School Sports Day

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I've just seen an interesting discussion about school sports days on another forum. Some people think they're a good idea as it's often the only occasion a non academic child might get to shine. Others are pointing out that non academic children aren't asked to stand up in front of the entire school and their parents and show how crap they are at working out a maths equation or translating a sentence into French.

I'm with the latter group and think participating in races etc should be voluntary, and the non sporty kids should have the option of just standing on the sidelines cheering on the other children if they prefer.

Boom_Bap

So an acedemic child cannot be a good athlete.

El Weirdo

Autumn Prehistoric Kettle wrote: »

I've just seen an interesting discussion about school sports days on another forum. Some people think they're a good idea as it's often the only occasion a non academic child might get to shine. Others are pointing out that non academic children aren't asked to stand up in front of the entire school and their parents and show how crap they are at working out a maths equation or translating a sentence into French.

I'm with the latter group and think participating in races etc should be voluntary, and the non sporty kids should have the option of just standing on the sidelines cheering on the other children if they prefer.

You really should stay away from mumsnet. Nothing good ever comes from there.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Boom_Bap wrote: »

So an acedemic child cannot be a good athlete.

I think some parents were making the point that their child was non academic and the only time of the school year they got to feel good about themselves was on sports day.

School sports days are good craic.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

El Weirdo wrote: »

You really should stay away from mumsnet. Nothing good ever comes from there.

Some great threads though, and some utterly daft parents.

beach_walker

boards.ie should have a sports day.

Winterlong

Never really bothered me.

Then again I always told my teachers I could not participate in sports day due to having my period.
Teachers were more than happy to excuse me on this basis.

And that was grand, especially as I am male.

biko

Make the little feckers run. It isn't going to kill them and considering their diets nowadays they probably need it..

smash

Parents race = yummy mummy's in jogging pants. Sports days are great!

DontThankMe

While i do agree that it should be voluntary and children shouldn't be forced into participating. I believe it would be of benefit of all children to participate especially if sports are outside their comfort zone. It will prepare them for any situations in the future that may require them to step out of their comfort zone, and if they have participated in the sports day they may look back on that event their life which could give them the confidence they need to do it again in the future.

mfceiling

smash wrote: »

Parents race = yummy mummy's in jogging pants. Sports days are great!

Pervert.

Where and when does this race take part so I can definitely avoid it.

Boom_Bap

Autumn Prehistoric Kettle wrote: »

I think some parents were making the point that their child was non academic and the only time of the school year they got to feel good about themselves was on sports day.

There are other things in the school curiculum and calendar to allow all children to develop.

El Weirdo

Autumn Prehistoric Kettle wrote: »

Some great threads though, and some utterly daft parents.

Ah, I suppose at first, then it just gets depressing when you realise that these loons have actually procreated.

Pac1Man

These type of threads are coming quick and fast lately!

Remember kids, if you don't feel up to the task, don't try. You might hurt yourself or your feelings.

Toto Wolfcastle

I've always been rubbish at sport and I was the slowest runner in my class but I really loved the sports day. It was good fun and everyone had a good chance of winning the novelty races so there was always a chance of a medal. It was a day away from the classroom too. I heard of a sports day on a Sunday recently and thought it was a bit sh1te that they didn't get to miss school. Maybe that's pretty common though.

Butters1979

From what I recall from school, I, and others, were regularly up in front of the class to do a math problem or translate something.

Snowflake generation crap. You don't have to come first to enjoy something. And if you keep coming last, maybe you should do it more rather than less to correct that.

And as boom_bap has said, there isn't two types of students, academic and athletic (jocks and nerds). It's possible to have proficiency in both and it's healthy to have some balance. And being good at one is not an excuse to neglect the other.

The Backwards Man

Load of balls.

I won the egg and spoon race (back when it still used an egg) in second class and I got an A1 in geography in my LC.

