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children and sport (previosuly "Kids and Port", but changed to prevent Freudian slips)

Bambulus

Wreckballer - PMGWC#2
Nov 13, 2008
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that special place.
www.leekspin.com
I'll be the first to say it then...

It's PRIMARY SCHOOL. As long as they come out of it with the basic ability to read, write, count, say their pleases and say their thank-yous, it'd be a success. I know primary school teachers - I've LIVED with primary school teachers; trust me, with the amount of time the kids spend making paper pirate ships and whatnot, I doubt they'll have any time left over to make fun of the fat kid who came last in whatever pseudo-sport activity the school comes up with (Welly toss, anyone?). They'll all be praised regardless of their performance, in ANY subject. Besides, in early childhood, I think it's more important to teach them to get along and be happy with each other before they're encouraged to be better than one another.

I'd rather the kids come out having learnt manners, personally. But that's just me.

In middle schools and upwards, they can have sports competitions galore. With the amount of PE the government will likely throw at them, and the various before/after school clubs they'll be encouraged to do by parents and teachers alike, I think a healthy competitive streak can come out in whatever they choose to do in school. It's hardly like they're lacking in the sports departments nowadays.
 
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WihGlah

Autococker Tech
Jul 19, 2009
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Oxford
This is why we never win the World Cup or Wimbledon and do crap at the Olympics.

Winners need self belief, they need to think they are the best. The USA are good at this kind of thing.
 

Kevin Winter

Well-Known Member
Dec 10, 2008
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I don't normally let myself get tempted into teaching discussions, but......

I'm actually a primary school teacher, currently working with year six.
First off - we work damned hard. I'm typing this in my classroom, during a quick lunchbreak - I have been working until at least 8pm everynight this week to get assessments marked, and will work both days of my weekend, plus most of my upcoming half-term....

PE lessons are, like any other subject, there to involve ALL the kids. We don't just teach the bright kids maths, we work hard to help ALL of the kids in the class, and do the same in PE lessons. BUT, there is plenty of competitve sport too - I run an after school cricket club, and will be taking the best kids to a cricket tournament come summer, as well as playing friendly matches against other schools. We will do the same for tennis, hockey, tag rugby, athletics and so on.

Anyone watching kids play in the playground, especially footbal, would surely know that they have a fairly comptetitive side already... biggest villains in this are the government. We had, for the last few years, school sports funding that gave all primary school kids access to coaching, tournamnets and other sports related stuff - a MASSIVE succes, and scrapped just before olympic year...