An A for Effort

My kids start school in just over a week.  My youngest is going to be in first grade -- her first full days in elementary school.  My oldest starts sixth grade -- her first year in middle school.  As we reminisced this morning over breakfast about our favorite parts of schools, I made the comment that I hated PE as a kid and how, looking back, I wish that I had put more effort into it.  And I had a realization of how my opinion has come to change on this subject since I left school.

As a student, PE was the only subject that you could realistically get an A for effort.  We were graded on attendance and participation.  If you showed up and participated even half-heartedly, you earned an A.  If that had been the grading scale in English or Math, I'm pretty sure I would have been pretty mediocre at those subjects too.  As I became an educator, I continued to feel that this was fair.  Not everyone is naturally talented at athletics, of course.  If I come into school as an overweight kid, why should I be held to the same standard as a kid who is fit?  I can blame my bad genetics and bad upbringing as to why I should only have to participate to receive an A grade.

Almost twenty years out of high school now, I can't even believe that I used to believe that crap.  I found that paragraph above even difficult to write because it now sounds so ridiculous to me.  How many kids come in to elementary school behind their peers?  Every kid enters school with different genetics and different upbringings.  We still hold them to the same standards in the "academic" subjects.  Why would PE be any different?  Perhaps if I had been held to an actual standard in PE anytime from elementary school to high school to receive a grade, I would have seen the importance of exercise and athletics from a younger age.  Maybe it wouldn't have taken until my twenties to run a mile...and my thirties until I ran a second.

I have a recollection of my mom calling my junior high and complaining that I was required to complete a mile in a certain time to receive an A in the class.  The teacher backed off on the requirement but, looking back, she shouldn't have.  We require that students complete certain requirements to earn grades in every class.  PE should not be an exception.  If you can't complete a mile in 15 minutes, maybe you should fail.  There should be benchmarks for PE just like there are for every other subject.  Can you imagine passing math class without learning how to add?  Or passing history without knowing when the Civil War took place?  Why should PE be any different?

Remember the Presidential Fitness Award?  They still have that thing AND it has standards for students to meet in a number of different categories.  According to their scale, an average 11 year old girl should be able to run/walk a mile in 11:17.  Do I think that's reasonable to receive a average grade in a class?  As hard as it is to write, I do.  And the students should work toward that throughout the year.  It shouldn't be a surprise on the final exam.  There should be both physical and academic benchmarks to achieve in this class regarding your physical body.

Our children work hard in their academic subjects to learn both facts and critical thinking skills to help them through life.  By eliminating actual standards from PE, the children are robbed of the ability to learn both facts and critical activity skills that will help keep them healthy and productive for years to come.

Going for Gold

We watch sporting events in the USA like there is no tomorrow.  We revere our athletes and our coaches and firmly believe that they have an abundance of natural talent.  We see their success on the court or field and think how lucky they are to be at the top of their gene pool.  We see athletic endorsements and fame and fortune.  We see attractive athleticism and six pack abs.  And, all the while, think that they are so lucky to have natural talent.  I am no exception.

I am an avid fan of the Olympics.  It doesn't really matter whether it's the summer or winter games.  I start with the opening ceremonies and watch almost religiously every day and as much coverage as I can get.  You see, my goal as a child was to be in the Olympics.  I was going to be an Olympic gymnast (or figure skater...my exercise ADD started early).  As a child, teen, and young adult, I always felt that what stopped me from realizing that dream was natural talent. 

While it's extremely probable that lack of natural talent prevented an Olympic run, I know now that professional and Olympic athletes are not just about natural talent.  I've watched Subway commercials that outline Michael Phelps' training schedule.  I watched features where Ryan Lochte explains how tire flipping helped his swimming.  I know that even sprinters like Usain Bolt hit the gym for weight work.  And heck...have you seen the muscles on the gymnasts??  These athletes who grace our television and computer screens for two weeks every four years work their tails off hours and hours every day.  We may watch every race, match or game, but what we don't see is the incredible dedication and focus that these athletes have had for their entire lives.

None of these athletes just jumped in the pool, laced up a pair of hockey skates, or pulled on a uniform and became stellar.  They started as kids and made a choice somewhere along the line to work their tails off.  They gave up nights and weekends and proms and a normal childhood to chase a nearly impossible dream.  And, whether they win gold, silver, bronze, or just a fabulous opportunity to compete for their countries, these athletes deserve some absolute recognition for their countless hours of dedication to their sport.  Because natural talent can only get you so far...hard work, focus, and relentless determination are the defining factors that make the difference between competing for gold and just watching from the sidelines.