The lawn mower gave up the ghost today, no smoke or shorting out, the power just went.
The PC conked, too much dust and cleaned out one too many times. I spent most of the day fixing various computerised machines around the house, wifi card removed from one, put in another, air blown through the cooler block on one, fan taken out and cleaned on another.
Unplugging wired connections on one, then borrowing of another to see if I could get it working on another *big sigh*
By 8pm, I’d given up.
If I don’t fix them, usually with old parts from another, I’d have nothing to type this twaddle on. Maybe that’s a good thing?
Whenever I read blogs or diaries, I read them (in my swede) in the style of famous people. A few of my favourite in-head gobs, with their emphasis…
- Morgan Freeman (reflective or story telling post)
- John Betjemen (humorous)
- Alan Bennett (stating something)
- L.S.Lowry (couldn’t care less)
I’ve been at pains to comment on a few media posts, by the top brass of the FA and various opinions based upon them, by so called pundits, regarding girls playing football in schools, after the Lioness’ Euro 22 tournament winning performances.
I’ve even written replies, then deleted them before posting, thinking it would be best to say nothing and wait to see how the land lies.
So in true gobshite fashion, I’ll post here to get them off my chest.
- “Girls should be allowed to play football in PE” – A very out-dated comment, certainly untrue in Primary schools.
Girls do play all the sports with the boys, taught PE on a class basis and are taught basic rules and core skills, leading up to matches. In 13 years, I’ve yet to witness girls being refused ANY sport in PE! - “Girls should have access to 2 hours of sport per week” – Again ALL children in each class have access to more than two hours of sport already. Alongside PE (2 hours) we have swimming lessons, where our children walk the fifteen minutes to and from the half hour lessons, for a full term per year group. There are numerous sporting after-school clubs available (1.5 hours), completely free where I work. In addition, everyday at most primary schools, they do “The mile” whereby they can run, walk, skip, etc. This is 20 minutes each day.
Factor in all the walk/cycle to school schemes, where the children are grilled on a daily basis how they travelled to and from school.
Where the “should have 2 hours of sports per week” comes from, who knows? - “Girls should be allowed to play football at lunchtimes!” – At Primary level, girls already do play football at lunchtimes, there are no limits on any sports offered at lunchtimes, football, rugby, tennis, badminton, cricket, athletics, to name but a few.
Every playtime, weather permitting, girls have access to football, basketball or netball as well. - “Girls should be offered after-school football, then fed into clubs, where they can develop” – Every Tuesday, is girl’s football training, 34 girls (with 10 on the waiting list for a space) last year at our Primary school.
We also include our girls for selection in the various boys teams, when they are able to manage the cut and thrust of them and it is safe for them.
“Fed into clubs”? Current costs for playing for our local football team is £180 per year, plus training twice per week, transport to/from matches, then the disappointment of them having to try-out for the team again the following year, heaping pressure on Primary school children.
Not to mention that many parents cannot afford the costs. At our school we run a donation scheme, whereby before buying loads of kit/boots, etc. We offered them boots that we have had donated, ideal for trying football out.
Out of our 34 girls in the football squad last school year, just eight of them played for an out of school club, four of them went to the out of school club after starting football at Primary school!
The nub of the issue appears to be money?
How’s about this for a crazy idea: For starters, give primary schools some credit, 14 schools out of 32 in our area run girls football teams/clubs for FREE, entered into knockout cup and a league, again run for FREE. We work damned hard to get all children involved in sports, everyone has access no matter what level they are at!
Secondly, why not make sports FREE for everyone within their local area up to the age of 16?
If they really must charge, then make it a pound or offer a discount card for locals?
Swimming pools used to packed with children in school holidays, now our nearest (our own town pool was closed down) closes for maintenance in some of the holidays!
Why don’t clubs offer FREE girls football training and entry to their teams, instead of just free taster sessions, to cream off the best players?
In my experience, all children just want to be a regular part of a squad and train/play competitions for fun. It’s not all about winning and certainly shouldn’t be about money!
There now, that feels better, getting it off my chest.
How was it for you?