DD skiving P.E.

[horsygirl]

My daughter seems to be getting teased for her lack of prowess on the sports field. She volunteered for an inter form netball match and then came home from school ill. She's never done this before (pulled a sickie) I'm worried about her. The other girls are apparently teasing her for chickening out. Help I don't know how to handle this. I used to hate p.e at school - it was a miserable time spent feigning period pain!

Any advice please?

She's 12 btw

Can sympathise becuase I was also teased for lack of sportiness - including by PE teacher.
Finally replied that I'd much rather be able to read, write and so maths as it probably would help me get a job whereas being able to hit a rounder wasn't very high on job descriptions (or something along those lines).
My 'punishment'? I had to spend every PE lesson in the library!

She is a sensitive soul though. I'm worried it'll snowball

Do they do a variety of sports at the school instead of just netball/rounders/field sports?
Once we got into 4th year and started doing hockey & badminton it wasn't quite so bad.

I'm not sure. I think I might make an appointment to see the form teacher. She's been moved down a group in maths too and I wasn't 'in the loop' on that decision. I don't have much confidence in them to be honest.

I loathed PE in my secondary school as we had to do hockey which was my idea of hell - however, in the second term, you had the option of starting fencing instead which I leapt at as it was indoors, in the warm and was an individual rather than team sport - I loved it and never had to do hockey again

Def find out if there are other sporty options - I know some schools are offering things like aerobics or dance mat sessions to make PE more attractive to teenage girls

That is so unfair. She needs to rise above it. Just gently encourage her to ignore them and keep on trying her best. You know, I couldn't catch a ball untill I was about 14. I just was a late bloomer, after that was really good at P.E. And my p.e. teacher in yr 6-7 was an absolute BITCH. Just nasty and had faves, and I was the one she hated because I wasn't good at netball. Then funny old thing, once we got in to athletics season and she realised I was a decent long distance runner, she got all encouraging. I was like 'yeah, respect...'
Now if she could see me, county xc runner and district track champ in teens and still county, southern, nearly international runner. So scwrew the teachers, screw the childish classmates, because everyone can find an activity they are good at. She may just have not had a chance to try it yet. My friend couldn't run for love nor money but was a county swimmer. She may be good at dance, gym, cycling ect ect, so let her try as many things as she likes, and she will get more confidence when she can build on it. Even if she is not great at an official sport as such, she may be very talented at something else, and just keeping in good fitness will be enough to keep everyone happy! Exercise and sport are very everyone, not just athletes. Keep us updated xxx

And I should say that your dd could demonstrate expceptional maturity by, in response to any piss taking, just pretending she hadn't heard, and then saying 'hey, could you show me how to...' or 'I like it that you do... this way... show me how'.
While she is being kind by doing this to perhaps undeserving kids, they will like it and will want to show off their skills and feel in control and needed, so they will perhaps stop bitching, and your dd will learn a few skills too!
I twigged this method when I was 13, and my classmates were always happy to show off and then take prode in the fact that they had helped me out!