School Sports Day (No Parents Allowed!)

[Billy Casper 10]

It's my daughters first sports day today at 'big' school! She was buzzing this morning, my wife and i were finishing work early to go and see her compete. I've just received a phone call from her, she's gutted, apparantly sports day at her school is 'behind closed doors' as it were, i.e no spectators! Is this normal practice at comprehensives???

[Vanos 10]

It's my daughters first sports day today at 'big' school! She was buzzing this morning, my wife and i were finishing work early to go and see her compete. I've just received a phone call from her, she's gutted, apparantly sports day at her school is 'behind closed doors' as it were, i.e no spectators! Is this normal practice at comprehensives???

 

Maybe its being held inside due to the weather being not great and there not being enough room for spectators / paedos with cameras etc ;-)

[MR BENN 10]

Maybe its being held inside due to the weather being not great and there not being enough room for spectators / paedos with cameras etc ;-)

how can parents taking pics of their kids for the family album be paedos ?

[Vanos 10]

Note the / in my post.

 

Further reading here - make sure you scroll to the comments.

 

http://timesonline.typepad.com/schoolgate/2009/07/should-cameras-be-banned-on-sports-day.html

[LJB23 10]

There was something in the paper at thw weekend about a school (can't think where?) banning parents from watching their kids so as to avoid peado's!! It's just getting silly now, I mean if their saying that then who's to say the teachers aren't peado's?

[lyndix 10]

It's my daughters first sports day today at 'big' school! She was buzzing this morning, my wife and i were finishing work early to go and see her compete. I've just received a phone call from her, she's gutted, apparantly sports day at her school is 'behind closed doors' as it were, i.e no spectators! Is this normal practice at comprehensives???

 

I had the same thing last week with my eldest. His first sports day in yr 7 and he thought we could go and watch, good job I rang the school cos parents were not allowed. I was gutted and so was my son.

I believe its the "norm" in big school, I think they must think that once kids reach secondary school they don`t need their parents support and encouragement. Barmy if you ask me, theres nothing I would`ve enjoyed more than watchin my lad do his best and having fun.

[JayneRay 10]

I think it depends on the school and the availabilty of space at my son's school we were actively encourged to go .

[bradley1983 10]

I went to a grammar school which did the same thing - the "sports day" was not really as such (there were no egg and spoon races or anything like that), it was all proper athletic displines.

 

It was held on a Wednesday afternoon in July each year, and as early as I can remember (1995), no parents were invited.

 

So its not a recent thing.

 

You would probably find that most of the pupils at a secondary school would be embarrassed beyond belief if their entire family came in tow!

[Vanos 10]

You would probably find that most of the pupils at a secondary school would be embarrassed beyond belief if their entire family came in tow!

 

 

Poppycock.

[Randy 10]

You would probably find that most of the pupils at a secondary school would be embarrassed beyond belief if their entire family came in tow!

 

Fiddlesticks!

[bradley1983 10]

Fiddlesticks!

 

You reckon?

 

Someone I work with has a 15 year old daughter, who goes out of her way to avoid doing things with her family because she finds them "embarrassing"!

 

So imagine if you were a 14 year old boy competing at a school sports day. Nobody turns up, except for your mother, older sister and perhaps your gran. They try and attract you attention by waving at you whilst you are stood in a group with your mates.

 

Would none of you find that embarassing?

 

I know I would.

 

Most children of that age are mortified at the thought of doing anything with their family.

[Ousetunes 10]

It would have been a wasted journey had my parents turned up to watch me on Sports Day at KES.

 

They would not have found me as such days were a fine opportunity to bunk off and do something more worthwhile!

 

Fine to watch and encourage your offspring at junior school but by the time kids reach their teens I wouldn't expect them to really desire their parents being present during Sports Day. Quite the opposite, in fact.