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Games teachers

Posted by Bookworm on October 12, 2004

In Reply to: Legalised child-abuse posted by Lewis on October 12, 2004

: : : Hello,
: : : In Tuchman's book "Stilwell" it says that stilwell participated in West Point cross-country team. I understand that it's a kind of sport you do outside in the fields etc., but is it skiing? running? driving? I mean, is it possible to know that from the west Point context?
: : : Thanks

: :
: : Well, in the UK, 'cross-country' would certainly mean running. I assume it would mean the same in the US, but I am ready to be corrected on that point.

: : DFG

: cross-country at my school was legalised child-abuse. it gave sadistic games teachers the option of humiliating unfit pupils whilst chatting up women over a cup of tea. problem was, you didn't know if they might get on a bike and check up on whether you were actually doing it.
: there was also a swamp with up to 2 ft of water to run through.

: they were all sadistic bstds. Mr Woollaston in particular: a man so lazy he had as run at hurdles set up the wrong way round so that if we hit them we went flying over and smashed ourselves in the faces rather than he had to think about putting them up again.
: you may gather it happened to me. I damaged the cartilige in my nose, knocked myself unconscious for a few seconds and there he is shouting at me to put the bloody hurdle straight. couldn't be arsed to check whether I was injured, he just wanted to get the lesson over, because for once he was obliged to stand outside.
: Most games teachers were sadists back then, so I doubt the CPS would single out any for child-abuse prosecutions, more's the pity.
: I don't suppose he'd challenge us to a fist-fight these days.

In the US, we call them "gym" (gymnasium) or "phys. ed." (physical education) teachers. The male ones can be a rather sadistic lot here as well. The female ones are (stereotypically) unattractive and taken for lesbians, or at the very least, considered "butch".

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