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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

No sports day at our school because...

106 replies

thumbsucker · 13/05/2010 13:18

I overheard my son's headteacher this morning talking to a parent about the reason they don't have sports day at my son's infant school. Apparently it excludes those who are less able. I say POPPYCOCK and how are we ever going to have any great sports men and women with attitudes like that ffs. thoughts anyone?

OP posts:
GreatGooglyMoogly · 13/05/2010 13:59

YANBU.

At the dcs school for sports day the teachers put out loads of stations like ride the tricycle around the cones and back, bounce the ball to the line and back, etc; the children are divided into teams of about 6 (mixed classes) and each team goes to a different station. One of the teachers has a whistle that she blows for them to start the station and then again 1 or 2 minutes later to stop and move to the next one. There are no points kept and no winners or losers, it is just fun with sport!

troublewithtalk · 13/05/2010 13:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ArsMamatoria · 13/05/2010 14:09

What litchick said about learning to lose gracefully...

junglist1 · 13/05/2010 14:16

What a truckload of nonsensical bending over backwards to be seen as PC cack

Lonnie · 13/05/2010 14:19

in the 3 primary schools I have had children in they have not had induvidual sports days in as far as there was no main winner they divided into teams and then again into groups and the 2 teams competed against each other perhaps suggest that way forward as it is also important for us to teach children about winning and loosing easier to take though if half the school has lost with you

ABatInBunkFive · 13/05/2010 14:21

Sports day is a chance for those who don't often shine academically to be recognised for something.

Our school does sports day but gives no certificate or reward to the winners as they are 'all certificated out'

Now if they stopped handing them out for trite like was nice to someone/had good handwriting/was polite every five seconds they wouldn't be.

Whats with rewarding rubbish but ignoring an actual achievement?

MumInBeds · 13/05/2010 14:21

My dd's infant school has a sports day but it isn't open to parents to come and watch. I was a bit unhappy about it to start with but I guess we don't go in and watch (and clap and cheer) them do their spelling tests and so on.

Original poster
thumbsucker · 13/05/2010 14:21

laughingoutloud at junglist1's comment. hear hear

OP posts:
Original poster
thumbsucker · 13/05/2010 14:24

ABatInBunkFive I agree. In the words of Mr Incredible 'when will we stop celebrating mediocrity?'

OP posts:
HanBanan · 13/05/2010 14:28

They just can't be arsed to do it I reckon....for a good excuse pull out the PC card. Ironic that it's actually very UNinclusive!!!

HanBanan · 13/05/2010 14:29

I mean uniclusive not to hold a sports day where everyone can join in in some way.....

Tidey · 13/05/2010 14:32

They should have an activities day where the children are put into teams instead. Then there would be a mixture of abilities in each team and they benefit from learning about teamwork and cheering on people they wouldn't normally mix with.

I see nothing wrong with normal sports days, but know of a few schools where they do this instead, to avoid the children getting sad/angry when the same few kids win all the races.

troublewithtalk · 13/05/2010 14:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

follygirl · 13/05/2010 18:06

My dd's school has an old-fashioned competitive sports day where they get a sticker telling them where they finished. She ran in about 6 races or so and I think her best result was a 2nd. That wasn't the point really, she and her classmates loved running and competing in front of their parents and despite the fact that they knew if they had done 'well', it didn't bother the ones who didn't do 'well'.
I remember not being that good at athletics as I run like a complete spanner but it certainly didn't scar me mentally. I personally think it's ridiculous that children don't learn the skill of losing, it's as important a skill as winning.

immiee · 13/05/2010 18:10

I hated sports day! I can't catch, run, throw or jump and never could. I would've loved a cancelled sports day! Having said that my nephew loves running about and although he's not the best at sports he really enjoys sports day and P.E. So I do get the point of it, but I still shudder when I think of relays!

Wineonafridaynight · 13/05/2010 18:16

I hates sports day. It makes me feel sick thinking about it. I don't think it should be banned though but if people don't want to take part they should be allowed to opt out. I only think that because I had such a bad experience though!

