Egg and spoons at the ready, because for schools up and down the country, Sports Day is fast approaching!
It’s one of the most eagerly anticipated days on the school calendar. Pupils, teachers and parents will be looking forward to a day of cheering on students, kicking back in the sunshine (hopefully, weather permitting) and getting enthusiastic about the prospect of a bit of healthy competition. But of course, winning isn’t everything when it comes to enjoying a good ol’-fashioned Sports Day!
This post will run through ways in which teachers can encourage good sportsmanship, as well as ideas for motivating Sports Day rewards and awards for pupils.
The Values of Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is a skill that students can learn through participating in sports day. Learning to play by the rules, being respectful of the other competitors and gracefully accepting the outcome of the game, win or lose, are admirable traits that teachers strive to instil in their pupils.
To help inspire these skills, there are many videos on YouTube demonstrating the amazing lengths professional athletes have gone to, to show outstanding sportsmanship.
After sharing a few of these heart-warming and tear-jerking tales, you could reward your pupils for displaying the same qualities with these Sports Values Award Praise Postcards.
Team Building Activities
Many parents complain about the demise of the ‘traditional’ competitive school Sports Day, the days where there were no awards for taking part and only those who came first, second or third went home with a ribbon.
In recent years, many schools have altered their school sports competitions to be more inclusive of all pupils, moving the focus away from the highly competitive track and field events, and putting the emphasis on team building activities. But this isn’t to avoid any tears or tantrums from students.
@FayeCarlisle1 on her blog Psychology Mum argues that these team building games help build co-operative relationships between pupils and thus improves their self-esteem and sportsmanlike qualities. However, she does agree that young children do need to learn the difference between winning and losing, even if all pupils are still given a prize for their participation.
These customisable, Olympic themed stickers are perfect for rewarding team-building events on Sports Day. They come in a range of colours, which can correspond to different coloured teams and the text can be customised to read any team-building message you like.
Practice Makes Perfect
Pack 4
Self-discipline is a huge part of sportsmanship. Having the determination to practice, practice, practice is the only way to improve at a sport.
PE teacher @MrBridge204 posted an article on sportsmanship, which says that children should also be rewarded for the effort they put into practising their chosen sport. Small rewards will at first act as an extrinsic source of motivation, which will then inspire and raise their intrinsic levels of motivation with time.
With that in mind, we have used the School Stickers Customisation Tool to create a bespoke sticker that praises self-discipline and practice.
Medals and Trophies
Finally, at the end of a long and hopefully fun-filled Sports Day, comes the main prize giving ceremony. For the first, second and third place prizes, School Stickers have a range of personalised medals. Made from genuine metal and coloured in gold, silver and bronze, these medals feature a domed centre which can be customized to read your school’s name and any other message you wish.
