Swimming Gala..{or sports day}......Which do you think is fair???

[RTKangaMummy]

Kangaboy has his swimming Gala next friday

There are 4 lanes in the pool

So therefore only a maximum of 4 children in each race

When the children get to the end 1st, 2nd and 3rd get given a card to take to the score lady

So they get:

1st = 30 points

2nd = 20 points

3rd = 10 points

So all the points are put into the points table under whichever house the child belongs to

{Each child belongs to one of the school houses A,B,C, and D}

NOW I THINK THAT THE 4th PLACE CHILD SHOULD GET GIVEN A CARD SAYING 4th AND THEREFORE GET 5 points FOR THEIR HOUSE

EACH CHILD SWIMS 3 RACES and so may come in 4th place in each race and not get any points for their house.

Anyway wrote to the teacher in charge of swimming today suggesting this idea

We got a phone call from the Head this afternoon saying that Mrs F had passed the letter on to her and basically she says that in proper races there is never a prize for coming 4th

I know that already it is just that it does seem rather disappointing for the child who comes 4th in each race they are in, to feel when they finish that there is no one there to give them a card or that they can't earn any points for their house.

I know that if there are lots of children in a race you can't have 5th, 6th, 7th etc if there are lots of children

BUT the swimming pool only has 4 lanes

What do you think?

.

Thanks Snailspace and sufermum

Perhaps I should have got more parents to sign the letter as well, so it wouldn't have been just "one lonely voice in the wilderness"

I think they sould do 5 lanes so that two swimmers from each race get nothing. Though harsh, I think it's good life training and we shy away from competition all too often for fear of upsetting our kids.

4 lanes, 1 loser - that's slightly too harsh. Like a 'lose on penalties' situation.

Spider the prob is that there are ring thingys that the lane ropes go into at each end

Also if they were any narrower, ones like DS whose backstroke veers off to the side all the time would crash into the ropes more often than he does atm.

We say to him that he needs a rudder {he is left handed and one side is much weaker so he will swim diagonally accross the pool on backstroke if given the choice}

Yes, I don't have a problem with DS loosing or any other child it is just so sad when if they are 4th in the race that they don't get any points for the house total, so then if their house looses they then think it is their fault.

I am not explaining myself very well.

Message withdrawn

My school never did swimming galas but at our sports day we had 4 houses and each house had to put forward somebody for each event. Some events were difficult to get volunteers for eg long distance running (ironically my only strength).

Anyway you got a point for your house just for competing and I think that this is standard practice in school sports events. It doesn;t take away the competetivness but rewards pupils for making the effort to take part.

Thanks snailspace and Julie

I don't have a problem with children coming last

I just wish they could be rewarfded for taking part and trying their best

Although would love it for DS to come 1st 2nd or 3rd

If he can sort out his breathing he could do very well

He swims too far without a breath then runs out of air and then needs to gasp etc.