When it comes to interviewing someone for a job, the ability to integrate well with a team is often as important (if not more important) than technical skills.
Not sure what schools are like now, but in my school, all sports has A and B leagues (which took sports seriously) and C and D leagues which were purely social. Some schools had 3 or 4 D teams in popular sports. No pressure to perform, just be part of a team and have some fun. If any pressure was applied, it was usually by the parents.
Fair enough, but if your intention is tertiary study, sports means absolutely nothing, and by the time you graduate it means even less. And again, I lament this society’s sharp focus on sport, and secondary treatment of cultural activities. It shouldn’t matter as much as it does for high school applications. At least in my opinion.
Again, it wouldn’t matter as much if government had kept up and added 50% more schools for the 50% increase in population we’ve seen in the last 20 years. Then you could argue that schools have their own culture, and we want to take that into account when we admit someone (or not). But in the current environment, where the competition is already rife… this is absolute nonsense and just particularly crap. Sorry to say it.
Many years back I read a study about young business people, the new managers/leaders, that the ones who played collaborative online games, strategy games, and teamwork games, did excellent in business leadership.
Nowhere have I read that sports have the same result as years of strategy online gaming.
And I agree with what Plonster is picking up … been there, seen that and I’m talking wot ±10 years back already, this “infatuation” with sports and clubhouses.
Sports stop at one time … unless one becomes a professional player … but online gaming, ongoing for life after school.
I get your frustration. My primary school, Lochnerhof (you’d be familiar), was completely focussed on Rugby. All sponsorships that came in went to Rugby clubhouse, gym for the Rugby players etc. I played many sports, and did well in them, but was not going to risk my fairly small frame against the much bigger kids. I played Rugby only during “pouse” or at the beach and preferred the “touchies” variety.
Meanwhile, the school’s chess team, for which I played since pre-primary, was the best in the entire Helderberg area, going undefeated for three straight years from my standard 3 to 5 years. I think we got mentioned once each year when we won the league we played. While the Rugby first team’s (and for that matter second and third teams as well) results got announced every week during hall. There was even an annual tour for the team (might even have been two).
In High School, similar story. Though I stopped playing chess (I already played piano and got good marks, chess also would’ve been a bit much for Strand), I played first team hockey and squash (and chess, but only in matric, to go on my residence application). I cared much more for my sports and music than my academics, and felt that the school didn’t really accommodate someone like me, who saw no point in playing Rugby, weighing ±58 in matric. There was no music activities beyond the subject and one culture evening each term. No school band, for example. For squash and hockey they did the bare minimum.
However, now looking back, I was wrong. You see, the schools got sponsorships. The people giving money to the school wants to see the Rugby team be the best. They give money for the development of the Rugby team. That might be an unfortunate societal thing, but don’t think it is the school. They can’t really go and upset their sponsors. I can see how (if you feel safe to play it) Rugby is amazing for discipline, teamwork, strategic thinking, and learning how to take on significant pressures already at an early age (it can’t be easy for these young kids to deal with the performances expected of them, especially in a society where everyone’s dad knows better than the coach and thinks you messed up).
Many of my best friends played Rugby and the stereotype that it is full of dull okes is 100% false. They are all highly successful today, and I do think the discipline taught in the sport had a big impact.
I’m not sure what high school applications involve these days, will be quite a while before I find out. But just like a music prof once said that it is important to at least listen to the music of your time a bit, even if you experience it to be horrendous on all levels, so I guess I’d need to approach the other preferences of society… one can only hope that there’s wisdom in the passions of the masses…
indeed, one year in matric at present is more expensive [public school!] than our total school budget in 1971… see pic
You also did get $1.50 for a Rand then… So that budget went a loooong way 
I have family who both wife and husband work for one of the Curro schools, he is a teacher, she is in their HR dept I think.
Last weekend while discussing schools they made a very interesting comment while talking about sport leagues and why Curro isn’t that big on sport.
They said stats show that the academic standard of public schools in SA is slowly dropping over time, because they are placing so much focus on their sport. They said this doesn’t necessarily show on the surface for example if only looking at matric pass rates yet, but it is definately rearing its head.
They said in Curro, participation is more important to them, so they will encourage kids to take part in everything the school offers from rugby to dancing to ches to sim racing, even if they are only average in everything. For them it’s less important to field rugby teams which can compete with Grey for example, for them it’s more important to have a matric class who is academically outstanding, plus all rounded in sports and other activities.
I’m still very much 50-50 on the entire home schooling thing, especially these days where kids can no longer go play in the streets, a park or hang out in malls with their friends for the entire day etc.
In my opinion kids need social interaction, need to learn to work together and all those good things. Learn to share, to play, to fight and of course vry as well. smiley:
Just yesterday I saw a cousin of mine from Namibia for the first time in 20 years, he has 3 boys, aged around 12, 10 and 8, they are all home schooled. Three little socially awkward nerds who could hardly look you in the eye, stick out a hand to greet and tell you their names.
Their cousins of a similar age who goes to public school in CT was the total oposite, later on a bunch of smaller kids all started playing some game on the lawn, everyone except the 3 little nerds, despite encouragement from their dad.
Not saying kids can’t be home schooled while at the same time develop in to well rounded, well socialized, street smart people, but parents have to activly work very hard at it.
indeed, my first payslip was R96 pm
most definitely, the best example and absolute basics for social interaction they get at home with close and other family - lacking that no amount of school is going to benefit - it smacks of parents chasing their kids to church to become ‘Christians’ whilst trying to make up for their own lack of religious responsibility… like becoming a fitter and turner by youtube 
EXACTLY what I thought too … my kids were home-schooled for a big portion of high school, neither having any interest in sports (me neither) - lacks NO confidence, not when they were young, nor today.
It starts at home …
PS. And both of them “stayed” in the mall some weekends, or walked around the suburbs us being blissfully unaware of any and all of their nefarious activities. They were good, Mom is a super sensi one with her kids wellbeing. Me, I’m vaguely aware at times of some things moving around in the house.
It all depends on where one lives, or how an area changes … how the kids develop.
Reminds me. Wife was away on business one weekend when I was called into the security office of a mall, me on crutches, to come and “see” the head oke. Apparently, my daughter and her friends were “caught” racing trollies after 11pm in the parking lot down the ramps … with some alleged beverages (presented as evidence, which I drank, sorry, destroyed the evidence of later) also in said trolley.
I was more ticked off having to walk 100 miles on crutches, and then back, having someone to carry the young lady’s friend … ours never even took a sip … yeah right, we have noses you know.
Sug, the good ole days … not.
Your post reminds me of my uncles speech at my twin cousins 21st birthday just the other day.
Something along the lines of, by standard 5 I was on first name terms with the local police constable, by standard 7 I was on first name terms with the police captain and by matric I played golf with the local magistrate.
True story, in June of their matric year both of them appeared in court.
…en later was ek en die balju op voornaam terme 
