Homeschoolers Not Welcome at Spur MTB League

[Andrew Steer]

This was never about sorting the problem, this was always about proving each other wrong.

And some of it was about defending ten years of hard work and passion from a certain hubbers colleagues that some people were quite keen to burn to the ground on a whim...

 

There is very clear reasoning from Meurant a page or two back on the decision. And there will be discussions between the organisers and the home schoolers. Let's leave them be.

 

I also hope that with cooler heads today some people can look at their attacks on the Sponsor as well as the mob attacks on the series Facebook page ratings and take a step back and think about things. With the problems Spur had last year with boycotts (lets not get into that debate either), any calls along those lines could seriously have been the end of the series... and thousands of kids a hell of a lot poorer off for it.

[Kranswurm]

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Changed your mind?

 

7 New negative ratings on the FB page since 16:32!!!

 

We gonna do this!

[Paddaman]

And some of it was about defending ten years of hard work and passion from a certain hubbers colleagues that some people were quite keen to burn to the ground on a whim...

 

There is very clear reasoning from Meurant a page or two back on the decision. And there will be discussions between the organisers and the home schoolers. Let's leave them be.

 

I also hope that with cooler heads today some people can look at their attacks on the Sponsor as well as the mob attacks on the series Facebook page ratings and take a step back and think about things. With the problems Spur had last year with boycotts (lets not get into that debate either), any calls along those lines could seriously have been the end of the series... and thousands of kids a hell of a lot poorer off for it.

I was going to add something more, then I read Meurant's reasoning again and it is so F***ing clear why homeschool childern cannot be accommodated in the Spur Inter-school  Gauteng league that you have to be deliberately stupid not to understand it.  I now run the danger of repeating what Meurant has stated so clearly, but for those who cannot read with comprehension: 

For the home schooling system to be included in the league as an equal roleplayer, the homeschool system would have to make some major concessions and changes so as to satisfy the purpose and desired outcomes of the league (failing that HS children will just be fun-rider participants, which is good until they start placing and then a new debate will be opened).  Some of these include inter alia:

 

1. establishing sport infrastructure.

2. appointing a "school" or syndicated coach

3. ensuring that there is sufficient racial representation in homeschool participants

 

It is clear that the desired outcome of the league is societal in nature and not, as was clearly stated, about individual achievement.

 

and finally, as has been stated ad infinitum the Spur Interschool league is not there to replace the current cycling calender but to supplement it with a very specific type of MTB racing, being Inter School team racing, so as to get MTB accepted as a school sport.

 

The entire HS lobby in this regard is totally misplaced and is almost as bad as men wanting to enter Miss Universe.  The next step will be to start insisting that HS children should not be seen as "ghost riders" and it unfair for them to race but not place.  I can understand the reluctance of the organiser to even entertain this debate, because it is just going to unravel into a mess as new demands and suggestions are put forward, and eventually the league will be so diluted that it will fail to reach its original aim. 

[Skubarra]

We are clearly at the point where no-one has something new to add so we just keep on repeating stuff that has been said multiple times before.

[Patchelicious]

We are clearly at the point where no-one has something new to add so we just keep on repeating stuff that has been said multiple times before.

Quick, call someone Hitler!

[CogitoErgoSum]

My daughter participated in this MTB League last year as part of a small school team.

 

At her very first XCO race, she went from a 2 minute late unseeded last start to being placed 9th in just three laps. She was placed 6th at the second race. She has since raced successfully in the 2018 CENTURY21 XCO Series. She was looking forward to participating again.

 

We have previously contacted Spur and the organizers about homeschooler participation, but they unfortunately remained adamant that the League will not admit homeschoolers. There is no attempt to try to work out a solution that can work for all parties.

 

The first Gauteng race is this weekend and now we read this on the website:

 

http://www.spurmtbleague.co.za/participation/

 

My daughter is heartbroken. She has trained, practiced skills, prepared her bike, collected her kit, but Spur want nothing to do with her simply because she is a homeschooler.

 

We are at a loss as to what to do.

