How superstitious are we? We will be aware of the most common examples of superstition, such as a black cat crossing your path brings you good luck, walking under a ladder (or breaking a mirror) brings bad luck. We try crossing fingers, touching wood. We think number thirteen is unlucky, bad luck comes in threes – oh, we could go on, could we not! Might we also mention whistling at night or sweeping at night or pointing at rainbows? How about itchy palms, owls hooting? Enough! Sports people also tend to be very superstitious or follow their own rituals after it has worked once, thinking that it will work well every time, be it putting a certain boot on first or touching a sign.

The fact is that with all of these superstitions, there is absolutely no logic to them. How we perform has nothing to do with what we do on the field – which would be pretty easy to realise and see (if we will apply logic) when we lose a game having gone through the ritual or when we have bad luck with no ladder or mirror in sight or when we have good luck when we have not had a black cat within three kilometres of us. The sad thing is though that we do not always think all that logically when it comes to education.

Every parent expects their child to get three A*s (no matter their ability – but that is another matter) but every exam has to have some pass and some fail. Similarly, if we believe our child must get three A*s then we must believe they must also be able to play for their country (and if they can play for their country in one sport then they must be able to play for their country in every sport) – and do not forget that if they by right of going to a certain school, paying a lot of money, will get three A*s then such logic must indicate the child can play any musical instrument at the highest level (in fact every musical instrument) – and if we say, “Oh no, he’s not musical, or sporty” then what logic says he will be or must be clever?

We think that a child who leaves school with no or few qualifications is useless yet often they end up far more ‘successful’ than those who gain the highest qualifications (have we not heard that “the C streamers end up employing the A streamers who were taught by the B streamers”?). Parents choose for their child to go to a school that produces internationalists in sport thinking that their child will naturally play for Zimbabwe because he went to that school (and their child who played for the Primary school first team ends up playing for the Secondary school C team!). Not every child can!

We think that whatever someone who has thousands of followers says must be true. We think that if someone is not jumping and screaming at the side of a sports field he is not a true supporter. We think that because we were mistreated at Form One level it is our turn when we get to Form Six. We think that if someone sends his child to study further outside the country he does not love his country. We are stressing the need for our children to think critically yet when they do think critically and disagree with us, we punish them. We complain about seniority, protocol, privileges, demand for respect that we see in all areas of leadership in society yet we promote and promulgate it at school.

Let us just remind ourselves again of a few more logical points. School is for learning; sport is played at school; therefore, sport is for learning – not for parents’ entertainment or school’s reputation. Education is for life; sport is integral to education; therefore, sport is for life. Do we hear that? Are we playing sport? Are our children carrying on with sport? Such logic is like that given by Henry Youngman on what makes a good marriage: “Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.” Logic?

Edward Abbey once said that “There is science, logic, reason; there is thought verified by experience. And then there is California.” Well might he have added “And then there is parents”.  As Laurence J. Peter pointed out, “Against logic there is no armour like ignorance”. Dale Carnegie, however, was a little more gracious and understanding when he said that “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.” Logic, however, has to play a part. Come on, parents, we have been blessed with a unique child – be reasonable. It is logical, after all.