Geez, some parents!! (1 Viewer)

Otis

Well-Known Member
- Parents sports day video dispute warning

Would anyone of you behave in this fashion? Parents bringing in video evidence of their child crossing the finishing line ahead of others who were actually awarded the place by teachers on the day.

Evidence? For a kids sports day? Bloody hell some people need to get a grip.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
No.
Competition is essential in development.
Ha! Yeah.

Get more parents flooding the school with evidence of serious wrongdoing at sports days.

It's the difference between a gold medal, fame and standing on a podium or abject failure..

Would surely scar a child for life if they finished first but the teacher in Year 3 had them down as second wouldn't it.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Maybe if it was older kids in America where sports scholarships and university places could depend on the result. But a primary school sports day in England is nuts.
 

wingy

Well-Known Member
Ha! Yeah.

Get more parents flooding the school with evidence of serious wrongdoing at sports days.

It's the difference between a gold medal, fame and standing on a podium or abject failure..

Would surely scar a child for life if they finished first but the teacher in Year 3 had them down as second wouldn't it.
As I look back on my life I realise I don't have a competitive bone in my body.
Exemplified by school Sports day.
Divided into four houses I was good enough to be first or second in 2-3 events but 6-7-8 in the finals.
I didn't see the point and still don't though it Maybe is costing me .
To the extent back then I tried to injure myself and not run .
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Maybe if it was older kids in America where sports scholarships and university places could depend on the result. But a primary school sports day in England is nuts.
Completely. This is primary school for pity's sake, not the World Athletics Championships.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
Completely. This is primary school for pity's sake, not the World Athletics Championships.
Bollox.

Last sports day there was a break half way through. The lads wanted a game. There was a pitch on the field. Was year 1 against 2. I offered to go in goal for year 1 as they had a couple of players less. Nearly all the action was at my end. A teacher said 1 more minute. The ball came to me. I sidestepped their player and shot the length of the pitch. It went in. I did a lap of honour followed by my team :smuggrin:
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
- Parents sports day video dispute warning

Would anyone of you behave in this fashion? Parents bringing in video evidence of their child crossing the finishing line ahead of others who were actually awarded the place by teachers on the day.

Evidence? For a kids sports day? Bloody hell some people need to get a grip.

I can empathise with it to an extent and have demanded a result was changed in my child’s favour (but not a Sports day thing) on more than one occasion.
 

Johnnythespider

Well-Known Member
As I look back on my life I realise I don't have a competitive bone in my body.
Exemplified by school Sports day.
Divided into four houses I was good enough to be first or second in 2-3 events but 6-7-8 in the finals.
I didn't see the point and still don't though it Maybe is costing me .
To the extent back then I tried to injure myself and not run .
The heavy knife handle on the ankle trick ?
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member

Grendel

Well-Known Member
At a school sports day? By presenting video evidence to the head teacher?

Seriously?

If that was my daughter and she finished 1st, but was given 2nd by the teachers, I would have just said to her ' We know you actually won, but it doesn't matter. Well done anyway.'

It’s not a Sports day I’m referring to but something else. In the end though as I pointed out on one occasion if it’s a registered charity where you let someone whose lost win and a winner is a loser it’s a terrible life lesson

Only winners achieve
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
It’s not a Sports day I’m referring to but something else. In the end though as I pointed out on one occasion if it’s a registered charity where you let someone whose lost win and a winner is a loser it’s a terrible life lesson

Only winners achieve
It's a sports day I am referring to though and a primary school one at that.

The whole point here is that there is nothing at stake.
 

duffer

Well-Known Member
At a school sports day? By presenting video evidence to the head teacher?

Seriously?

If that was my daughter and she finished 1st, but was given 2nd by the teachers, I would have just said to her ' We know you actually won, but it doesn't matter. Well done anyway.'

You're a better man than me Otis. I'd have probably said 'who gives a bollox', and then got told off again for swearing. :)

Seriously though, at the risk of sounding like an old codger what I try to tell my kids about sport is that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but the important thing is to enjoy it and give it a good go. Sometimes decisions will go your way, and sometimes they won't. Take it on the chin and get on with it or risk looking like a spoilt, entitled brat (never a good look for a grown adult, in my opinion).
 

duffer

Well-Known Member
It’s not a Sports day I’m referring to but something else. In the end though as I pointed out on one occasion if it’s a registered charity where you let someone whose lost win and a winner is a loser it’s a terrible life lesson

Only winners achieve

I'd beg to differ, getting a poor decision in sport and learning how to handle it without a tantrum (or the need for your parents to fix it) is a terrific life lesson.