 

(For those who might not know Homeschooling has been perfectly legal in South Africa for many years, recognised in section 51 of the School’s Act of 1996. This School’s Act does not govern sporting events.)

That sucks. Thanks for the heads-up on this. I am also a homeschool parent, but my kids aren't at racing level yet.

 

I suggest cut your losses wrt the school league. Get her into the provincial races and other independent platforms and she can show the snobs how it should be done.

 

She is still young. Unfortunately we are not always welcome everywhere

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[NickGM]

Quick, call someone Hitler!

 

Tip of the cap from Mr Godwin

[Edition 507]

And some of it was about defending ten years of hard work and passion from a certain hubbers colleagues that some people were quite keen to burn to the ground on a whim...

 

There is very clear reasoning from Meurant a page or two back on the decision. And there will be discussions between the organisers and the home schoolers. Let's leave them be.

 

I also hope that with cooler heads today some people can look at their attacks on the Sponsor as well as the mob attacks on the series Facebook page ratings and take a step back and think about things. With the problems Spur had last year with boycotts (lets not get into that debate either), any calls along those lines could seriously have been the end of the series... and thousands of kids a hell of a lot poorer off for it.

B0ll0cks man. It is a business decision to sponsor the league. If you alienate enough people thru double standard practices that it hurts your business, then it means it was a bad decision and NOT the fault of the alienated population.

[Paddaman]

B0ll0cks man. It is a business decision to sponsor the league. If you alienate enough people thru double standard practices that it hurts your business, then it means it was a bad decision and NOT the fault of the alienated population.

That is why no-one sponsors Ms World Pageant anymore, with them alienating and discriminating against half the world's population, and ugly girls......

[V12man]

That is why no-one sponsors Ms World Pageant anymore, with them alienating and discriminating against half the world's population, and ugly girls......

Precisely - smart sponsors support non discriminatory events - and if the event has discriminatory practices, then they either a) make sure the event changes those practices, b) move swiftly along - or c) take a well deserved clubbing for supporting a discriminatory event (in which case they are not smart sponsors).

[GaryvdM]

I think the league is totally discriminatory. Age discriminatory. Why should I as a 36 year old not be allowed to compete. 

[Paddaman]

I think the league is totally discriminatory. Age discriminatory. Why should I as a 36 year old not be allowed to compete. 

Because you not being home schooled anymore.....

[Hairy]

I think the league is totally discriminatory. Age discriminatory. Why should I as a 36 year old not be allowed to compete. 

because at 36 you would not be able to keep up with the youngsters and will only get in the way .... even if you were on an e-bike

[Edition 507]

I think the league is totally discriminatory. Age discriminatory. Why should I as a 36 year old not be allowed to compete. 

If you still at school at 36 then being disallowed to compete is not your biggest problem.

[Skubarra]

Tip of the cap from Mr Godwin

 

We did have apartheid and slavery but somehow managed to dodge Hitler until now

[PygaSchmyga]

And some of it was about defending ten years of hard work and passion from a certain hubbers colleagues that some people were quite keen to burn to the ground on a whim...

 

There is very clear reasoning from Meurant a page or two back on the decision. And there will be discussions between the organisers and the home schoolers. Let's leave them be.

 

I also hope that with cooler heads today some people can look at their attacks on the Sponsor as well as the mob attacks on the series Facebook page ratings and take a step back and think about things. With the problems Spur had last year with boycotts (lets not get into that debate either), any calls along those lines could seriously have been the end of the series... and thousands of kids a hell of a lot poorer off for it.

I echo everything  Andrew has said above.  I have taken real issue with the way the financial sponsr Spur has been attacked in this matter, and to this point,  I have a question for the OP:

 

I had a look at the Spur Series fb page yesterday, and it was absolutely mobbed by comments from homeschoolers.  In fact, every single comment on the site was from HS people lambasting Spur, and calling for boycotts and hurling insults all over the place.  I found this curius given that HS kids make up less than 1% of participants, but 100% of commentators on the Spur fb.

 

Did you and your HS fb groups actively campaign and organize to target the Spur series fb page, irrespective of whether the commentators were parents of actual participant kids?

 

I am curious to see if Mr Green actually answers this