Things that have bothered you for a long time.

[mudsticks]

In my case because it was a kind of cross between legalised bullying and tribal warfare.

In fact there was something rather sinister looking back, in the way we were taught to view the other "team" as the opposition to be stopped at all costs, just because they had a different coloured top on. Almost as if we were being psychologically prepared to have a "them and us" mentality.

Well I guess promoting a "them versus us" mentality is a great way of preparing one bunch of young men, to be willing to go off and fight - to the death if necessary - another bunch of young men, whom they've never met before, and have no personal grievance against beyond there "Wearing a different kind of jacket"

Looked at that way, 'organised sport' makes a lot of sense if you want to keep things tribal..

 

[Yellow Fang]

I don't know. I heard Prince Charles hated Gordonstoun, where Prince Philip sent him, because of its Spartan training regime; so Charles sent his sons to Eton instead. Gordonstoun sounds absolutely great to me: morning runs, cold showers (unpleasant but you only need to be in there 30 seconds), punishment drills (more running). Then there were all the activities, which were not all ball based: shooting, seamanship, mountaineering. And it's all up in the beautiful Scottishland. Much better than going to Eton where if you are not a straight A pupil, you must be regarded as educationally subnormal. I dread to think what that would have done to Prince Harry's self-esteem. It's a surprise he has any left. Sadly, I went to a bog standard comprehensive <sigh>. Prince Harry would have been about average there.

 

[screenman]

How can I get less sense?

 

[swee'pea99]

Almost as if we were being psychologically prepared to have a "them and us" mentality.

'Almost'?

 

[roadrash]

How can I get less sense?

so you can get more money

 

[screenman]

so you can get more money

Bang on I seem to have too much, sense that is.

 

[roadrash]

oh I knew what you was getting at straight away

 

[oldwheels]

I was a good short to mid distance runner but hated any football, rugby and cricket at school. I worked out that netball was easy if you used the right tactics and used to pick teams of otherwise rubbish players. They were open to doing what they were told and we wiped the floor with the rest of the teams. Being captain I got to catch the ball to start with and found it was a good tactic to accidentally swipe the ball up and just clip the opposing captain's nose to give myself more room to do the initial planned pass eventually to a guy standing just handy under to net.He was an excellent shot but useless at anything else.

 

[Garry A]

Teaching p.e. seemed to be an occupatuon for a particularly heartless, unempathetic, even in some cases vindictive sort, back when I was at secondary school.

As soon as I could opt out, I did.

I was very happy being active, riding, cycling, walking, a bit of cross country running and all that, even a bit of inept tennis or badminton, now and then.

But couldn't bear that whole team sports chasing about after a ball, them and us, picking teams, so someone always ends up feeling unwanted, or a bit of a failure type of scenario.

Must have set up a lot of kids to hate the idea of physical exercise for evermore.

Thankfully, judging by my kids experiences at school, things seem to have moved on a bit.
There are all kinds of other choices available now, so nearly everyone can enjoy being active in some way shape or form.

Pretty much sums up my experience of middle school P.E. Our teacher was a big, loud bully that liked shouting at children, but mostly the non sporty ones. If your dad coached a local juniors football team and you played in it then the sun shone out your arse but if you liked reading books etc. then you were something stuck on his shoe sole.
I never liked team games but you were just expected to like football and to want to join in. Always last to be picked and I didn't want to be there anyway. To this day I still don't watch sports and my physical activities now (running and cycling) are solitary.
I heard the teacher died a couple of years back, I for one won't miss the b*****d

 

[ianrauk]

I hated my PE teacher with a vengeance. Fast forward a good few years and he was #1 ian Jnr's PE teacher. I met him again at parents evening one year. I told him I didn't really like him much at the time. He said the feeling was mutual. Fair play

 

[swee'pea99]

Being captain I got to catch the ball to start with and found it was a good tactic to accidentally swipe the ball up and just clip the opposing captain's nose

My dad told me that when he was growing up in New Zealand it was de rigeur to start every match by putting up a high kick to be caught by the opposition full back just in time to be flattened by your biggest, fastest, meanest forward moving like a freight train. 'Rattle the bugger good and proper, he'd be jittery under any high ball for the rest of the match.'

 

[classic33]

I was pretty good at hockey: It It has several advantages over Rugby from my point of view.

Firstly people couldn't jump on me and squash me; which as far as I can tell is the basic point of Rugby; the ball is incidental.

Secondly, those sticks were useful for those of slight build because all the dangerous stuff happens at the other end, and although all the other players were indeed armed so was I. I became feared on a hockey field for my prowess with a pudding ball; it was the only school sport I ever scored any points whatsoever...

They wouldn't let me play hockey again, after the first 15 minutes.

I'd a PE teacher who felt it was safer in the para's than it was teaching PE to a bunch of secondary school kids. Possibly helped by us being a bit to keen on cross country runs in the middle of winter. Snow drifts and piles up against the windward side of a wall. Especially where the drop is more on the lower side.

 

[Electric_Andy]

My PE teacher was fairly good, stern but fair. The best thing I remember was that when playing football against other schools, if anyone swore on the pitch then the opposition were awarded a free kick. Likewise for spitting. I think loads of kids hate PE because teenagers generally don't like getting chnaged, going out in the cold and then having to rush having a shower and getting dressed again!

 

[Gunk]

A shower after PE is a thing of the past. My two come home smelling like the inside of a wrestlers laundry basket!

 

[Electric_Andy]

Yeah it's weird, we never had showers until year 9 or 10, and only if we did outdoor lessons like Rugby. The worst thing i remember about PE was we only did half a term of one thing, so just as you were getting into it and learning the rules (Rugby for example), you'd then switch sports. I was quite good at Rugby but hadn't a clue about tactics, set pieces etc. I could just tackle well and run fast.