Physical Education (P.E.) is the class in which students participate in physical exercises and games. In a typical P.E. class, the same boring activity after another is conducted while running a weekly mile. When this class comes to mind, people should get excited to participate in fun games and activities. Since this does not tend to happen, P.E. should include more sports and activities. These activites would be good for the mind, body, and spirit, and students would gratefully take the opportunity to improve these aspects.
First of all, sports are very beneficial to students. According to Missouri University Health Care, athletes or those who exercise regularly tend to perform better academically. Sports require memorization, repetition, and learning skills that are directly related to class work. The determination and goal-setting skills a sport requires can be used in the classroom by enhancing responsibility and ambition to get good grades. Adding on, teamwork would definitely be improved. Fighting for a common goal with a group of players teaches students to build teamwork and effectively communicate to solve problems. P.E. would no longer be one of those extra, unimportant classes, but instead one that will improve grades and study habits.
With more sports, students can learn to reach goals and become more active. In current P.E. classes, there is a required fitness test that students must pass at the end of the year to determine one’s goal. Some may believe that P.E. is designed just for students to pass the fitness test, but that should not be what P.E. is focused on. By playing more sports, students can learn skills that cannot be obtained in academic classes and try out different sports to see which ones they like. With exposure to various sports, students will get an idea of what activities interest them and will therefore expand their enthusiasm in physical activity. Also, some kids may feel as if playing sports makes their self-esteem go down because they are not the “star athlete,” but the New York Times states that it is scientifically proven that sports raise self-esteem because teammates will support each other, and watching their work lead to success builds confidence. Achieving a sport or fitness goal encourages students to achieve other goals. This is a rewarding and exciting learning process.
P.E. should not be just to pass the fitness test. This class should be used to improve mental and physical skills and not only be based on monotonous, repetitive exercises. Various sports and fun activities would definitely benefit the students more without them dreading every second of running laps. The P.E. course should be more diverse with sports and games that will lift students’ attitudes, make the class more enjoyable, and ensure that students will pass the fitness test with a good mindset. Because of the lack of interest in P.E., students do not take the class seriously and may not enjoy it. In order to achieve the primary goals of the class while making the students have a better attitude towards it, more sports and fun games should be implemented.