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?

Blu, if your son wanted to race I'd let him. If he does not enjoy it then he will not want to do it again and so be it. Are there other events he can compete in eg shot putt etc? Does it have to be running, may be speak to the teachers. Personally I think it is great your son is showing the enthusiasm to compete.
Additionally his humility in the dancing sounds lovely. Seems like you are raising a lovely thoughtful boy.

Yes, i think I will talk to the school.

I will also talk cunningly to Ds and guage his feeling.

I don't think he would have a whale of a time, tbh, he is very sensitive about his leg atm and hates being different, BUT if the school can ensure they have a range of events, not all competitive, and requiring a diversity of skill and luck, then it might work.

For what it's worth, i was very very sporty, and did atheltics to a serious competitive level as a teenager. But never felt there was a huge point to getting to the tape faster than anyone else. But i did enjoy it, for the fitness and for the pushing myself. The thing is, if you are serious about it, you want to be racing others who are equally serious,or against your own time. I think there should be competitive stuff for the committed sporties, or those who enjoy competition, and a range of fun activities for those who don't. It doesn't bother me two hoots that Ds is both naturally averse to competition (he'll still do well - you just watch!!) or that he's never going to win a race.

Sports day in ddc's Primary. FWIW, no grass, no field only the playground. Hard!
All classes are in PE teams of up to 7 or 8 and work together in relay fashion.
Goal shoot
Parachute fun (not competitive at all).
Small hurdles about 6 relays (size of A4 page on its side).
Stepping over a ladder (spaces) again relay.
Throwing rice bags (that kind of things) into hoops.

Its about having fun, cheering your team on, and helping each other. I expect in secondary school it will be different, but this non-competitive sports day, works OK for now.

Lots of competitve school clubs/activites which children can opt to join in like cross country, athletics, football, netball, swimming team.

It should be fun. There are sports centres outside of school.

dd did well in the high jump Blu She said the short run up and lie down on a big mattress suited just fine.

no, BGD, the point is he really doesn't like to compete, and especialy he hates racing!

BigGitDad I agre.

There is more to sport than individuals.

yes I agree, talk to school and DS. I suppose he's a bit too young for throwing type events that focus on upper arm....

havnt read all this thread, god its long! just thought i would add our school has just changed its sports day back to traditional competitive races as opposed to those stupid non competitive jumping through hoops and throwing rings events.

As parents we have been complaining for the last 3 years about this and when the teacher announced that they had changed the format back to individual races there was a spontanious round of applause.

It was a much better event, and as they all ran in their house colours you could cheer for your childs house even when they wernt competing.

Like soapbox we had a cunning relay event in which precision and a deft touch were as important as being able to move fast, Blu. I hope the school can make your fab ds' sports day enjoyable and uneventful
Also totally agree about the genuinely gifted athletes competing against their own "form". We have one child at the school who has been enrolled in some Future Champions thingy and is clearly VERY fast (she was off like Road-Runner while the rest of them were faffing around with their sunhats). They all had fun though and she looked neither smug nor disdainful.

LOL at your dd saggar - oooh, I could definitely hug her! . And LOL at getting friends to do her laps.

I will talk to the school and talk to DS and maybe (if he isn't completely baulking at the idea of sports day, find an excuse to give him a lift to the field instead of him doing the walk...)

LOL at saggars' daughter having a lie down on the mattress . Eeee, in my day it were a pit of gritty sand (etc)

Sorry blu

I agree with what BGD said in a general way, havn't followed your particular prob.

No Des, I'm not fucked off that someone else won the lottery last night. It's a game of chance and (as far as I know) there are no league tables regarding how shit your ability to win is.

I have no issue with you or your DC being winners or wanting to compete. My issue is with individuals with no choice, being made to compete when they know the outcome is public humiliation.

And as for "All kids are good at something. Kids know that". What a lot of bollocks! Not all kids are good at something. There are some kids that NEVER get to revel in the glory of WINNING. I'm not resentful towards winners however, just sympathetic to those who are forced to be publicly highlighted as 'losers'.

I'm not remotely interested in dogshit btw!

I have said (several times) that I enjoy competitive sports, just not COMPULSORY comptetisism. I don't understand why you keep comparing that to me wanting to ban sport????

i think, on reflection, i am rather glad my life isn't lik sport

and wouldn't it be LOVELY if all 16 year olds liked running around and doing pilates and exercising for its own sake?

Its a bit of a shame that some people only seem to be able to enjoy exercise if there is a competative edge.

I tell my ds that its ok not to win and the taking part is what counts but.... It feels bloody good to be a winner!
Welcome to the real world kids its very competitive... I dont see what all the fuss is about personally..Im competitive and i like winning.

thus far I haven't found the real world especially competative

and I haven't really used my skills in balancing a potato on top of a teaspoon nor running with my inside leg tied to someone else's who is a full foot taller, either.

Its supposed to be a bit of fun " no"?

just read the op and last few posts.

being forced to do competitive sports is horrible.

on the other hand, no recognition for doing well, whether at sports or otherwise, is horrible too.

my teenage ds' primary school was so keen on non-competitiveness that anyone who did consistently well at something never got praised or rewarded. the prize giving consisted only of prizes for improvemnet in diff. subjects or a prize for "the best smile" ffs.

I have to admit I am really torn over this.

I hated, loathed and detested sports day in the same way I hated, loathed and detested PE, football, rugby, cross-country and every other sporting type activity at school, which seemed to be designed with the aim of humiliating the less able rather than helping us to improve. Some of the attitudes of the PE staff would never have been tolerated in other subjects.

On the other hand, a) it is the chance for people who may not be especally academic to shine, and b) "non-competitive" sports days sound like a pile of bollocks to come out of some left-wing council in the 1980s.

Then again, we have the "medals for everyone" approach in academic subjects too, now, with nobody being allowed to be told they've failed an exam (just "deferred success") and 50% supposedly being good enough to go to university (yeah, right), so it is hardly surprising that sport has gone the same way.

I know just what you are saying UD, and feel much the same myself.

For me the answer is to re-centre the educational system.

The first thing that we have to do is to stop pretending that everyone is the same. As kids are not all the same. And they know that far better than we do. All this does is make the grown ups look like idiots.

The second and more imortant thing is that we stop seeking comparative sucess and start concentrating on indervidual sucess. We should be just as happy when children make real progess, regardless of where they are on the distrubution curve. And this will need a real change of ethos is the education Buisness. And this must be real and not a nod towards wishy washy fluffyism.

On eth whole kids are quite good at accepting that they are all different. We need to keep that going through secondary and into adult life.

And if we do this, it will help all the kids in the classroom, wherever they are. And it will help tem to be motivated, independent learners, for all their lives. And in the end that must be what education is all about.
(climbs off soap box)

Message withdrawn

Sounds like my school cod except we smoked No. 6

fio, last time i checked the olympics were NON COMPULSORY

I don't give a crap if people want to race against each other, I object to kids being forced to compete, I think its vile. And NOT in any way reflective of the real world.

Laney, I think based on comments here its bloody clear that a lot of people DIDN'T find it "a bit of fun". I don't think racing kids against each other is really a pursuit for a civilised country, tbh.