What do you think about picking teams in gym class?

[Christine]

Maybe my school was different. In PE class, we were never 'taught' an activity. We were put in teams and told to play a game. No one ever taught us how to get better at it - I certainly never got better at any of the sports we played!!! The best athletes were never really expected to help the worse athletes get better, and the teachers certainly never helped us. But I could have just had really bad gym teachers!

In science, math, english competitions, etc, I think my school was different again. Everyone had to compete. It wasn't on any national level, just between the classes in a certain grade - but everyone was expected to participate together.

It did vary from each school I attended.

For instance, before we actually played basketball (line basketball) we spent a week going through drills of dribbling, passing, etc. Same with volleyball. We worked one-on-one and worked on serves and hitting the ball back and forth. This was at the lower grade levels not high school. I also learned archery and my gym teacher showed me how to do that.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't think that all of the teaching in the world would have found a talent in me.

I think that PE classes are important. Those kids with skills find out they have abilities and can go on to develope them. The other kids may not be good at athletics but a properly run class can help them stay in shape.

Maybe they should be run as they were at my college. You signed up for something and they went over basics and worked you hard. I was in such great shape after a few college level PE classes!

I know there are kids who just have no natural talent, but if they were taught, or coached is a better word, they would be able to hold their own. It would also give them a sense that they were being included and not excluded in the game of choice.
When I went to school, the girls and boys were seperated and then on one or two days a week we would combine and play a big game. The other classes up to that poiunt were to learn and practice our skills for the "big game". Now, at least in my kids school, the kids are all thrown together, and classes are combined, my first grader takes gym with 3rd graders, the teachers leave and its borderline Lord of The Flies in there. I would rather the gym teachers take them out for recess and let them run around the fields or playgrounds for 30 minutes. To call what they are doing in class physical education, is a joke. I'm sure thats not the case everywhere, but it is definitely in my kids school.

 

[Buckalew11]

If I were a PE teacher I'd never do that to kids. My sister is one and I know she doesn't. I never had the experience of being picked last because I was athletic but I saw the hurt on those kids faces.

Anyway, I'm not all for protecting everyone/everything but the PE thing is so hurtful. I just couldn't do it.

Science teams are generally picked by teachers, not other students. There is difference imho.

 

[luvmy3]

It did vary from each school I attended.

For instance, before we actually played basketball (line basketball) we spent a week going through drills of dribbling, passing, etc. Same with volleyball. We worked one-on-one and worked on serves and hitting the ball back and forth. This was at the lower grade levels not high school. I also learned archery and my gym teacher showed me how to do that.

Thats how it was in our school, and we had to take written tests to make sure we understood the game, the positions and how to play.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

It's gym class, not picking who gets to be first in the lifeboats of the Titanic. If the teacher had decided the groups, someone would have complained even about that. What is with kids these days getting raised with silver spoons in their mouths?

 

[asta]

You know, if the PE teachers were there to help kids like you there wouldn't be these kinds of issues. I don't know how it is in anyone elses school but in my kids, the kids are told to play a game and thats the end of it. There is no focus on teaching them the skills to play, so there are kids who have no idea what to do to to make themselves better at the game. I have said before that I think PE is a waste of time in school, if its about getting the kids acttive, give them an extra recess. If its truly suppossed to be a class where you learn something, then my goodness start teaching the kids.

Thank you for posting this. PE should be about educating and developing skills in everyone. Just imagine if math, science or english teachers were allowed to give one test and then decide to only work with the students who already showed some mastery of the subject. They would not have to waste their time teaching students who struggled. And by the way, their teaching technique would allow those teachable students to humiliate those students who didn't learn as fast. That would sure show those slower learners what life is all about. If you don't want to be humiliated, you had better find a way on your own to learn faster. Does anyone really think this is what education is about?

 

[jen0610]

It did vary from each school I attended.

For instance, before we actually played basketball (line basketball) we spent a week going through drills of dribbling, passing, etc. Same with volleyball. We worked one-on-one and worked on serves and hitting the ball back and forth. This was at the lower grade levels not high school. I also learned archery and my gym teacher showed me how to do that.

We did these sports from grade school thru high school. We did the same thing about learning the the rules and the skills of each sport. Then we did some off the wall stuff for gym. In grade school, we loved scooter board relays.

The favorite in middle school was the two weeks we did the jump rope. We had a sheet with 100 different things/tricks to do with a jump rope. We spent the first 8 days working on them and two days of testing at stations on what we could do. Timed jumping, single or double rope jumping, double dutch. EVERYBODY in the class had a blast learning new stuff.

