Choosing Teams at PE

In the picture, teams are being chosen for a PE lesson. Two lines of students in PE attire are standing facing each other, having already been picked, and a teacher stands nearby with a whistle. What stands out to me is that one student is standing alone at the side, apart from both lines, so he appears to be the last one who has not been chosen. He is looking down rather than at the teams, which suggests he is uncomfortable being left until the end.

I was usually one of the last picked for football in Primary 4, because I was not fast and I did not play outside school. I remember standing there trying to look as though I did not mind while the numbers got smaller. In Primary 5, a classmate who was often team captain started picking me early, and although I still was not any better at football, I played much more confidently that year. It made me realise that being chosen changes how you play.

I do not think picking teams this way is fair. It divides players by ability in public, and the students picked last are reminded in front of everyone that others consider them weakest, which can put them off sports for years. The teams are also usually unbalanced, so the games themselves are less enjoyable for both sides. I feel it would be better for the teacher to divide the class, or for students to number off, because the point of PE is for everyone to take part rather than to sort us into best and worst.