wonders why some parents have to be so competitive.....

[ckfe]

But!I also think as a culture we are slowly slipping into a state of fearing to give our kiddies a little bit of a push & encourage them to always do their best.

on this note i agree .. i went to my daughters sports day on monday.. when i was her age medals or rosettes used to be handed out to the winners..at my daughters sports day there were no winners or losers, everyone won.. while this was supposed to make the kids who didn't win feel better all it actually did was upset the kids who did win and who got no recognition.. the next day the kids all got certificates that said (insert name here) "took part" in the sports day.. how does that encourage children to work hard to become successful in sport?

[Incy]

on this note i agree .. i went to my daughters sports day on monday.. when i was her age medals or rosettes used to be handed out to the winners..at my daughters sports day there were no winners or losers, everyone won.. while this was supposed to make the kids who didn't win feel better all it actually did was upset the kids who did win and who got no recognition.. the next day the kids all got certificates that said (insert name here) "took part" in the sports day.. how does that encourage children to work hard to become successful in sport?

That sounds rubbish. My son's school has a merit system. points can be earned for hard work as well as achievement and 5 points gets a merit card. In turn 5 merit cards earns a certificate bronze, silver and gold at the end of term assembly.
It really rewards kids for working hard and achieving and they are really proud if they get an award. A great system! also the points are written in their planners so as a parent you can see how they are doing and praise accordingly at home
It's a hard lesson but a valuable one that you won't always be best at everything. I think the attitude from schools described above is a cop out.

[ckfe]

T
It's a hard lesson but a valuable one that you won't always be best at everything. I think the attitude from schools described above is a cop out.

yeah and it's just as important (if not more important) to learn how to lose as it is to learn how to win

[Incy]

I SOOOO agree!
A subject with which my son struggles (part of the frustration of having a disability whilst being sports mad). I can't count the number of times I've had to calm him down and explain that winning isn't everything it's about taking part and being a good team player even if others aren't.

[ckfe]

I SOOOO agree!
A subject with which my son struggles (part of the frustration of having a disability whilst being sports mad). I can't count the number of times I've had to calm him down and explain that winning isn't everything it's about taking part and being a good team player even if others aren't.

talking of schools i've go to go and pick my child who neither won nor lost when she "took part" in the school sports day from her highly non-competetive school now

[Incy]

rofl. My son's last primary was like that. So glad he's out of there now!!!

[OverWyreGrower]

My high school introduced what was called (by the students) a 'rejects relay'. it consisted of all the girls who were rubbish at sport (it was an all girls school) being forced to take part in a relay race.

I knew I was rubbish at sport and I didn't care that previously I hadn't taken part in anything. It was more embarrassing to have to be part of the 'reject relay' than to sit on the sidelines cheering our 'proper' athletes on...

"Taking Part" sucks!!

[zazen999]

I'd have been mortified if I'd have had to take part in 'rejects relay' - I hate sport and it's nobody's business if I do or don't...that's why being an adult is SO much better than being a kid - I'd hate to be a kid again.

[TEB]

I think these parents are called Helicopter and Black Hawk Parents

[OverWyreGrower]

I'd have been mortified if I'd have had to take part in 'rejects relay' - I hate sport and it's nobody's business if I do or don't...that's why being an adult is SO much better than being a kid - I'd hate to be a kid again.

Me too.... I hated sport at school and I hate it now! I didn't mind volunteering for helping out at sports day (timings etc) but being forced to race was rubbish!

I don't think I did any type of PE in the last 2 years I was at school - was always ill, or skived off

[Two_Sheds]

I loved sports day.
I hated the school play (can't sing, can't act, can't dance)

[Polly Fouracre]

We've all seen them on sports day in the parents race.Most dads roll up the legs of their jeans and turn their baseball hats back to front. Most mothers take off their shoes and tuck their skirts up their knicker legs. But there are always a few who turn up in sports gear and designer trainers, even doing bendy, stretchy exercises beforehand, then either complain loudly or feign a limp when beaten by turned up jeans or tucked up skirts.
I too hated sport at school, well, not so much the sport but the pressure put on you to do well for your house. I didn't and still don't mind being beaten (as long as I'm fairly beaten) My school reports always said "No team spirit"
I think a lot of parents try to live their lives again through their children.

[zazen999]

Interestingly enough - one of my strengths in Management is 'team building'....apparently. We've had sports people come to give us motivational talks over the years and they don't like me - as I don't pretend to have a clue who they are or what they did...I'm interested in the psychology but that's about it.

[jackie j]

I hated sports day at senior school and always made sure I came last in the practice we had the term before, that way I could sit with all the rest who didnt like sports. ( including the boys ) As a parent I decided I would do the mum's race, when I got to the start out came the skipping ropes, OMG I was wearing a skirt, you guessed, the rope caught in my skirt I went flying and the handsome pe teacher had to come and pick me up, I have never felt sooooooo embarassed in all my life, never again have I taken part in sports day lol.
Back to the runner beans it is so unfair when parents decide to take over, as a ptfa member we always knew the parents who helped their children far too much ( some help is ok we have helped with hot glue guns etc ) and always made sure they didnt win. Having said that my daughter won a garden competition at primary school, all her own work, she kept telling me off if I interfered lol. She also won a fancy dress competition because she was the only one in her class to bother to dress up.
These things need to be taken light heartedly, dont become involved in parent squabbles over the kids. My mum always said that while your aguing over the kids they are round the corner having made friends again.
If other parents want to bring their kids up thinking its ok to cheat then so be it, at the end of the day your children know right from wrong, you are bringing them up to be fair to others, and to know right from wrong, good on you.

[SarzWix]

Anyone remember "Competitive Dad" on The Fast Show?!

YouTube - Competitive Dad