Galena · 13/05/2010 18:18

In the school I used to teach in the Sports day included both competitive and non-competitive aspects - there were traditional races, a team volleyball-type competition and then some non-competitive activities. All children circulated to each 'station' and cheered on the competitors in the competitive bits or participated in the non-competitve. Those who were not so good at running played in the team game.

lottiejenkins · 13/05/2010 18:21

My ds goes to a special school. Its always so fantastic to see the effort the children put in. My sister came one year and within five minutes she had tapped me on the shoulder and she had mascara streaming down her face from crying. She just said "you didnt tell me not to wear mascara!!"

maggotts · 13/05/2010 23:27

troublewithtalk - we have the same soap box

Have actually just been driven to moving DD2 to a new school due to completely and utterly crap attitude to any kind of PE/Sport at her old one.

Don't even want to think about the PC-team based crap that was her old Sports Day (and I speak as someone who works in team building and completely sees the point of it when relevant).

titchy · 14/05/2010 08:57

It's the public aspect that gets me. Sure there are plenty of kids who aren't good at rreading, maths etc - but their lack of ability isn't put on show for everyone to see. Their houses don't lose points becuase they are crap at maths. They don't feel like they've let their classmates down becuase they came last in a spelling test.

TheFallenMadonna · 14/05/2010 09:03

DC's school have teams and a mixture of events. So the really good athletes get to run/hurdle/jump etc, and the "less-able" get to do the dressing up race and the egg and spoon and such. Everyone takes part. everyone contributes. Everyone knows who the good ones are and everyone cheers on whoever is representing their team. I like it. So does speedy DS and slow DD.

cory · 14/05/2010 09:04

I bet it's got nothing to do with concern for the less able and everything to do with head being lazy.

I too hated sports day and it used to make me feel sick, but then I realise that it is quite possible that essay writing used to make some of my mates feel sick.

But agree with the public awards aspect. Never any public awards for academic effort in my schools and certainly no place where the public could come and watch children coming last in the maths stake or being shouted at by their mates for not writing a better history essay.

However, a headteacher with an ounce of imagination ought to be able to organise a sports day that is fun for everybody.

CMOTdibbler · 14/05/2010 09:06

I hated sports day - got really anxious and sad about it in the run up every year. Can't run, vision issues mean that throwing/catching/hitting never worked. Being publicly humiliated because I was going to come last in everything, or hold the team up was terrible.

It was the only thing at school that your failings were publicly displayed - similar to making everyone stand up and do a maths test in front of the parents and demonstrating just how they did.

I had no arguement with those who wanted to compete doing so, and being feted for it - just in forcing everyone to do it whether they wanted to or not

oldandgreynow · 14/05/2010 09:09

'FFS, some kids are less able at maths, reading, writing etc, are they going to abolish that at school too??'

But just to play devils advocate, they don't ask children to compete in reading and maths in front of all the parents, grandparents, old Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all !
Our school have yearly reasoning (basically intelligence) tests and the results are kept very secret from even the other children.Why should those who are less sporty not be given the same protection?

'For a child who is not academic, sports days can be their opportunity to shine.' well yes,except that IME it is the same children who are good at everything!

'what about encouraging the 'less able' to aspire to something like the paralympics?'

what! Our DC should aspire to having a disability!

TheBride · 14/05/2010 10:16

I will add this to my "why I must not contemplate state education for my children even though I had a really positive experience myself" list.

This is No 2 on the list.

No 1 is the thread about the child who was not allowed to take a book from the school library because it was a Year 8 book and she was year 7.

The cult of mediocrity encouraged by the bulk of state schools terrifies me. How does a completely uncompetitive environment where "all must have prizes" equip children to cope with life?

To be honest, sports day is like horse racing - people only remember who won, not who came 6th/7th/8th so the unathletic need not fear that their failures will be remembered.

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