Emily Neave, Staff Writer
In the ever changing environment of education, what to teach young people is in constant debate. School districts across the nation are beginning to allow student athletes to pass on Physical Education in favor of earning credit through playing a varsity sport.
People are arguing that the purpose of P.E is to provide students with an opportunity to exert moderate to vigorous exercise throughout the day, and to teach students about the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. But isn’t this exactly what playing a high school sport does?
In Connecticut, high schools require three credits of P.E in order to graduate. New Providence, Chatham, Watchung Hills and Millburn high schools in New Jersey are saying that in season varsity athletes can get a pass from P.E (with parental consent) while still receiving the credit. In substitution for gym class, these students have an opportunity to take another elective they might not have been able to take before. In addition, study halls are made available to them so they can complete homework before afternoon practices.
As a three season athlete, it is nearly impossible to balance piles of homework with practices/games, while trying to get the amount of sleep necessary in order to perform the next day. While talking to some student athletes in the building, this struggle became evident.
“It’s hard to balance between sports and school work, so it would be great to have an extra period to get things done. It would prevent students from staying up late trying to finish all their homework,” NHS sophomore and varsity volleyball player Tessa Leon- Gambetta said.
The constant cycle of exhaustion and stress can become a beating on student athletes. With an extra slot in the day to get work done, the load lightens tremendously.
Beside the question of having interscholastic athletics count for a P.E credit, some schools have created a competitive class. Amity High School in Woodbridge, CT offers different levels of P.E based on level of competitiveness.
Athletes are notorious for taking over gym class, allowing the less athletic students to sit back and relax. This trend is not good for anyone. The purpose of P.E is to expose fitness and exercise into the lives of students, especially those who don’t already take part in after school sports.
“Student athletes tend to be more competitive in gym class so it is probably harder for kids who don’t play sports to get involved,” Leon-Gambetta said.
With athletes passing from P.E, other students have an opportunity to get actively involved.
Although, NHS sophomore and gymnast Ashling Sugarman has a different view on this.
“I think student athletes should to take gym because it is important to be educated in the subjects you learn in P.E that sports typically don’t teach,” Sugarman said.
Sugarman brings up the point that physical education class provides more than just fitness. Aspects of teamwork and health are taught, along with education on our bodies. Playing an after school sport doesn’t always teach this.
“Physical education is not something to be taken lightly by athletes. We are trying to give you fitness concepts; we are trying to create lifelong fitness lovers,” NHS P.E teacher and assistant varsity soccer coach Laura McLean said. “We are trying to teach concepts, it is completely different then an after school sport.”
Others argue that one hour of exercise throughout the school day helps students regain focus for their upcoming classes. Physical education is a class that is very unlike others. Instead of being confined in a classroom, students have an opportunity to run around and exert their energy. Student athletes can use this class as an opportunity to increase their grade point average, act as role models, and build skills in other sports aside from the ones they focus on afterschool.
“Clearly there is a huge difference between athletics and physical education as far as what activities they are exposed to. The amount of time we spend playing basketball or football or soccer is pretty limited as opposed to lifetime activities. The opportunities are different,” Physical Education Department chairperson, Matthew Childs, said.
Childs continued to explain other difficulties that are faced when schools decide to let in season athletes pass on P.E class.
“If somebody is an equestrian rider or a great snowboarder that’s not sponsored by the school, why is that less important than a varsity sport?” Childs said. “Where would we draw the line?”
Although the physical education curriculum is undergoing many changes, NHS continues to require all students to have a shared health and wellness experience.
Photo Credit; Orange.k12.nj.us
