Kitchen Monkey

02 July 2008

Every sporting angle covered in a week !

I was fascinated to read that this week over 3 million senior students have volunteered to assist in primary schools up and down the UK this week from 30th June to the 4th July 2008 in order to bring sports day to millions of primary school children.

The slogan worn by these students volunteering is most apt reading ‘1 in 3 million’ across their back and I believe that this is a splendid example of some of the fantastic good some of the youth of today are doing which we very rarely hear about let alone gets printed in our daily papers.

This is all part of National School Sports week and without these 3 million youths, our younger primary aged children’s would not be enjoying the tradition of many ages before us all, known as the great ‘British school sports day’.

However gone are the days of the sack race and egg and spoon race, some still manage to have the 3 legged race and the mums and dads races, well it wouldn’t be sports day without the parents races, now, would it?

Although some of the ethics of the sports day have changed, as now the children no longer compete on a competitive level, with the emphasise being on taking part and team work. Parents are being told not to encourage competitiveness in the races and you can get expelled for shouting on the side lines at a primary school sports day now.

I am not sure personally if this is a good or bad thing, as it’s great to encourage team work, but does this prepare our younger children for the competitive sports say of teenage school years in rugby, hockey and football?

Competition never did me any harm at school and I truly believe that a good sportsperson takes the loses with the wins, on the chin, to show good sportsmanship! Something our footballers of today do not set a very good example of .

Send me your views to info@kitchenmonkey.co.uk