If you think (especially as a child) that you have to win everything to enjoy a sport, then the truth is that you're not likely to stick it for long. Most people aren't elite athletes, the achievement is in getting out there and trying. Winning is the aim, but it really isn't everything.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
You're a better man than me Otis. I'd have probably said 'who gives a bollox', and then got told off again for swearing. :)

Seriously though, at the risk of sounding like an old codger what I try to tell my kids about sport is that sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but the important thing is to enjoy it and give it a good go. Sometimes decisions will go your way, and sometimes they won't. Take it on the chin and get on with it or risk looking like a spoilt, entitled brat (never a good look for a grown adult, in my opinion).
Yup. Got it in one.

I remember doing a battle of the bands thing and we were clearly the best. Everyone said so, apart from the judges, who picked something by someone that was just a cover version of an old song rather than anything original.

Pretty sure though we didn't try and present video evidence or protest though.

The teachers obviously called it as they saw it on the day and without slow motion replay and freeze frame it is never going to be 100% sure.

It's just a bloody kids school sports day for gawd's sake!! :)
 

Nick

Administrator
I remember watching a netball match in winter. Girl on the other team got hit on the nose and dropped the ball, my daughter ran to ask if she was ok.

I tried to explain play to the whistle to her and to play on, didn't get anywhere.

I encourage her to be competitive but not to those extremes of taking video proof.
 

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Isn’t it about just taking part? Thought schools didn’t want winners and losers anymore so people don’t get offended
 

oakey

Well-Known Member
In some ways I agree and it shouldn't matter. On the other hand if it isn't competitive then why bother pretending it is a competition, just have games instead. If someone is to be declared the winner then it matters that they are the winner, otherwise why not just have a race and then don't give out any places or prizes. It happened at my daughter's sports day. They mixed up which kids had finished in each place and then gave out the wrong positions.
You are right there is no point disputing it but it is disappointing for the kids who have tried hard and they think it matters and because it smacks of incompetence.
 

Astute

Well-Known Member
It’s not a Sports day I’m referring to but something else. In the end though as I pointed out on one occasion if it’s a registered charity where you let someone whose lost win and a winner is a loser it’s a terrible life lesson

Only winners achieve
Is that right?

I have never let my kids win at anything. It has always wound the wife up. She has always been happy to lose at everything to them. When they are young you get the occasional tears when they lose. It is all about growing up and learning.

The difference is that when they beat their mum it is not seen as much. When they beat me it is celebration time. It teaches them that they might not be the best at something, but if they put the effort in they will be rewarded. But if they are good at something and put the effort in they will be the best more often than not.

Taking part is the most important. Winning is a reward.
 

duffer

Well-Known Member
In some ways I agree and it shouldn't matter. On the other hand if it isn't competitive then why bother pretending it is a competition, just have games instead. If someone is to be declared the winner then it matters that they are the winner, otherwise why not just have a race and then don't give out any places or prizes. It happened at my daughter's sports day. They mixed up which kids had finished in each place and then gave out the wrong positions.
You are right there is no point disputing it but it is disappointing for the kids who have tried hard and they think it matters and because it smacks of incompetence.

Is it really disappointing to the kids though, or is that just a projection of the grown ups?

I'll let you do the research, but everything I've read or experienced suggests that most kids don't drop out of sport because they don't win enough.

I don't know how many sports days you chaps have been to, but the ones I've been to are like herding cats. The kids start early or late, or cut corners or fall over, and the teachers have about a hundred things to do. Making an error about who won the 30m egg and spoon is hardly an issue of competence, and I'd worry a lot more if they tried to turn it into something deadly serious, like some parents seem to want to do.
 

Otis

Well-Known Member
Is it really disappointing to the kids though, or is that just a projection of the grown ups?

I'll let you do the research, but everything I've read or experienced suggests that most kids don't drop out of sport because they don't win enough.

