Going over the top Again
 

SACKED RACE!



School bans sports day favourite



14th July 2008
By Bill Mosley


CAMPAIGNERS have slammed education chiefs for banning the sack race and three-legged event in case kids get hurt.


Children were meant to be doing the traditional races at an Edwardian themed sports day today.


But they were dropped because of fears that a child might fall over and get injured.


The decision has been slammed as “completely over the top”.


Teachers at John F Kennedy Primary in Washington, Tyne and Wear, dropped the traditional races after discussions with staff from Beamish Open Air Museum, where the sports day will be staged.


About 375 children aged four to 11 are taking part in the event, dressing in period costume and playing old-fashioned games as part of the school’s centenary celebrations.


Simon Woolley, head of education at Beamish, County Durham, said: “We looked at a three-legged race and a sack race but we want to minimise the risk to the children.


“We had to assess which of the activities were liable to cause a risk. We thought we would be better to do hopping and running instead because there was less chance of them falling over.”


The decision has come under fire by the Campaign Against Political Correctness group.


Founder Laura Midgely, of Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, said: “It’s health and safety rules gone mad. It’s completely over the top. Three-legged races are very constructive and involve teamwork ... they are good for a number of reasons. It’s a great shame.”


“Why should these activities be so dangerous when they’re fine in every other school? We certainly had no problems with these events when I was at school.


“The worst thing that could possibly happen is the children fall over. They’re going to fall over doing any event aren’t they?”


Teacher and organiser Gill Hanley said: “An awful lot of schools haven’t done these kind of activities for a long time, so I don’t see that it’s a problem.


“We decided we had too many events anyway and we wanted the easiest things that we could get for the children to take part in.”


Schools have already banned pastimes like conkers, fearing parents will sue over injuries and others axed football, saying it was anti-social. One school even banned skipping after a girl fell over.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view.../Sacked-race-/

Re: Going over the top Again
 

In the present climate and the litigious society being created, can we really blame institutions for not taking the risk?

Re: Going over the top Again
 

and now footballs are banned from school too....because they are too hard, it really makes my blood boil, i've just been in to school this morning to collect the footy that Reece had taken off him yesterday :mad::mad::mad:

i'm sure they make these rules up as they go along

incidently.. since Reece has been at THAT primary school we have never ever had any 'team' participation at the sports days, and the parents have never been involved in any of the races, it has always been like just another PE class on sports day

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Is it any wonder that we are not competative in the sports world anymore, Can't play footy kids may get hurt, god rugby has no chance. Its not forign imports thats killing our national game, its the mamby pamby society we now live in:mad:

Re: Going over the top Again
 

God forbid that the little darlings get a scraped knee, most parents (I think) are all for kids having a full life, playing football and the like, it's the pc brigade again, and of course the people who sue at the drop of a hat...........lots more people are trying to cover their backs, and who can blame them, but it's such a shame.

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Have they banned the egg and spoon race too for chance they slip on the slimy contents ?

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No kate, but they could get Sam and Ella singing at their morning assembly:eek::D

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Whose Sam and Ella Jaysay ?

Re: Going over the top Again
 

All I can say is that I spent most of my school years with scabby knees and elbows from playing sports and the general rough and tumble of growing up. I can still remember the agonising sting from iodine or TCP but it didn’t stop me playing football etc.

I rarely came first or even second in any of the sports day or swimming gala events and it didn’t harm my development. In fact it was the reverse. I learned to try harder if I wanted to win.

As one teacher put it, “If it wasn’t for the rest, there wouldn’t be a first.”

In a nutshell!

BAH! HUMBUG!

Re: Going over the top Again
 

kids are not allowed to be kids anymore, pathetic.:(

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salmonella? lol

thats what my dad used to call me and my biggest little brother... sam'n'emma/salmonella lol

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Tyler's sports day was last week and all they did was relay races....... hopping, skipping,carrying a bean bag on a tennis racket, bouncing a ball....... al team events.

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Its ridiculous, why dont we just wrap them in cotton wool, and keep them inside till their 18! How sad as it become that our children cant do the normal things. At Ellies schools sportsday there were no winners or losers, how can that be and whats wrong with competition. Personally when I was at school, I never won at sportsday it never stopped me from wanting to take part and I dont think I've any issues from being a loser:dork:

Re: Going over the top Again
 

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Is being discussed now on Radio 2.

Re: Going over the top Again
 

I never won a thing at sports day but loved taking part in all the events,we had a laugh,parents were invovled and it never did me any harm not winning it just made me more determined to try and win!
That was only 11 years ago,how did we get where we are today?
Very sad IMO.