What does that tell you?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Autumn Prehistoric Kettle wrote: »

I've just seen an interesting discussion about school sports days on another forum. Some people think they're a good idea as it's often the only occasion a non academic child might get to shine. Others are pointing out that non academic children aren't asked to stand up in front of the entire school and their parents and show how crap they are at working out a maths equation or translating a sentence into French.

I'm with the latter group and think participating in races etc should be voluntary, and the non sporty kids should have the option of just standing on the sidelines cheering on the other children if they prefer.

If the academic kids were forced to complete in races, then yes - I'd agree.

I'm all for sports day, but one of my pet hates (in any branch of schoool) is compulsory participation in competitive events. You;re there to learn and be educated, not compete with other kids.

Boom_Bap

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Load of balls.

I won the egg and spoon race (back when it still used an egg) in second class and I got an A1 in geography in my LC.

What does that tell you?

If there was ever a recipe for turf cutting, I think we've found it. :pac:

beach_walker

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I won the egg and spoon race (back when it still used an egg) in second class and I got an A1 in geography in my LC.

What does that tell you?

If you're so smart then tell me wtf are they using instead of an egg, when did this change and why do they still call it such?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Load of balls.

I won the egg and spoon race (back when it still used an egg) in second class and I got an A1 in geography in my LC.

What does that tell you?

That you care too much about trivial things!

Butters1979

From what I recall from school, I, and others, were regularly up in front of the class to do a math problem or translate something.

Snowflake generation crap. You don't have to come first to enjoy something. And if you keep coming last, maybe you should do it more rather than less to correct that.

And as boom_bap has said, there isn't two types of students, academic and athletic (jocks and nerds). It's possible to have proficiency in both and it's healthy to have some balance. And being good at one is not an excuse to neglect the other.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I think it's the public humiliation aspect that jars. If a child who was tone deaf was forced to sing a solo in the school play, or a child who couldn't spell was forced to stand up in the assembly hall in front of fellow pupils and parents and display his lack of ability it wouldn't be tolerated.

Traditionally, though, kids who are bad at sport are expected to display their lack of ability very publicly at least once a year.

Maybe if parents weren't invited, or fun/novelty events were included it would make a less humiliating experience all around.

The Backwards Man

beach_walker wrote: »

If you're so smart then tell me wtf are they using instead of an egg, when did this change and why do they still call it such?

They use a potato now, no yoke.

Toto Wolfcastle

Butters1979 wrote: »

From what I recall from school, I, and others, were regularly up in front of the class to do a math problem or translate something.

Yeah we used to do head-to-head maths questions in front of the class every Friday. I wasn't exactly great at maths but I never dreaded that either. It was just one of those things.

Butters1979

The Backwards Man wrote: »

They use a potato now, no yoke.

Ok, I know I'm going to regret this but;
Why do they use a patato now?

Sapphire

smash wrote: »

Parents race = yummy mummy's in jogging pants. Sports days are great!

Maybe for you. My memories of most of the mammies on sports day they mostly looked like this.

The Backwards Man

Butters1979 wrote: »

Ok, I know I'm going to regret this but;
Why do they use a patato now?

A wain can't get clattered in potato, not unless it's dauphinoised or something, which is very unlikely to happen in an Irish primary school.

andekwarhola

Any sports day I've been to with my kids is non-serious. Joke stuff like sack races. Do they even have them after national school these days?

Also never get the people moaning about participation medals either. I can understand that it's tough work consistently mining rant material in here with a daily quota of Thanks to be harvested and all that, but do people honestly believe that 9 year old kids go away thinking they're going to be future Olympians because they get a die-cast medal for trying their best and having a go?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

andekwarhola

El Weirdo wrote: »

Ah, I suppose at first, then it just gets depressing when you realise that these loons have actually procreated.

