Non Competative Sports Days. I hate them

[castrolgtx]

Everyday the same children come out of school with certificates for good writing/reading/maths etc, but sports day can't be competative in case children are upset when they loose.
At the mum of two sports mad sons it drives me mad as it's their one chance to shine.
Anyone else agree?

In which case, Peachy, that's disgraceful ... and very unusual.

You fell victim to a twunt, but try not to let it colour your judgement of sports day for ever.

It's a sociable event in which all children can contribute. When I was a kid we had a boy in our year who was uber-intelligent and totally un-sporty.

He kept the scores. It was his job, and he bloody loved it, too.

Dr Northerner ... I'm still here

And Oi! You're extinct. And it wasn't nasty, not in context, believe me.

we fell victim to a school where most poele have to compete for a place (not us for various reasons) and the parents are all uber competitive themselves, and think we are wasting the palce of one of their lot.

We are as it happens, SALT and ASD advisor confirmed it today- but it takes time to get LEA to listen.

castrolgtx, having only read your opening posts, I know exactly where you're coming from. It's the same at our school. To be honest I just don't go anymore, it's that bad.

I think the problems are perhaps less about sports day itself and more about a schools lack of community spirit and inability to deal with bullying.

My primary school was horrid. I had the piss taken for years for not being able to tell the time and not understanding maths beyond times tables & adding up. The older children were intimidating and so were many of the parents.

DD1s primary school has year 6 buddies for Reception, sends the entire school on theme week visits together, mixes the years for lunch and special events (nativity, cooking for school parties etc) and the Head can spot rough playground play from 100 yards, blindfold. It has such a strong community ethos that bitchy parents who might laugh at children at sports day are so in the minority as to keep very quiet indeed.

I'm not nasty dinosour, just don't like being accused of laughing at or taking delight in SN kids losing so my ds looks good.

sorry to hear about your experience Peachy.

Surely there should be a middle road - competitive stuff for the kids that want it, something that gets the less sporty kids off their backsides but in a less intimidating way.

Exactly, dino. You've come on this thread quite late, and I'm sure you haven't bothered to trawl through the posts (nor would I).

But me and DrN and a few others have been accused of laughing at SN kids just because we like the idea of competitive sports days (for those kids who wish to compete). Not all kids are SN ... there has to be equity in the world, and if my sweaty, sporty little toddler comes first at something when he starts school, I wouldn't like to think that there were some people whose envy corrupted his achievements. Because as I've said (and others), I wouldn't let anything get in the way of applauding an SN kid, whether they came first, last or nowhere. Why should my kid be sneered at just because he might be good.

It's insulting ... and that's why we're still, unfortunately, here

That sounds nice duchessofnorks, I would love that for the ds's, but it ain't gonna happen here sadly- we got caught in a single school catchment where 70% of the palces are decided on merit (or cash I am told [grrrrr]) so a community doesn't exist, or rather it does but an exclusive one where we could never be admitted as we neitehr roll in cash, drive a Merc or do the school run in four inch stilettos! (thats true too, daft they look- I mean, why?)

We looked at a school with more of a community feel that absically took the 'rejects' from the local but couldn't work it logistically or would have gone for it, too far to walk though and dh not always back from work with the car by 8.30.

I do recognise there are better examples out there- but can only argue from my own experience and perspective.

Dh ahs abd memeories of sports day because DH was second best in the county, but best kid in county was also in their school- so poor chap never ever got a first in his life, which does rather seem a shame for him.

Interestingly we don't have any other competitive stuff at our school- its just sport. DS2 has the most wonderful imagination and loves art- would love to see him succeed. If more kids were rewarded in other spheres (inclusive ones- why shouldn't DS3 get a reward for sitting through snack if thats a major achievement) then I'd be happy I think. There is a star of the week but its been the same kid all term.

Explain yourself, dinosaur.

the SN thing can be put to any thread.

Yes it can Custy, as SN kids are oin ms schooling so need to be taken into account. Nothing worng with that. Isn't that the point of an open forum- so that all perpectives can contribute?

And desi i think the vast majority of us have agreed that non compulsory si fine. Aloha is aloha, I ahev a lot of time for her but you won't get her to change her mind. Ever.

And what about aloha's post that we enjoy laughing at SN kids coming last?

Aloha stated on here she does not care if she never sees a sporting event again, that you can't be competetive and have empathy, that all sports people are freaks and we don't need sporting heroes? That smacks of someone having a chip on their shoulder about sport in general for some reason. I didn't say she wasn't lovely.

FWIW my dh is a keen sportsman, he plays golf and squash competetively and has represented his county in ski-ing and cycling. He is not a freak.

That's cool, peachy. I don't want to change her mind.

But when someone consistently tells me that I am laughing at SN kids in some unproven, disjointed and hysterical manner, then I feel like kicking butt.

was that at me Northerner? because I dont see I should answer for Alohas opinions, and wont presume to do so.

Sorry no peachy it was at Dino. This thread is moving too fast.

out of interest does this thread boil down to those with sporty kids being pro competitive sports day and those without not?

is there someone on here with an extremely sporty kid that is pro non-competitive sports day?

is there someone on here who's kid has not a hope of winning a thing pro competitive sports day?

i guess what i am saying is i think often the original intention is misinterpreted as being discriminatory, when i cant think of anyone who would say that sports days are great becuase we can have a good laugh at the sn kids. or we can exclude the sn kids, or we can single out the sn kids.

the original argument is that sports days are seen as evil because they show direct and obvious competetiveness that can be great for the sporty children because they get to shinebut bobbins for the non sporty children becuase they dont.

i think this has been twisted.

I can't read this thread as I am still completely traumatised by the sight of my dyspraxic DD who has low muscle tone and hypermobility to boot, doing the sack race in what can only be described as an over sized red IKEA bag. It took her about 5 minutes longer than everyone to jump the ridiculously long way they had to jump and it was a sodding nightmare. The only good thing was that she did get a big clap when she finished which cheered her up no end. Up until last year it had been non-competitive.

I'm all for competition but it felt like public humiliation from where I was sitting and I'm thinking that possibly her hayfever might possibly be too bad for her to do it this year if my rain dance fails. I'm sure it's possible to do sports day so for those that it's their one chance to shine get a chance to do so without humilating the rest.

From Des "Why should my kid be sneered at just because he might be good." No-one should sneer at your kid for anything. I haven't read any examples of sneering at winners on this thread.

If your child is good at sports doesn't he get personal satisfaction from games/PE lessons? Why should he/she need to be glorified at the expense of some poor sod who is made to compete?

Soph not for me, I have one of each (stunning, midling and unable)