I don't know how many sports days you chaps have been to, but the ones I've been to are like herding cats. The kids start early or late, or cut corners or fall over, and the teachers have about a hundred things to do. Making an error about who won the 30m egg and spoon is hardly an issue of competence, and I'd worry a lot more if they tried to turn it into something deadly serious, like some parents seem to want to do.
Yeah, totally agree and agree on cutting corners etc.

Last race I saw (probably about 200 metres around the field), so many kids were cheating and cutting corners (I say cheating, but maybe some and some just from being overly excited and keen to get round). Would guess at about 25% cutting the corner.

Should the teachers start disqualifying kids for cutting the corner? Cos that's the route you'll end up going down if you allow parents to bring in video footage of how their child was robbed of their finishing place.

It's all a bit of fun. There is some competition part to it for sure, but that is not the overriding factor surely.

Also, disagree that it matters that much. If it was my daughter I would be saying to her that she knows she won and we know she won and that it's fine and not worth worrying over. I know she would be fine about it too, because that is the way I have brought her up.

If we allow parents to do stuff like this it is going to carry over to football matches and we all know there can be some much contention there (inside/outside the area, on the line/over the line, got the ball, so fair tackle/not a fair tackle, it was my child got the final touch/no, it was my child got the final touch etc.)

I don't think you can put the decision making down as incompetence either. If it's a sprint it can be a millisecond difference and if it is a longer race you'll have about 30-40 competitors and handfuls crossing the line pretty much all at the same time.

The head teacher was right here in telling parents to stop bringing in their bloody video footage.

It's supposed to be an end of year sports day and a day out for mums and dads to come along and watch. It's a light hearted affair, not the Olympics.
 

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
I'm surprised they are allowed to film it at all in these over-sensitive times!

I was a fairly good sportsman as a kid (unfortunately, I peaked at 15) but I remember playing my first football match for my local lads club U12's having just been promoted to them (I was only 9).
My mates Dad was running the line & flagged for a foul near the touchline......I, along with 4 or 5 other players, stopped so I picked the ball up.....Ref then blew for my handball........Harsh lesson in front of all my new older (and annoyed) team-mates......

......Play to the whistle & the referees decision is final.
 

oakey

Well-Known Member
Lots of good points. However, at my daughter's sports day it was a small space with only a 50m straight sprint with a finish line. All you need is 3 adults to watch the line and spot who is first, second and third. In the case I am quoting there were no photo finishes. You just needed a pair of eyes to see the result. If it is more difficult than that then don't make it competitive, that's my point, just have a fun sprint or similar. You can't really argue it can't be done fairly and then give out prizes. Kids, in my experience, know when something is fair and done competently and know they are being shortchanged when it is not. Secondary schools do it properly, in my experience, but recently the kids neither care nor try. I have probably been to about 6 primary sports days and at least 30 secondary ones. Either do it with some degree of competence and sportsmanship or just have a funday with everyone having a go and nobody keeping score IMO.
 

dancers lance

Well-Known Member
- Parents sports day video dispute warning

Would anyone of you behave in this fashion? Parents bringing in video evidence of their child crossing the finishing line ahead of others who were actually awarded the place by teachers on the day.

Evidence? For a kids sports day? Bloody hell some people need to get a grip.
BREAKING NEWS....."Welsh people are are whining little fuckers"
 

richnrg

Well-Known Member
Is that right?

I have never let my kids win at anything. It has always wound the wife up. She has always been happy to lose at everything to them. When they are young you get the occasional tears when they lose. It is all about growing up and learning.

The difference is that when they beat their mum it is not seen as much. When they beat me it is celebration time. It teaches them that they might not be the best at something, but if they put the effort in they will be rewarded. But if they are good at something and put the effort in they will be the best more often than not.

Taking part is the most important. Winning is a reward.
 

Manchester_sky_blue

Well-Known Member
At a school sports day? By presenting video evidence to the head teacher?

Seriously?

If that was my daughter and she finished 1st, but was given 2nd by the teachers, I would have just said to her ' We know you actually won, but it doesn't matter. Well done anyway.'
Like any normal person would. Some degree of competition helps us to develop and achieve. Being so competitive that winning becomes the be all and end all just sucks the joy out of everything.
 

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