Someone has just told me on the phone

[ufkacbln]

Sadly, I can see some sense in this!

A couple of years ago we had to stop a Cub football competition because a couple of the parents were being really aggressive and abusive.

KIds were fine - but the parents!

 

[automatic_jon]

When I was at secondary school my friends and I were so hilariously bad at any sort of sport and physical activity we convinced the teachers to let us play tabletop war games in the library instead of getting involved in all the running, jumping, being embarrassed nonsense.

 

[snorri]

My school sports day was pretty well sewn up before it started as only the "elite" were entered for the events and the rest of us were expected to spectate with enthusiasm.
I have never been interested in spectator sport since, so maybe school sports day led me into being a doer rather than a watcher and thus a more active life style.

 

[Piemaster]

We had this shite at my son's school last summer; I was disgusted. The kids were split into small groups and rotated around ten or twelve little outposts on the playing field where they did things like throwing hoops over pegs and chucking bean bags into buckets.

My daughters school does something similar, they even had a bouncy castle type assault course - until it was decided it was too dangerous the following year .
There was a fair bit of running about involved though resulting in some hot and sweaty kids as they were all taking part in every activity NOT just one race then sitting about bored waiting for their next few seconds chance at glory.
Competitive? Too right - lots of yelling and encouragement for their teammates in each activity and waiting to see which team had won at the end. Not the chance for glory seeking parents to see their precious offspring win individually, but lift the team results. More football tournament than athletics meeting.
The parents at the school whining about it annoy me - its not their sports day. Look at the kids all of them taking part, getting breathless and most importantly enjoying it. Has got to be better than some just feeling they are making up the numbers in the race and turning them off sporting activity for life.

 

[montage]

I dominated the obstacle race and the "getting ready for school race" (this involves running, putting on wellies, running, putting on hat, running, jumper etc etc).

Competition improves the breed.

 

[chap]

that their kids Sports day this year is a Non Competitive Sports Day

ie no winners medals or anything, no sticker for 1,2 and 3 places just a prize for best organised team.

What the hell is that about?? Were are turning into a nation of wimps and panders?

What! you shouldn't do something to win anymore and become better at it.

Seriously what is that all about. It's the taking part that counts nonsense!

You have the Lib-Dems to thank for this, had they formed the rainbow coalition, perhaps a Non-competitive Sports day would have made sense in that light.

 

[Arch]

At primary school, we used to be divided into colour teams (and the colours were rotated each year, so you varied) and we'd spend a lesson or two before the day making banners and rosettes in our colours, and then on the day, we'd all march down to the local greyhound track, where our sports were held on the green bit in the middle. The Army provided a PA system, and you could never hear what was being said. I once got a lolly, for coming second in the sack race.

At secondary school I progressed to being able to run 800m without dying, and not coming last.

I agree with PM - better that all the kids have a go, and enjoy it, than for the best to compete and the rest to feel like failures.

Although I don't think there's anything wrong with some healthy competition - I'm afraid it's probably as much the parents that create the angst as the kids themselves, sometimes.

 

[thomas]

I think I managed to complete the 1000 meters without making a complete fool of myself. I think I lost, but I didn't hold up proceedings for too long

 

[bobg]

I'm still upset at coming second in the school cross country in 1964...

 

[hackbike 666]

I came second in a race and won a Marathon bar.

No chance of that nowadays.

 

[bobg]

BTW slightly off topic ( sorry) but there was a school in the news a few weeks ago who wanted to reopen a "time capsule" they had buried in order to add some 2010 items but nobody could remember where it was. One of the older teachers thought it was next to the rose bushes but they'd been
dug up in 2003 because they were deemed dangerous to the kids.

 

[bobg]

I came second in a race and won a Marathon bar.

No chance of that nowadays.

There's that bloody ant again .........

 

[darkstar]

I'm still upset at coming second in the school cross country in 1964...

I know what you mean, i won the 100 meter sprint every single year, through primary school and secondary school...... right up until our last year however, when i was beaten. Was gutted.

Looking back though, he was a new lad and very talented. The rest of us were average, i was just slightly more average than the rest

 

[XmisterIS]

Is British Bulldogs still allowed in schools today? We used to play that regularly by year-group and there were prizes for the last person standing in each year.

 

[Fnaar]

Is British Bulldogs still allowed in schools today?

I believe it is... but now you ask the people to take a language test before they can cross the line and answer questions about the Queen
And some of them try to hide in lorries