What do you think about picking teams in gym class?

[Auggietina]

So, if the school required all the parents to come in to play on a team and the parents were all picked this same way, you would be OK with it? You would be OK being one of the last ones picked in front of all the other parents b/c you were overweight,underweight, short, unpopular, dressed in heels, not dressed well enough, or thought to be too nerdy to play sports b/c you were a scientist? You would stand there and think, oh well, this is a good lesson for me to know that I just don't have the best body or I am just not well liked or everybody knows that I have a PhD in chemistry and can't play kickball. It doesn't bother me at all. Come on, give me a break. You would be so humiliated!

Why do people automatically assume everyone is thinking about them? Seriously, get a grip and get some counseling.

I am sure enough not wasting my time thinking about any of that.

I could care less if I was picked last, my daughter could care less as well. All that would matter to her is that I participated.

I

 

[FireDancer]

So, if the school required all the parents to come in to play on a team and the parents were all picked this same way, you would be OK with it? You would be OK being one of the last ones picked in front of all the other parents b/c you were overweight,underweight, short, unpopular, dressed in heels, not dressed well enough, or thought to be too nerdy to play sports b/c you were a scientist? You would stand there and think, oh well, this is a good lesson for me to know that I just don't have the best body or I am just not well liked or everybody knows that I have a PhD in chemistry and can't play kickball. It doesn't bother me at all. Come on, give me a break. You would be so humiliated!

I would absolutely go in and see where I am picked. I play on a lot of sports teams and the better athletes still play the most and/or play the important positions. If the sport that day was basketball I would probably be last.

I am confident enough that where I am picked in gym class or where I play on my team has no effect what so ever on my self esteem. My self esteem comes from me and only me and has since about 3rd grade.

 

[luvsJack]

And in the work world the boss picks the people who want to win to do the big projects or get the promotions, or they pick the popular people/brown nosers because they are their friends. At work it's not always the person with the most talent or ability who gets picked to lead projects or get promoted. Frankly, there's a lot that goes on the work world that's pretty dang humiliating, too, and maybe being picked last in gym class once in awhile will make that easier to take. Being picked just because you're competitive or popular doesn't stop when school is over.

Oh, dear Lord. And of course since they may not be picked in the work world at some point in their adult life, we should force them to go through this on a daily basis while they are a child.

 

[WriteDisney]

I think it should be a combination of both.. sometimes the teacher picks and sometimes the kids pick. Like in the working world, sometimes you can pick your assignment, sometimes your boss just dictates what you have to do.

I think some posters had great points about gym being more instructional. I had some classes that taught techniques, but many more that just had you start playing a game of basketball every day without teaching any skills. I guess it depends on where you're coming from.

 

[luvmy3]

So, if the school required all the parents to come in to play on a team and the parents were all picked this same way, you would be OK with it? You would be OK being one of the last ones picked in front of all the other parents b/c you were overweight,underweight, short, unpopular, dressed in heels, not dressed well enough, dressed in mouse ears or thought to be too nerdy to play sports b/c you were a scientist? You would stand there and think, oh well, this is a good lesson for me to know that I just don't have the best body or I am just not well liked or everybody knows that I have a PhD in chemistry and can't play kickball. It doesn't bother me at all. Come on, give me a break. You would be so humiliated!

How can you be so sure we'd be humiliated? Not everyone has self esteem issues and most adults know exactly how to deal with these types of situations because when we were kids, our parents never went in complaining that their kids were getting picked last in gym class, they just let us deal with it if it happened

 

[FergieTCat]

Another survivor of being picked last in gym.

But I aced the spelling bees.

 

[Acklander]

So, if the school required all the parents to come in to play on a team and the parents were all picked this same way, you would be OK with it? You would be OK being one of the last ones picked in front of all the other parents b/c you were overweight,underweight, short, unpopular, dressed in heels, not dressed well enough, or thought to be too nerdy to play sports b/c you were a scientist? You would stand there and think, oh well, this is a good lesson for me to know that I just don't have the best body or I am just not well liked or everybody knows that I have a PhD in chemistry and can't play kickball. It doesn't bother me at all. Come on, give me a break. You would be so humiliated!

At work, sometimes I get the dream project, sometimes I don't. And yes, there have been times where it was quite obvious I was out of my league. I like to do a good job, and it's embarrassing when I'm not able to perform as expected. But I don't just sit and wallow in my embarrassment. I make a choice - maybe I just need some direction and can take it from there, so I ask for help. Maybe I'm not good at that particular task, but excel at others so talk to the boss and see if I can delegate the portion that I'm not good at in exchange for taking on additional tasks that I AM good at. Maybe I'm in the wrong job and therefore make a change but I don't expect the boss to change the expectations just so that I'm not embarrassed.

 

[Acklander]

Are there any others that are reading this thread and wondering if there is some weird connection between being picked last in gym class and a love of Disney??? I've never seen so many people post about being pick last in gym in my entire life.

 

[Alesia]

why don't we give the whole class trophies along with their A's!

And an ice cream party. Don't forget that!

I was always picked last. I remember complaining to my mom about it when I was in 6th grade and she said, "So you suck at volleyball, big deal. You need to build a bridge and get over it." You know what? She was right.

And I did get over it. And, more importantly, I survived the next 3 years of getting picked last.

Expecting the non athletic kids to not be picked last in gym class is like expecting the dumb kids to get picked for the academic team. We all have some things we're good at and some things we suck at. The sooner kids learn that, the better.

