We are honoring each of the Top 10 winners of our Third Annual Student Editorial Contest by publishing an essay a day. You can find them all here.
Below, an essay by Nora Berry, age 17, and Chase Moriarty, age 17.
Gym Class Villains
Each year, high school students take on a new set of classes, more challenging and demanding than last year’s. Geometry leads to algebra which gives way to statistics and calculus. Students are expected to adapt
to and grow with the increased difficulty in all subjects. Or almost all subjects — physical education hasn’t changed in generations, mired in outdated tradition. Teaching students the value of a healthy
lifestyle and the power of teamwork remains critical to their success in life. However, an unimaginative curriculum of forced laps and overly aggressive games fails to accomplish much beyond boredom and exclusion.
Like other curricula, physical education should be updated to support and reflect the complexity and individuality of current day adolescents.
One aspect of traditional physical education most in need of updating is the built-in threat of judgment and ridicule. In sports such as speedball and volleyball, boys are mocked for not being masculine enough while girls are criticized for getting too sweaty. Sportswriter Selena Roberts accounts in her New York Times article that “in men’s locker rooms, gay slurs are the ultimate insults to raging manhood.” Gym teachers facilitate this atmosphere by continuing to conduct fitness tests and allow captain-selected teams. Those who are less proficient find themselves ostracized by their sportier peers. Gym teachers then compound the problem by grading students based on skill rather than effort. As if being weighed in front of your classmates isn’t punishment enough, your G.P.A. suffers as well.
While gym class would seem a natural arena for competition, perhaps students would benefit from its absence. P.E. teachers should give students more voice and provide more options, giving opportunities to students who do not perform well in rigorous, ultracompetitive environments. Students could explore their athleticism in a less cutthroat way, such as through a weight training program or archery.
Just as the school would not put every student in a remedial math class and then hold a contest to see who could solve problems aloud, why should everyone be forced to compete at dodge ball? Students should be developing a lifelong interest in healthy physical activity. The National Institute of Diabetes reports “among young people ages 2 to 19, about 32 percent are overweight or obese.” Today’s physical education classes must address this.
For the good of students, physical education must evolve. Gym should be engaging and inclusive of varying skill levels. Instruction should address each student’s individual needs and abilities, just as in other educational classes. Students need opportunities to participate without fear of humiliation. Physical education has faltered in its mission, but with some updating, it could have the profound and lasting effect of making students healthier and happier.
Works Cited
Roberts, Selena. “Homophobia Is Alive in Men’s Locker Rooms.” The New York Times. 28 Oct. 2005.
“Overweight and Obesity Statistics.” The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.