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Stupid .... the only race I ever won was the sack race:theband: .... I agree with jambutty, scabby knees and elbows are part of what it means to grow up ... and if outdoor activities are limited and have the fun taken out of them, there is so much more temptation to sit in front of a screen (like we do) and get flabby ... there was a lot of talk in Canada about kids in the junior leagues playing no contact hockey:eek: .... gimme a break; hockey is contact ... but it never got too far. Oh, and my apologies for agreeing with you jambutty;)

Re: Going over the top Again
 

What is it with some of you people?

You just can’t help getting a dig in.

You really should grow up.

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Thanks ema for pointing kate in the right direction, thought that everybody knew Sam and Ella:Dbut obviously not

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Funny that kate I was listening to Radio 2 last week in dock, first time for may years, quit good really

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All these type restrictions can also be seen in the increased obesity amoung our youth, at least here in the States. I'm sure it's been mentioned, some schools here attempted to ban tag cause it could demoralize the taggee. My gosh, is there not any "GAME" that doesn't have a "winner and a non-winner?"

How will some of these kids face the challenges of real life when they start on in the workforce. "Sorry boss, the project you gave me to complete could be a bit difficult. Oh sorry worker, I should have had more consideration for your feelings before asking this of you!"

What hogwash! Scapes, tears, hurts, pain, failure all make us stronger not weaker eh?

Brian

Re: Going over the top Again
 

How do you learn coordination and balance if you cant participate in ALL sports? This forum is full of pc madness threads, shows what this country is becoming, maybe they dont need the excercise if they ban full fat milk in schools as mentioned in another mental thread! :mad:

Re: Going over the top Again
 

To my knowledge whacking you round the ankles has not been banned yet Willow, should we form a queue ? :D

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Why grow up when there is too much evidence around that it leads to singleminded arrogance, and humorless didacticism.:(

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Well said .... and risking the minor hurts of participation is often well rewarded .... I remember the trials of learning to skate as an adult after I came to Canada, the embarassment of having toddlers skate rings around me, the sore ankles etc. .... but I learned, I don't do it all that well, Wayne Gretzky's records are in no danger from me; but on a crisp winter's night, I can go down to the rink at the back of City Hall, put on my skates and have a helluva good time ... then take off the blades and off to the Pilot House for a pint or two. The rewards are there, but they have to be earned:D

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Some points brought out in the discussion I heard on Radio 2 was that :-

1. If we do not encourage competitive sports, how the hek will we ever shine in the Olympics.

2. They talked about pushy parents, and how they sometimes had to cordon the parents off ...LOL as sometimes fights broke out and hysteria on the touchline. Well, don't object to parents giving their support ... but we have all come across this type of parent! So what, was all part of the fun.

3. Children have got to learn that everyone cannot be a winner .. some are good at sport, other academics.

Sports Day is meant to be fun and part of it is receiving a certificate for winning, don't think any children feel any long term self-esteem effects 'cause they never get one, do you ?

Re: Going over the top Again
 

With the weather we're having your lucky if you get a sports day.

Sports day has been cancelled this year, as it was last year, at our school.

I know my daughter's class had been practising for it but I don't know exactly what races there were going to be. I won't know now as I won't be seeing it.

I can't understand why some schools will not have winners and losers. :confused:

As has been said, this doesn't relate to the adult world at all.

Children need to be taught to lose, to know that you win some, you lose some and to accept this with good grace.

C'est la vie.

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Good point ... it is important to discover that losses are often merely setbacks ... and unless you are the Canadian hockey team, you can't win every competition (sorry about that:D) ... one of my favorite sports heroes is George Chuvalo ... I know, not a household name ... George was the Canadian heavyweight champion who fought, and lost to, all the greats: Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Patterson, .... but in his 98 (I think) fights George was never knocked off his feet, and Ali said of him that he was the toughest man he had ever fought .... losing did not stop him from being a great boxer. And in life too George lost, he lost his kids to drugs and suicide, but it didn't stop him; he took on a new career talking to young people about the dangers of drugs. Now in his 70s George is still going strong. George tried to win every time he entered the ring, but he didn't let losing hold him back

Re: Going over the top Again
 

Tag is a contact sport LYY...... instead they play cat and mouse....the kids either wear a special belt with a 'tail' that sticks on with velcro (at the schools with money for such things) or they tuck a sash thingy down the back of their pants and the cat has to catch them, the games over when the cat has the mouses tail.............

Re: Going over the top Again
 

So the cat gets all the tail, and the poor mouse is left mutilated?:rolleyes:

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When I did sports at school I developed an inferiority complex.
I kept thinking other people were as good as me.:dancedog:

Re: Going over the top Again
 

nope not allowed to play that