In high school, the two sports that we got to do that we enjoyed, that were outta the norm, were raquetball and badminton. One of our classes top jocks was in my gym class our sophmore year and let me tell you, he was the WORST badminton player EVER!!! He knew it and he was the fisrt one to make a crack on himself. But he was a lot of fun to play with, because he tried so hard, just never could get the hang of it.

 

[Christine]

One of our classes top jocks was in my gym class our sophmore year and let me tell you, he was the WORST badminton player EVER!!! He knew it and he was the fisrt one to make a crack on himself. But he was a lot of fun to play with, because he tried so hard, just never could get the hang of it.

My cousin was a phenomenal gymnast but she was AWFUL at volleyball. It was amazing. I always thought that athletic people were sort of generally good at everything.

 

[Becky2005]

Wouldn't phase me at all. Then again, our school does cuts for sports too.

I'm pretty sure our school still does this, it's never been a complaint from my kids. Unless it is gymnastics or wrestling, I don't think my kids would be considered athletic at all and gymnastics is even out at this point. If it involves a ball, my DD tries to avoid it as much as possible. LOL! She is definitely the "OH NO, I broke a nail!!!" type of girl. She hasn't said boo about it. They ALL know she is horrible at it & she just goes with it.

Then again, one of her friends asked her why she didn't sign up for powder puff football & her answer was "for everyone's safety, it's really best I not even go there". LOL! It's so true.

Next year she gets to choose her gym class & she is choosing dance vs. normal gym. We don't know if she will get in but that tells you her team skills for gym class.

 

[babyrich]

Is this really a problem for parents??? Why do we have to shield children from every disappointment? Life is what you do with it. We cant all be good in sports, academics, and not everyone is going to like us. If your child is picked last, tell them so what and remind them of what they are good at.

I am not a parent but it seems we are just too soft on our kids nowadays. We dont want them to experience anything negative. As adults we all know life isnt always a bowl of cherries, shouldnt we prepare them for it? We play games with no winners, we dont let kids be picked last, children aren't left back, even if they are not ready to move up a grade. We werent sheltered and I think my generation did fine.

 

[FireDancer]

In high school, the two sports that we got to do that we enjoyed, that were outta the norm, were raquetball and badminton. One of our classes top jocks was in my gym class our sophmore year and let me tell you, he was the WORST badminton player EVER!!! He knew it and he was the fisrt one to make a crack on himself. But he was a lot of fun to play with, because he tried so hard, just never could get the hang of it.

Most people aren't universally good at every sport. I was one of the shortest kids in my class but I was by far the fastest. In some sports I was one of the best kids and in other one of the worst. I might have been the first one picked for touch football, soccer, or baseball but I was also one of the last picked for basketball and volleyball (even though I was captain of our volleyball team). I knew my limitations and didn't really care when those limitations resulted in a late pick.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

I am and always have been one of the most un-coordinated people on the planet. As such, I was usually picked last in gym, or close to it. I got used to it. While it wasn't exactly fun, it was a fact of life, and no bit deal now. I excelled in other things, so it evens out in the end. I think it is good preparation for real life, where you aren't always #1.

I have a great family and great friends, and could now care less that I was usually picked last in gym.

 

[Gigi22]

Reminds me of the old saying, "Those who can't do, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym."

 

[kaytieeldr]

The good kids have always been picked first and they will continue to do so in life. It may seem unfair to the nonathletic kids but life isn't fair. When grades are given out the smarter kids will have the advantage. When it comes time to date the better looking kids will have an advantage. It all even out in the end.

Eh, I don't know if it evens out so much. The smarter kids (or the harder-working kids - my mom was once told one of my siblings was an overachiever!) aren't determined to be that way in the judgment of their peers. They just ARE smarter, or more willing/anxious to learn. It may or may not all 'even out in the end', but dating is an individual activity - unless one chooses to be a constestant on a TV reality show . Being among the last two or three people standing out on the field, during the "you take her!" "no, I was stuck with her last time!" whispered conversation you know is taking place - and we were NEVER chosen as the team captains, i.e. able to pick the teams - time after time, year after year, can be devastating to one's self-esteem.

Even the "count-off" system can be tweaked, if the participants know how many teams there are - the best players can simply place themselves every xth person - but you don't have the embarrassment of letting the students pick their own teams.

