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Secondary education

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DS Has to play Rugby in new school at Yr 7. Advice to encourage him - he's totally non-sporty!

15 replies

JandLandG · 27/08/2012 02:08

Long title, but I hope it explains.

Our boy is the very opposite of sporty despite us always being encouraging. He's also very small for his age which probably contributes to his lack of interest in playing.

In secondary school he obviously has to join in games (rugby and football), but this is totally new and alien to him; he'd much rather read or draw.

We've got him his new kit etc including his first pair of football boots (much to the amusement of his younger brother, 4, who's had footie boots for over a year!), and taken him out for a kickabout, but he just totally shuts down.

He likes swimming and has plenty of energy for running around parks etc, but team games he'll just reject totally.

So any advice to help us/him get into it?

He's starting a new school and he'll do well academically, but we don't want him appearing to be negative/unenthusiastic at sport....it'll just create a bad fist impression, obviously. I mean, he couldn't just not do, for example history, if he didn't fancy it, could he?

Anyway, I'll leave it with you, but we need a strategy to get him to open up and at least start to join in with PE/games...any thoughts/experience with non sporty ones when they start secondary?

Many thanks in advance

OP posts:
NellyJob · 27/08/2012 02:15

leave him to it really....not a whole lot you can do, is there?

fairyfriend · 27/08/2012 02:24

This is the best example of overthinking I've ever seen.
And why on earth have you started 3 threads?

NellyJob · 27/08/2012 02:42

5

Toughasoldboots · 27/08/2012 04:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 27/08/2012 04:23

Don't worry. On day 1 the pe teacher will identify 30 big, sporty lads who will comprise the first and second fifteens. Everyone else will be studiously ignored for their entire time at the school. Has been forever this Grin

Knowsabitabouteducation · 27/08/2012 06:37

Answered on other thread

senua · 27/08/2012 11:05

In our school everyone starts off playing rugby. Everyone. So the D team is made up of, um, D-team players. Your DS won't be the only reluctant / newbie player, he will be with 14 others in the same boat.

The great thing about rugby is that all the positions are specialised. Turn this on its head and it means that there is a position for everyone, even your small-for-his-age DS.

Kez100 · 27/08/2012 11:07

My son is Dsylexic and would rather not study English or, in fact, anything which requires reading or writing. However, he has coped and learned a certain resiliance and grown in his ability to face difficulties. Your son will do the same.

SoupDragon · 27/08/2012 11:13

The school will have seen it all before. Stop worrying about it.

They aren't going to shove him on a field to play against the Under 16 A team.

Ingles2 · 27/08/2012 11:25

we he can't just reject it can he... he'll have to join like everyone else and he'll quickly find the other kids who don't like team sports either.
Just don't make a big deal of it, I'm sure he'll cope!

JandLandG · 28/08/2012 12:32

Hey, thanks so much for the positive contributions here...always nice to share ways of empathising with and supporting the children, isn't it?

Sorry to have annoyed you, Old Boot; we'll put that down to the 4am post, shall we?

Any other thoughts welcome.

Ta!

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 28/08/2012 12:42

Did you mean that to sound so rude?

Toughasoldboots · 28/08/2012 12:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Toughasoldboots · 28/08/2012 12:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoupDragon · 28/08/2012 12:45

Oh, I know. :)

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