You just know half of their kids are pulling boiling saucepans on themselves, eating cat turds and playing with carving knives when Mammy is busy laying down some passive-aggressive parenting doctrine on the laptop upstairs.

keano_afc

My kid started junior infants this year so I just had my first sports day. I wish they'd keep it like it was in my day, when the kids that win actually get something to reflect this. She won a race and came third in another, but all the kids got the same "prizes". Teaching kids that the results are the same no matter how they do in life is not something I'd be a fan of, unless I'm over thinking it.

andekwarhola

keano_afc wrote: »

My kid started junior infants this year so I just had my first sports day. I wish they'd keep it like it was in my day, when the kids that win actually get something to reflect this. She won a race and came third in another, but all the kids got the same "prizes". Teaching kids that the results are the same no matter how they do in life is not something I'd be a fan of, unless I'm over tinking it.

It's a race for 4 and 5 year old kids. Not Chariots Of Fire.

keano_afc

andekwarhola wrote: »

It's a race for 4 and 5 year old kids. Not Chariots Of Fire.

All classes have the same protocol, right up to 6th. Everyone gets the same prize.

YFlyer

We had our sports day one year in third class of primary school. There was two Travellers in our class who were 15 and 16 years of age. They won every event.

andekwarhola

keano_afc wrote: »

All classes have the same protocol, right up to 6th. Everyone gets the same prize.

I don't see the harm in it. It's a bit of fun and encourages taking part.

For the older, more sporty kids, they can easily get involved with actual competitive sports anyway.

BBDBB

In about 50 years we will have the snowflake Olympics


*commentator mode


And you join us here in the Peoples Republic of Scotland for the 200metre Olympic Final for Snowflakes


In Lane 1 - Hestenthaler from Austria, strong runner, may fade in the final lap due to his self esteem issues and the pressure of leading

Lane 2 - Osako - Japan - always a strong finisher due in part to his overbearing parents

Lane 3- O'Reilly - Ireland -Absent with a note from his mother saying he has a chest infection and may he be excused

Lane 4 - Farage Junior- From the Principality of London, always a crowd favourite, look at him waving and refusing to give his tracksuit top to the Polish official, a bit of an argument developing there, we'll come back to that...ooh wait he's stormed off because he wanted to run his own race

Lane 5 - Gruber - the blond from Germany, ignoring the crowd and watching Farage go......well I don't think that's a very sportsmanlike gesture to be making to a fellow participant, Im sure there will be an inquiry, a conviction and an apology for any offense about 20 minutes after the race

Lane 6 - Johnson Junior the Third - USA - wanted to be in the inside lane, seems he likes the sound of gunfire, I understand he has been frisked and ...wait he seems to be waving something to the crowd......and there he is still waving as he is lead away by the SWAT team

lane 7 - Ernst Heidelberg Delgado - the "Argentinian", known for his ability to react strongly to baseless accusations of Fascism with inferences about your mother


and finally lane 8, - coming back from injury, delighted to see Irving from Australia, a lot of people weren't expecting to see him, apparently he was really hurt by the remarks about his qualification round, he consulted his lawyer from under his bed and only his mum bringing him some hot chocolate with those little marshmallows in means he's here today


So we're under starters orders and ready to participate, could be anyones race........in fact they are all winners and will be running with their medals...all except Gruber as his medal gave him a bit of a chest rash

cowboyBuilder

Calibos

Boom_Bap wrote: »

So an acedemic child cannot be a good athlete.

Obviously not True. Gary O'Toole. Irish Olympic Swimmer and World renowned Orthopedic Surgeon/Consultant.

My own anecdote was a friend of a friend.

His parents were very wealthy.
He was devastatingly handsome and had the pick of the girls.
Captain of the Rugby Team. Medal winning athlete.
Seemed like a nice guy.

My only consolation was that I assumed he wasn't the sharpest tool in the box based on the assumption that he was in the same class stream as my friend who himself wasn't the sharpest tool in the box.

A decade later I'm in hospital for an operation and who walks in to the ward only this guy. He was now a Doctor. Turns out he knew my friend via their social circle as opposed to being in the same class in school.

