PE teacher (weird woman) to give her something that she will know is far beyond her capabilities.

AIBU?

Sorry for the rant, just no-one at home to sound off to!

PE teachers are sadistic - it's in the job description!

At least it's not the 600! Can you practise with her?

200m is not far for an 8 year old really.

Why would running for 200m be 'beyond her capabilities'?

Nothing wrong with a bit of a challenge. I think you should be supportive and tell her you believe in her, she can do it, it's not all about coming 1st but about personal improvement, etc.

Dont think 200m is that far, she has to do somethign doesn't she, it could be worse...

I was crap at sports at school and always had to do the really long one- (1500m?) it was about times round the track. So embarrassing coming last every time and about 10mins after everyone else had finished. Wish I had just had the balls to say Im not doing it!

I don't think there is anything wrong with encouraging exercise and this is after all the key issue here.
Go out and pratice with her and show her how much fun it can be.

It's not far. At least she isn't being made to do something like hurdles where the potential for humiliation is massive (beleive me!).

Sorry but don't see what the problem is? Surely your child should be encouraged (by yourself) to take on and enjoy the race which she has been selected for?
She will probably surprise you by really enjoying it - no matter where she finishes! - and feel like she has acomplished something she thought would be difficult.

dd is 6, smallest in Year 2 and having to practice running 200m , so definitely not beyond an 8yr old imho. They probably all have to run one race and maybe she stands a better chance at that distance, and is pitched against those fo similar times, than the others.

i think YABU.

what is wrong in encourgaingh children to attempt to do these things? 8year old dd turned out for cross country earlier this year, came near the back (she is asthmatic and finds running hard) but really enjoyed it as a group activity, and she liked partaking in it.

alos think 200 ms well within limits of an 8 year old, also even if she comes last she will probably score apoint or 2 for her house and most sports days are about the cummulative score for the house , so i think you should encourage her to have a go and do her best as all efforts contribute to her house score, if you do not like this competitive approach to games/pe why did you send her to a school which does it ??

200m isn't that far and they obviously think she can manage it.

Now, what is unreasonable, is expecting yr 6 girls, who have clearly reached puberty, to do the sack race! Poor kids! Boobs all over the place!

Hmm, I'm not sure the PE teacher was being sadistic. I suspect the shorter events are very competitive re the "good" runners and the longer events are more of a grind. I suspect they may shove all of the middling children in the middling events together.

And I don't think it's such a good idea to allow children to be totally 'unsporty' these days. Having been an unsporty child I spent years avoiding exercise until my late 20s when I discovered that I loved it. Not a healthy ideal . The competitive thing might be an issue but that tends to be the case in private schools IME.

Actually the 200m is a crappy event to put her in, I used to be in my county athletic team. 200 m is a long sprint, worst for non sporties imho than 100 or 400.

I am parent to a seriously non-sporty (how could she be???) dyspraxic DD who is 8 and goes to private school - god she hates X-country(interhouse X-C is 1 mile)! I go out running with her to help her get used to it.

But her school are supportive of her efforts and I find that does make a difference, she got an award for effort and improvement at prize giving.

Poor your DD, it's tough being non sporty in a sporty school.

Surely 200 is better than the 400? The 400 sprint is a real lung-buster.
The 200 should be fine and an 8 year old should be able to complete it.

I guess that for an 8yo, 200m wouldn't be treated as a sprint? DS2 (9)is representing his school in a sprint, and that is just 80m. Perhaps teacher thought she would prefer jogging along in a longer distance to running full out over a short distance.

yes 200m is quite a stint for a sprint, the 100m would be better for sprinting. Although if she will be just running, then 200m is nothing for an 8yr old. My dd does it with ease.

its not a great idea to let your dd be unfit and unsporty at her age; one of the best things about being a child is joining in with all the sports/athletics and being fit.

Why is it "beyond her capabilities"? Does she have health problems??

You sound a little daunted by the whole experience, not just the sports side. Would it comfort you at all to know that timetables, regular homework and an expectation to be fairly independent are the norm not just for this type of private school but for ordinary state junior schools as well. It is generally considered a good thing for 7/8 year-olds to take this step into a more mature way of working.

It may of course be that your dd has some health problem that means that the race is really beyond her capabilities, but if all you mean is that she is likely to come last- why somebody has to, surely? If your dd is removed from the race then it will be somebody else's child. But the fact that a child came last in one race is not a reason not to let them run races- they'd end up with only one child running!

What do you expect from a PE teacher? Could be a lot worse than a shortish 200m. Count your lucky stars.

Dd1 was picked by the PE teacher to do the triathlon at an inter schools event this week. One of the events was the shot putt and she's never putted a shot in her puff.

I kind of knew I was being a bit unreasonable when I posted, but just wondered what the response would be from you guys.

I have actually tried to be really positive with her about it - suggesting we go to the park and practice running, encouraging her to enjoy taking part, jollying her along generally - and she actually seems quite positive about (told DH over teatime quite hapily).

And no it certainly isn't an issue of us being anti-exercise and or unfit - multitasker - particularly not the key issue, she takes part in activities in and out of school and is relatively fit/not overweight etc.

She doesn't have a health difficulty it will directly affect her ability but she does have issues around self-esteem and I guess I am nervous for how she will cope with the possibility of coming last - we already struggle with the fact that she notices not being so good at sports (in particular - and some other things) as her peers.

On reflection I suspect some of my immediate reaction was my own memory of athletics at school which I loathed - was a relatively fat and asthmatic quiet girl who spent the whole year dreading the 1500m (and any other frankly) and always felt completely humiliated (and half dead!) on finishing any race. So I acknowledge that I'm perhaps projecting my own memories and insecurities onto how I feel about this a bit. Is that unreasonable too? I guess so long as I keep them in check with DD...

Incidentally - mummydoc - the reason she is at that particular school is the small class sizes and it's (generally) good pastoral care, plus the fact she will be at the same school from 3 til 18 (potentially). All very important and relevant reasons for her individual needs. She is NOT there simply because they do sports!

Thank you Marmadukescarlet for you support!

Maybe the teacher has noticed that she has more stamina than some of her classmates, so although she may not be the fastest at shorter distances, she stands a good chance at getting a good place in the longer race.

As long as she flings herself into it with good grace, and does her best, that's great.

And a good school will have ingrained all the pupils that the ethic that they should congratulate the achievement of every team member - whether first or last.

I hope she has fun.

in all the pupils

I sometimes haul my carcass through running events, and the overwhelming ethos is always one of respecting and cheering the very slowest. Hopefully your school will manage this.

I do know where you are coming from, I have a 9 year old DD with dyspraxia. But I think this is one of the many times you need to keep a determined smile on your face and keep doing the encouraging bit as you are doing.

You never know, she may surprise both of you. I am still mentally scarred after DD and the sack race in Year 2, so was somewhat apprehensive when DD came home and said she had volunteered to take part in an athletics taster session at the local upper school. She went and although she was last in a lot of stuff she got a lot out of it and actually it boosted her self esteem that she took part.