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SkinnyElephant
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07 Dec 2022, 11:16 am

Who else on here was always picked last in gym class?

I have a feeling I'm not the only one.

Having classmates pick teams in gym class is yet another way to "other" those of us on the spectrum (or any kid who's different/non-athletic). From what I hear, more and more schools have started having the teacher pick teams (to avoid this issue). If only schools had the gym teacher pick the teams in my day.



kraftiekortie
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08 Dec 2022, 8:03 am

I was picked last in gym class. All the time. I was a fat kid who could not even do one chin-up.

But this was many years ago.

I've moved on from regretting how unathletic I am.



Joe90
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08 Dec 2022, 9:38 am

When I was at school the teachers picked the teams because of this exact reason.


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Trueno
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08 Dec 2022, 10:35 am

I was always picked last. I was a fat kid… with no competitive spirit at all.

Now I’m a lean adult… with no competitive spirit at all.


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SkinnyElephant
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08 Dec 2022, 11:19 am

kraftiekortie wrote:
I was picked last in gym class. All the time. I was a fat kid who could not even do one chin-up.

But this was many years ago.

I've moved on from regretting how unathletic I am.


I was the opposite: A beanpole with no strength or athleticism whatsoever.

The end result was still the same: Picked last.



SkinnyElephant
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08 Dec 2022, 11:23 am

Trueno wrote:
I was always picked last. I was a fat kid… with no competitive spirit at all.

Now I’m a lean adult… with no competitive spirit at all.


The fact you mentioned competitive spirit reminds me:

I never understood why so many kids took the games we played in gym class extremely seriously. It's only a game.

If you're in the NFL, obviously the game is important (as the game is how you make your income). But we're talking a game during a gym class.

Who gives a damn if your team wins or loses in gym class? Either way, you pass the class for showing up.



Lukario
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09 Dec 2022, 9:05 am

There were some contact sports I wasn't interested in and I was allowed to just do something else (yes myself)



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09 Dec 2022, 12:40 pm

For almost every sport, this was true. However, there was one major exception. Field hockey. I'm not sure why, but I was surprisingly good at field hockey and absolutely terrible at every other sport. The team leaders would both try to convince me to join their team. It used to delay the game. Arguments would erupt over fairness e.g. "That's not fair, you had her last time, my team should have her".

Our teacher had to step in and start randomly assigning me to keep the peace. So at the start I'd be assigned to a random team, then the team leaders would pick the rest of their members. It definitely felt odd receiving special treatment.

Whereas, in every other sport no one wanted me on their team. :lol:


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SkinnyElephant
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09 Dec 2022, 1:06 pm

Lost_dragon wrote:
For almost every sport, this was true. However, there was one major exception. Field hockey. I'm not sure why, but I was surprisingly good at field hockey and absolutely terrible at every other sport. The team leaders would both try to convince me to join their team. It used to delay the game. Arguments would erupt over fairness e.g. "That's not fair, you had her last time, my team should have her".

Our teacher had to step in and start randomly assigning me to keep the peace. So at the start I'd be assigned to a random team, then the team leaders would pick the rest of their members. It definitely felt odd receiving special treatment.

Whereas, in every other sport no one wanted me on their team. :lol:


During volleyball in high school gym class, I heard a teammate tell another teammate "He doesn't do !@#$ for our team." They were talking about me. KNOWING that I was close enough to hear.

Not the only time classmates bad-mouthed me right in front of me.



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09 Dec 2022, 1:34 pm

Yeah, I was picked last . . . when I was picked at all.

But so what?  That was over 50 years ago.  I got over it.

Does anyone really think I should still be carrying that crap-sack around with me?


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SkinnyElephant
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09 Dec 2022, 4:52 pm

Fnord wrote:
Yeah, I was picked last . . . when I was picked at all.

But so what?  That was over 50 years ago.  I got over it.

Does anyone really think I should still be carrying that crap-sack around with me?


School was more recent for a lot of us.

In my case, it's not so much that I still carry it around with me. I started the discussion because getting picked last in gym class is one of many ways in which the autistic are "othered" in life.

Even if getting picked last in gym class will never happen again once we finish high school, getting othered will happen forever.



kraftiekortie
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13 Dec 2022, 12:24 pm

I was competitive…but I still sucked :P



magz
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13 Dec 2022, 12:30 pm

I still hate volleyball for this reason.

I was pretty athletic but I have very poor eye-body coordination, which makes me suck at anything involving any fast moving objects (i.e. a ball).


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IsabellaLinton
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13 Dec 2022, 12:30 pm

I only had to take PE once in high school, and I don't remember having to do any team sports.

My only memories are things like running laps on the track, or using a gymnastics vault.

I barely remember that class at all.

In primary we did a personal fitness program to achieve badges for our individual fitness.



ezbzbfcg2
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13 Dec 2022, 12:37 pm

Yeah, and truth be told, I didn't want to be there in the first place. I really hated doge ball, just pure sanctioned sadism. I did kind of like floor hockey though, hitting a puck along a gymnasium floor.

I think it would be cool (though expensive) if things like billiards and bowling were offered as alternatives for those who don't want to play contact sports. I also remember when I was a kid, a teacher would ask kids what their favorite subject/class was. Nearly all of the boys, and half of the girls, said "Gym Class!" I always preferred something academic.



DanielW
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13 Dec 2022, 12:56 pm

I was never picked at all - usually I kept score or something like that IF I participated that is. Usually, I did not.