 

[babyrich]

Are there any others that are reading this thread and wondering if there is some weird connection between being picked last in gym class and a love of Disney??? I've never seen so many people post about being pick last in gym in my entire life.

You have a point. I may have been picked last in gym for not being athletic; but I can walk around DW all day and my DH has a hard time keeping up with me!

 

[Becky2005]

So, if the school required all the parents to come in to play on a team and the parents were all picked this same way, you would be OK with it? You would be OK being one of the last ones picked in front of all the other parents b/c you were overweight,underweight, short, unpopular, dressed in heels, not dressed well enough, dressed in mouse ears or thought to be too nerdy to play sports b/c you were a scientist? You would stand there and think, oh well, this is a good lesson for me to know that I just don't have the best body or I am just not well liked or everybody knows that I have a PhD in chemistry and can't play kickball. It doesn't bother me at all. Come on, give me a break. You would be so humiliated!

Um...it wouldn't bother me in the least to get picked last, I would be thinking "who cares", in the big scheme of life it wouldn't matter.

Maybe because let's see, I was on the volleyball team and basically sat on the bench 99.9% of the time. I even dubbed myself a bench warmer. This was back before cuts, I doubt I would have made the team. I went to the practices and I know others were better.

I was on a bowling league and the only reason I think they wanted me was because I was female. It was a mixed league and they HAD to have a female. Our team was 3 guys & me. They were bowling upper 200's -- I was lucky if I bowled 100 1/2 the time.

I don't know, it never really occurred to me to care about it. Maybe my kids get the same attitude that I have with gym class, these type of "who cares" type of things that aren't the big ones in the scheme of things.

 

[luvsJack]

How can you be so sure we'd be humiliated? Not everyone has self esteem issues and most adults know exactly how to deal with these types of situations because when we were kids, our parents never went in complaining that their kids were getting picked last in gym class, they just let us deal with it if it happened

I think that if you had to deal with it on a daily or few times a week basis; you may have a different attitude about it.

The fact is, it may not be a big deal for your kids and it may not be a big deal to my kids; but it is to some. This is not being done at your house or my house, its being done at school where they have to deal with a lot of different kids from a lot of different households and they shouldn't do anything that may humiliate or embarrass a kid.

 

[jrmasm]

Another survivor of being picked last in gym.

But I aced the spelling bees.

I can't spell. I want spelling bees eliminated. I was always out first.

 

[Becky2005]

She has fun and if she makes a goof of herself, so be it!

She does drama every summer. Once she got the lead role. Other times she was in the chorus. That's how life works.

Maybe it's the drama part -- my DD is similar and frakly she totally makes a goof of herself & she doesn't care. Some of the things she tells me she has done at school, I'm pretty sure would have gotten her labelled "freak/weirdo" back when I was in school but she thinks it's funny when she gets the occassional random weird look (but she does like to mess with people's minds like that, so..).

 

[lillygator]

I think that if you had to deal with it on a daily or few times a week basis; you may have a different attitude about it.

The fact is, it may not be a big deal for your kids and it may not be a big deal to my kids; but it is to some. This is not being done at your house or my house, its being done at school where they have to deal with a lot of different kids from a lot of different households and they shouldn't do anything that may humiliate or embarrass a kid.

I tend to think though, if this is bothering these kids so much, then they must have other issues going on as well.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Wetting your pants in school? Humiliation
Teacher calling you mean names? Humiliation
Being picked last for a team? Right of passage. Part of life. Part of growing up.

I will admit that I let my students set up their own groups for various projects. I keep hoping that those who have a hard time finding a group realize that it's because they have disagreeable personalities.

 

[FergieTCat]

I can't spell. I want spelling bees eliminated. I was always out first.

Remind me to pick you last for my spelling team!

 

[Becky2005]

they shouldn't do anything that may humiliate or embarrass a kid.

Doesn't that boil down to EVERYTHING then?

No reading allowed in the classroom, no tests, no oral book reports, no music classes, no art classes (here they put the art on display in the halls, around the school), just about ANYTHING in school, I can imagine a way that would humilate or embarrass a kid.

Heck, speech class that is required is embarrasing enough for some kids.

I can think of a million & one things that has potential to humilate or embarrass a kid in school.

 

[luvmy3]

I think that if you had to deal with it on a daily or few times a week basis; you may have a different attitude about it.

The fact is, it may not be a big deal for your kids and it may not be a big deal to my kids; but it is to some. This is not being done at your house or my house, its being done at school where they have to deal with a lot of different kids from a lot of different households and they shouldn't do anything that may humiliate or embarrass a kid.

Okay then, maybe they should do away with any and all competition then. How about get rid of drama and music since some kids will be picked for chorus and the play and others may be humiliated and emabarrassed if they aren't. Get rid of your AP classes because some kids aren't good enough students to make it and they maye be embarrassed and humilitated. Its not the schools job to make sure kids don't feel humiliated by being different, its the job of every parent

 

[Ember]

Doesn't that boil down to EVERYTHING then?

No reading allowed in the classroom, no tests, no oral book reports, no music classes, no art classes (here they put the art on display in the halls, around the school), just about ANYTHING in school, I can imagine a way that would humilate or embarrass a kid.

Heck, speech class that is required is embarrasing enough for some kids.

I can think of a million & one things that has potential to humilate or embarrass a kid in school.

This was my point, but it seems to have gotten over looked. We'll also have to eliminate students choosing their own partners, and should probably have a list of who can be friends with who... I mean, not having someone to sit beside at lunch can be very humiliating...