Anyone else been to a strange "sports" day!

[Bronte]

My DD's ks1 sports day must win the prize for the most sedate, slow, lethargic and lacklustre event ever organised. Most activities seemed to be at a walking pace. One of them involved the group having to make letters shapes on the floor using their bodies. Most of the kids looked bored to death. Us parents stood in silence looking bemused. Hope they get their act together next year as Olympic fever kicks in.

Our school does an activity based sports day with groups of children moving round different games, but they are all 'sporty' activities - skipping, scoring a goal, running between cones, egg and spoon etc - with points scored for each child completing within a time limit. Lots of cheering and shouting and general 'sportiness' - yours does sound rather tame Bronte!

this year the egg and spoon was banned - health and safety
also that fun race where you add clothes and ride a bicycle - health and safety

Soooooooooooooooooooo we had jump as far forward from a standing position as you can. [yawn]

throw the tiny square beanbag as far as you can [yawn]

In between the very exciting events the pupils filed in and out of the school at least 3 times whilst the parents stood around wondering wtf. No explanation, just in we go, out we go, in we go, out we go.

Load of bolleaux

Ive stopped going to 'sports day'. It was just like watching a pe lesson. No compettion, no winners and losers, no prises. It was a disgrace.

It's such a pity. Does anyone's school run a competetive, full of atmosphere energetic sports event? It can be done. We do it at our primary school.
Instead of chuntering I'll have a word with one of my DD's ks1 staff later this week.

I had years of the bloody "ten steps" at my kids primary school - where the kids go round loads of activities (eg running in and out fo cones, dribbling a ball, long jump) No competition, just "showing Mummy". The sports day required a vast amount of parent help to actually take place (mummies to man each "activity" and tick the childs score card. I suggested that if no parent volunteered the whole thing could not take place....

Sports day should be about competition, winners, losers, not this touchy feely rubbish where there are prizes for all.

oh you cannot possibly have 'competition' it would not be in the best interests of the child who may not win.

Nevermind preparing the children for the 'ups and downs' in life.

proper full-on cheering and jeering sports day at the DCs school, highly competitive, no health and safety nonsence, they do all the normal things including a good old tug of war. It's great fun, even the mums and dads have to put their running shoes on for the parents races...

bet that was an independent school sugar?

They don't buy into all this namby pamby stuff.

how d'ya guess...

I've said it before and I'll say it again - the way to balance proper competiveness with 'inclusiveness' is that you do it in teams or houses.

DDs school had fun (but def sporty) sets of activities in infants, with teams of about 6 kids. So they were all rooting for each other, all trying their best.

Juniors in 4 houses - proper sprint, hurdles etc, but also sack etc for the less athletic. Everyone participated, everyone cheered on to WIN.

sack race, good lord, that was also banned this year for us.

sugar - we have dc in both, I just knew what you were talking about!

We just had a morning with organised games where secondary kids came and played with them, e.g. parachute. It seems to be all against competition at the moment. What's wrong with a good old race/game? We all love to compete at things we feel we are good at.

On the other hand I have to admit that I hated sports days at school because I was crap at most things and had to do it all, so I wouldn't force anyone, but I am sure plenty of kids (and parents) would be up for a good old race.

Oooh you lot are making me feel great! I am PE co-ordinator at my junior school and we have had our practice sports day today.

It was FAB - the kids were divided up into their houses and their wins contributed points towards their running house total. Totally competitive, but totally great. I was so proud of the kids, as well. We are in quite a rough area and have more than our fair share of "challenging" behaviour. However, when they cheered on their team mates who were still valiantly ploughing on even though they had not won.... well, I was just really proud.

Kids need competition, I have no intention of changing the way we do things.

I second the houses Grimma because when kids aren't particularly able when it comes to sport they can still feel they've made a contribution!

Forgot to say, why on EARTH are sack races / egg and spoons, etc being banned?! Pathetic!

Ds's nursery has a competitive sports day. Mum & dad & staff races and all.

They hand out more rosettes than you can shake a stick at though so even the children who aren't so coordinated/fast (like ds) can come away with a chest full.

They all love it.

Mind you, the only good memories I have of sports day when I was a child was the two years where we did circuits so there were at least a few things I wasn't last at.

Most memorable was the high school sports day where I was in the same house team as one of the hardest girls in the school and she held me responsible for us losing. Got me a punch in the stomach every day for a term for that one. Happy days.

We do 'proper' sports days too. Egg and spoon, sack races the lot for the Infants. Juniors compete in their 'Houses'. Competition is encouraged here .

there also used to be a race with cups of water to fill the bucket in a team, poof it's a gonna.

Health and safety incase somebody slips over.

At mine nobody is allowed to cheer. It's not the school rules but the parents. I accidentaly shouted "Come on girls!" during DDs flat race and the LOOKS I got!

One Grandad shouted his grandson on and the others all looked like this

Twas laughable.

Competitive we haven't had a sports day since the parents started fighting over who won a race ... full on fistycuffs

My kids all ahve competitive sports days, using teh house system. And even though ds3 doesn't stand a chance (he's in an SN Base but attends MS sports day) they all cheer him loads as he finishes (long after the others). It works well on both the competition and the support level.

Besides, competition is fine IMO: DS1 also ahs some SN but is Vice Captain of the house that came first: his face when receiving the cup was magic! he's far betetr at sports than some of his other tasks, and as long as they reward other stuff- ds2 isn;t sporty but got a lovely note home about how helpful he is which is just as good IMO- then fine.

We ahd running, relays, long jump, discus (javelin at SNU but luckily a foam one!), and then a few fun races such as obstacle and slow cycling. DS3 did egg and spoon, might not have run fast but was so chuffed at the praise for not dropping it.

Mrz - oh dear! :D Sounds like we work in similar areas...!
HelloKilly (nice name!) - that is unbelievable!! Just....unreal!

Dc's school - circus of sporty activities for the infants. Full-blooded inter-house athletics for the juniors, with every child taking part in their 'best' track and 'best' field event for their house. Lots of cheering. Swimming gala for the juniors, ditto. Inter-school football, rugby, cricket, athletics, swimming.

Normal state school...

Blimey mrz!
DD's school have a fully competitive sports day... but they wisely stop short of allowing parents to race!

we had a proper sports day. sack race, egg and spoon.

parents race where you had to go up and under infant chairs