A veritable UBERMENSCH!

jester77

I thought all the kids get medals these days to appease everyone, even the slow ones. No wonder gold is going up in value :rolleyes:

People are gone so soft it is unreal. Let the kids take part, life is not always going to be so easy that they can opt out of things. They might as well learn that from a young age before they turn into a big softy that wilts at the first sign of confrontation.

maudgonner

Making all kids take part is a good thing.

Making the kids feel embarrassed if they don't excel at sports is a bad thing.

Nobody is good at everything, but you can participate and get pleasure from that anyway. And you can be pleased for those who are good at it getting a chance to shine. That's a worthwhile lesson for kids to learn.

El_Duderino 09

Wasn't the point of sports days to have sporty events like sprints and non sporty events like egg and spoon, sack race and three leg race?

Jesus, it's just a bit of craic. Do the children care or is it the parents? Even if it is the children who don't particularly want to do it, so what? Life involves social events that you don't particularly want. Get over it

tabby aspreme

My daughter won every race/event last week at her school sports day, and only got one medal, should I be devastated or outraged or something in between

Lyaiera

El Weirdo wrote: »

You really should stay away from mumsnet. Nothing good ever comes from there.

They had a great thread about a glass of water next to the bed for post-sex willy dunking.


I don't have an issue with school sports days. I do have an issue with how school sports days are used by the school. In my place they were used as marketing material for promoting the school to prospective parents, "We do all these sports!" and then a list of sports you'd get to do for five minutes once a year. Less sports in the primary school, but more in the secondary school like discus and shot putt.

School sports days are often used as a cover for how pitiful the schools actual PE is. If they had proper PE, with an emphasis on fitness and health, and not just throwing a bunch of mental kids a football and telling them to entertain themselves it'd be far better.

As for the whole embracing sporty kids who may not be academic, what about the kids who are crap at everything? (Even the tin whistle.)

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

tabby aspreme wrote: »

My daughter won every race/event last week at her school sports day, and only got one medal, should I be devastated or outraged or something in between

You should be talking to Joe.

cowboyBuilder

I got a Gold medal for the egg n'spoon race when I was 11, I'm still celebrating ...

valoren

beach_walker wrote: »

boards.ie should have a sports day.

See how fast you can type y followed by n in 30 seconds aaaaaaand.....Go!

ynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyn
ynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyn
ynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyn
ynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyn
ynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyn

cowboyBuilder

valoren wrote: »

See hoe fast you can type y followed by n in 30 seconds aaaaaaand.....Go!

ynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynynyn

actually I remember an olllllld PC game called Decathalon and that was basically how you ran ...

tabby aspreme

Princess Consuela Bananahammock wrote: »

You should be talking to Joe.

I can't , too emotional, but I'm considering feeding her nothing but mc Ds for the next year so she's too roundy for winning and never puts us parents through this harrowing experience again.

drogdub

Autumn Prehistoric Kettle wrote: »

I think it's the public humiliation aspect that jars. If a child who was tone deaf was forced to sing a solo in the school play, or a child who couldn't spell was forced to stand up in the assembly hall in front of fellow pupils and parents and display his lack of ability it wouldn't be tolerated.

Traditionally, though, kids who are bad at sport are expected to display their lack of ability very publicly at least once a year.

Maybe if parents weren't invited, or fun/novelty events were included it would make a less humiliating experience all around.

I feel sorry for anyone who is publicly humiliated by their children's poor sporting performances. I presume that's whose humiliation you are referring to because kids tend not to be humiliated in these situations.

I have a some experience in this, I coach a football team of players of vastly differing abilities. The weaker players can see theyre not as good as the stronger ones but they get on with it. Because they are having fun.

Also as a child I was usually among the last I never felt humiliated because I was having fun.

If someone's child shares the humiliation then the parent should do their job and assure them they have nothing to be ashamed of.

I just wish people would trust kids more. In some ways theyre more resilient than adults give them credit for.