I don't like the 'everything has to be equal' mentality that seems to be prevalent all of a sudden. It is like awarding all the teams a trophy or not keeping score. There are winners and losers in life, that is how it is. There are people who are better at other things then others, that is how it is.
I have no problem with the better kids getting picked first whether it is more athletic kids for the sports teams or smarter kids for the academic teams. In the real world everything isn't equal. You succeed or fail on your merits and it is never too early to start learning that lesson.

Oh, sure. I agree. Whoever came up with the 'everybody gets a trophy' mindset is a twit. I KNOW I'm bad at athletics, and that I'm good at math and grammar, and that my tact needs some work But I don't think we're talking about actual "team" teams here - the school football or baseball team, for example. I think the OP was talking about individual gym classes, where the activity for that period might be kickball. The teacher picks four kids as captains, the kids pick their own teams, the SAME classmates are always the last ones picked - the ones standing in the middle of the play area with nobody actually wanting them on their team.

Even in single-period academic competitions (again, not organized teams, which is not what the OP means), the teachers don't pick team captains and allow the captains to pick their team members. The teacher simply assigns the teams - so why can't gym teachers do the same thing?

But ORGANIZED teams - again, the footlball team, the baseball team, the math team - where most of the hopefuls trying out for the team already have an idea of their respective abilities in relation to the needs of the team, aren't, as far as I can tell, the focus of the OP's post.

 

[Auggietina]

It's called life, folks. Who I REALLY feel sorry for are the kids who's parents think it is their job to shield them from every little disappointment that comes their way. That is a lot more damaging then being picked last on a kickball team. Someone is ALWAYS going to be better than you, get over it.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Oh does this bring back painful memories. I am 50 years old and the memories still hurt. I was always the last chosen in gym class, or more likely, the last one left and just told to go with the next team up.

If you're 50 and still have painful memories of these types of situations, then I have to agree that this is a bit much.

I was picked last for many things growing up. While it was humiliating at the time, I certainly don't feel humiliated now. I learned how to get over it and move on. Perhaps that's a lesson that hasn't been taught for 30 or so years and people have forgotten how to do it?

Wow! Your lack of compassion is astounding.

I'm 45 so we're fairly close in age. I'm sorry but I can honestly say that I don't have any compassion for someone older than me who's still feeling bad because they were picked last for gym some 40 odd years ago.

It's gym class, not picking who gets to be first in the lifeboats of the Titanic.

THANK YOU!

I am and always have been one of the most un-coordinated people on the planet. As such, I was usually picked last in gym, or close to it. I got used to it. While it wasn't exactly fun, it was a fact of life, and no bit deal now. I excelled in other things, so it evens out in the end. I think it is good preparation for real life, where you aren't always #1.

I have a great family and great friends, and could now care less that I was usually picked last in gym.

I agree.

Kids being picked last in gym class has been going on since the beginning of school, in every country, every school. It's a rite of passage. There will always be some kids who get picked last. It happens.

Getting picked last would hopefully teach kids how to deal with disappointments. It also teaches us how to choose the best members for your team to get things done effectively. When you let everyone play on the team because it's the nice, fair thing to do, you get....



.....the current Democratic Congress. (And I'm saying this as a current Democrat)

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I'm really curious to this question- those of you who think it's OK to pick teams in gym this way and think that the ones who are picked last should just get over it- do you have school aged kids? I'm guessing most of you do not. It's different when it is your own kid. It just is and there is no other way to explain it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

First a kid who is sucky at basketball pretty well knows it by middle and H.S. So what, the schools should stop having teams in gym because not every body has the same ability?? Gimme a break. I don't think the other students should be the ones doing the picking but I have no problem with the teacher dividing the kids in a class into teams. Some teams win, some lose

Basketball? Perfect! Line us up by height, and count off teams. My extreme lack of height combined with my pretty well-known lack of athletic ability would pretty much ensure nobody would expect much from me - but at least I wouldn't be standing in the middle of the court during the "you take her" "no, you take her" "no, she stinks" conversation!

 

[kaytieeldr]

In the real world, the interviewer will pick the best people for the job. Team leaders will pick the best people to be on their team, that's how it works.

But they won't pick 'em publicly out of a group of all possible candidates while leaving the rest physically standing there hanging their heads in embarrassment.

 

[jrmasm]

I'm really curious to this question- those of you who think it's OK to pick teams in gym this way and think that the ones who are picked last should just get over it- do you have school aged kids? I'm guessing most of you do not. It's different when it is your own kid. It just is and there is no other way to explain it.

I have one in K and one in 9th. I don't think it's a big deal. But maybe that's because my snoflakes are the best at everything they do.