Sports Day: But is it ok if you lose?

I won’t lie to you, I barely slept last night.

My anxiety levels were through the roof, and my mind flooded with questions.

Was wearing a sports bra too excessive?

Did the kids need a pair of spikes buying or would school disapprove?

How could I sneak pre workout into their breakfast milk?

Did I need to make a banner?

Today is my sixth sports day.

I no longer make any apologies for who I am on these days.  I am the competitive mum, it is a uncionscious reaction to the white lines marking out the track on the field.  As soon as I approach the school my emotions begin to swell and a shout nestles in my throat.  My kids always know I am on the sidelines and they never thank me for it.

I simply cannot help myself.  If we get a win, it is all I can do to stop myself from ripping off my shirt and grabbing the sporting genius that is my child and running a victory lap.

I have been warned that it will be treated as a safe guarding issue should I ever wrench my shirt off, grab a child and start running; this is what stops me….

But in my time on the line, I have noticed not all parents have the same approach to sports day as I.

Bizarre I know.

But there is a selection of mums and dads who fall into different groups.

You can get…

The Athletes

The parents that turn up in lycra, ready to leap in if their child needs a substitution.  The ones that resist heavily when the parents race is announced, and tell their child “no, no,” when they beg for them to join in.  Then at the last-minute, they turn to the crowd with a heavy sigh and an ok, then.” and allow themselves to be dragged to the start line; where suddenly they switch faces into athlete mode and squat down into a sprint start pose.  Scaring the shite out of Mrs Brown next to them who is dressed for a summer fayre, has just eaten an ice cream, and has just realised she is about to get slaughtered.

The it is ok if you lose brigade.

We have all said it to our kids, ‘as long as you try your best…’  But some people actually mean it.  Their kids are the ones who generally look happy at the start line and don’t go into emotional breakdown because they were chatting to their mate when someone yelled go.   However, as my neighbour happily pointed out this morning, the ‘I did my best spiel’ is often said by those who lose.

I’ll just leave that there.

The working parent

You will recognise this one instantly, because they are on their phone.  Not filming images that will breach the schools guidelines if they even get close to social media, but they will be trying to be both good parent and good employee.

I sometimes am guilty of this one – there in body but not in spirit.

But at this time of year, you have school plays, leaving assemblies, sports day, our school even held a fab race for life event.  But that mortgage needs paying and school hours are also working hours.

The fake casual

Again, we have all seen the quiet one, sitting on the side of the track.  Dressed in normal clothes, casually sipping on a cola.  Who laughs with friends about it all being for fun, then suddenly when their little Jimmy takes to the field, their arse shoots out of the chair like a spike has been forced into their rectum and they start bellowing like an elephant who is being eaten castrated without anesthetic.

If little Jimmy loses, no doubt it will be an equipment failing or someone starting early.

You usually pay this person little attention as you will have become accustomed to ignoring them every Saturday on the football pitch when they are busy yelling at the ref trying to teach him his job…

 

But all in all, it really is just for fun, as long as the kids enjoy it….

Three hours to go until our day begins, I am just off to do my stretches and make up the kids protein shakes.

Happy Sports Day!