If your child enters a non competitive fun run at school instead of the competitive race - do you expect them to place if they cross the line first? Should they receive a ribbon and school wide acknowledgement for that place? Or does not competitive allude to no places and “fun”. So interested on all perspectives on this!
19 Replies
I think life's too short to worry about crap like this and if you do, you're teaching your kid the wrong life lessons. Hope they had a good time.
Simple question asking for perspective. Your aggressive response is noted though. I bet your a fun conversationalist!
I agree with her. The post didn't have context that this was a discussion by a P&C. I actually thought your kid came first in a fun run and you were upset they weren't fussed over until I read further comments. And if a mum was upset over this I would agree that there are better things to worry about
Thank you, it was what I thought too.
Nothing aggressive about my comment, enjoyed the attack on my personality though.
Do you teach your kids that too?
"you're"
Assuming context. Your response was absolutely passive aggressive! There was no need for further context except to have a go at the original poster. Just needed to answer your thoughts. Yours were that you couldn’t care less. Which is completely valid. No need to imply she is teaching her children poor life lessons!
But if someone is turning a fun run that is designed to encourage everyone to participate into a competition that will make the less sporty kids not want to, it is a bad lesson. I completely understand this ladies reply given the way the question was perceived
Kind of defeats the purpose of it being non competitive if you still expect a winner.
I've not heard of a non competitive race before. But if my kids were in one I wouldn't expect recognition of a winner as that goes against the name and purpose. You should not be able to win or lose a non competitive race.
Thanks Ladies - this is a debate being had by our P and C. Was looking for unbiased perspectives.
I also think it would open up opportunities to sort of cheat in a way, kids who think they wouldn't win the competitive race could go in the non competitive race for an easy ribbon and bragging rights for their mum and dad "look my kid just won their school run". It's not fair on the kids that have tried hard in the competitive race.
Surely that happens with every fun run, colour run, obstacle course etc. don't get me wrong, I think it's crazy to give awards for a fun run, but I see no harm with kids being proud of their performance. It isn't like it would get them to regionals
No, if the school is going to go through the effort of having two races then it is really stupid having awards or a recognised winner of the non competitive race. If a child wants to have a chance at a ribbon they need to go into the competitive race. It really isn't fair on the kids that are trying hard and putting effort in. If the school chooses to award the non competitive race even if just by acknowledgement, then I hope all the kids decide to run that race next year. It would defeat the purpose.
Yes. But kids that cross the line first will still be chuffed. They're still allowed to tell their parents they were the fastest. It doesn't take anything away from sports day results. Fun runs are using a completely separate event
I think it would be weird to have a winner. That said, I don't think anyone would care?
I would make it clear that no ribbons will be given out for places. may be have some "thanks for supporting ' ribbons or something 🤷♀️ but I wouldn't do places etc... there are some ugly competitive parents in our school and their kids would totally make a fun run...non fun for everyone else if there were places.
My kids school tried this a few years ago.
What was designed to encourage inclusion ended up creating more division.
Some of the parents of athletically inclined children cracked the poops because their child would only have other athletically inclined children to compete against as if this were somehow unfair 😂
Some kids who chose to participate in the "fun" activities were teased for doing so.
Some of the more competitive kids still chose to do the fun activities because they knew they would absolutely dominate.
It was a very unfortunate spectacle of poor sportsmanship, so this may be something for your P&C to consider.
"How dare you not let my child look incredibly gifted by only letting them race against kids on their level. Now they could be losers and that's not fair." Literally what would be going through their heads lol.
Schools that want to do this should make the non competitive compulsory for the whole school and award sportsmanship instead of speed. Then have the competitive race a choice.
My kid's school does a colour run. All kids participate and have a ball. My daughter has proudly told me that she finished in the top 5 of her grade 1 year, skipped the whole way and done cartwheels another year and volunteered to throw the colour on a year that she wasn't feeling well. Even her unfit friends that don't go to school for sports and swim carnivals enjoy it. None of the kids even had a 'prize' enter their minds. The kids that represent the school in track and field weren't disadvantaged by other kids having fun either...
It's "non competitive". There are no places to win. It's all about fun.