Building a Cardio Room at Your School for Free

(3 Minute Read)

For the past four years, I continually had students ask if we could have a class where they could work on cardiovascular conditioning instead of lifting weights.  At our small rural high school in Kansas, we offer Lifetime Conditioning and Sports Conditioning classes.   The classes are very popular, but based on student interest there was an immediate need for a way to teach cardio.  The dilemma we faced was where this cardio room would be in our school and how we could afford and acquire machines needed to offer cardio as another class.

After attending a Wellness Committee meeting at our school and discussing with faculty and staff on how to improve employee wellness, it struck me that we could meet both needs with a new cardio room.  I knew to ask the school to build a facility was not going to happen, so I proposed the next best thing. I told the superintendent that if he would supply me with a room at the high school I would make sure to fill it with free, donated equipment without any cost to the district.  He looked at me like I was crazy, but I was more than willing to accept the challenge.

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Strength and Conditioning Considerations for the Youth Sport Coach

It is no secret that youth sport coaches fill a variety of roles for their athletes. Those roles can vary from day-to-day based on athlete needs. One important distinction at the youth (high school or club) level is that the sport coach must fill roles that would otherwise be occupied by allied professionals at higher competitive levels.

For example, a youth sport coach often tapes an ankle or may serve as the default sport psychology consultant. Additionally, many sport coaches are put in the position of having to design the strength and conditioning portion of athlete training. The remainder of this article will focus on how youth sport coaches at the high school and club level can serve as their own strength and conditioning (S&C) coach in addition to simply being the sport coach. In order to make the article more applicable, examples from a single sport, gymnastics, will be used as a point of reference.

2018-10-08_Gymnastics_at_2018_Summer_Youth_Olympics_–_Boys'_Artistic_Gymnastics_–_Rings_qualification_(Martin_Rulsch)_1212

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Positive Learning: 3 Tips for Generalist-Trained Teachers

(3 Minute Read)
Although Physical Education (PE) specialist teachers have acquired in-depth knowledge about teaching PE, this is not so common for generalist-trained teachers (GTs). Even when elementary schools do employ a PE specialist, it is quite common for GTs to teach at least some of the PE classes to their students.

Unfortunately, according to related literature, although GTs are certified to teach PE, they may not have acquired the confidence to teach specialized subject knowledge (DeCorby, Halas, Dixon, Wintrup, & Janzen, 2005; Bradford, Gleddie, & Millard, 2019; Rink & Hall, 2008).  This is further compounded as teaching PE is mainly a dynamic process (Bradford & Hickson, 2014; Metzler, 2011) and teachers must rely on immediate observations of student performance to decide what to do next (Metzler, 2011; Rink & Hall, 2008).  However, GTs can enhance their teaching by creating opportunities for positive learning. Such positive learning environments require a knowledgeable teacher to understand when it is best to implement the use of positive language and incorporate objectivity. Thereby, creating opportunities for a safe and positive environment where student learning is enhanced.

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Participation in Sport: Is it Fair, Good, and True for Everyone?

Limited opportunities exist for athletes with physical disabilities to participate in sport (Martin, 2018), specifically, no foundation presently exists for creating generations of athletes with physical disabilities (Shaw & Stoll, 2018).  Many students and children with physical disabilities are excluded from institutional sport, recreation, and physical education where they can learn the fundamentals of a healthy active lifestyle.

A concomitant problem arises, as this population of youth is growing up without the fundamental knowledge of how to be active. However, what if there was a better way to provide individuals with physical disabilities the knowledge and skills for a healthy active lifestyle?  The purpose of this paper examines an argument to include students and athletes with physical disabilities in sport, recreation, and physical education beyond the minimum requirements by law.

Historical Background
The problem of inclusion is not historically modern since people with physical disabilities were excluded from every aspect of life. They were left to die on the streets, were killed at birth, or were hidden away (Rimmerman, 2013). Often the brutish societal behavior was collaborated through early laws.  From the inception of the law, i.e., Mosaic Law, Roman law, Hammurabi’s code, and Hebraic rule, individual rights were seldom addressed. Instead, what was good for the masses ruled, and thus the minority, that is people with disabilities, were excluded or eliminated.

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Preparing High School Students for a Career in Health

As health professionals, our goal is to educate and help others strive for physical, mental/emotional, social, or environmental health. Between 2016 and 2026 there is an expected 18 percent growth in jobs for healthcare (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019). At Hermiston High School (OR) we offer two Health Services Courses (Health Services I and Health Services II) to help high school students build knowledge and prepare for a career in health.

Health Sevices Course I
A semester course, Health Services I covers basic concepts in health occupations, beginning with medical terminology, to provide an understanding of the common language used in the field. Students then conduct extensive research on the five different pathways of health: a) diagnostic, b) therapeutic, c) health informatics, d) support and e) biotechnology research and development. Students spend time researching colleges and the different routes available to them. In addition, students will also study laws, ethics, safety, insurance, and facilities as they relate to health careers. Each student will finish the course by sharing a career presentation.

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Learning Through Sport: Make it Intentional

(3 Minute Read)
There is a perpetual assumption in our society that something special takes place when a child or young adult is involved in sports.  We have been conditioned to believe that mere participation will develop in our youth the virtues that we hold dear; crucial life skills and habits of the mind that can lead to a more successful life trajectory.

Tiffany Ozbun (Head Coach, Women’s Softball, Denison University)
Photo credit: Brett Dunbar, Curtis Ashcraft, Brandon Morgan – Denison Sports Network

Some have even claimed sport to be the last bastion remaining to mold our collective youth (Adams, 2015). And, for good reason –   the educative potential of sport participation is seemingly unmatched in other aspects of society. Sport provides an often intense, emotive, and time-sensitive environment where athletes must work both individually and collectively in pursuit of excellence. As someone whose career has revolved around sport, and a father of two young boys who play sports, I care deeply about the notion of personal development through the sport experience.  Yet time and again, research has indicated that simply playing sports does not develop character, life skills, or emotional and social competencies (e.g., Lott, 2018). I have observed as a coach and a scholar that as individuals participate in sport, they do not seem to grow psychologically and psychosocially in a positive manner.

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My Role: The Value of High School Sport

(2 Minute Read)

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the USA Basketball Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs and observe the top high school boys’ basketball players from around the country;  potentially 80 future NBA players in the making.  As I was taking notes of basketball plays, drills, and interactions between players and coaches, I thought back to my own high school basketball program.  I asked myself, “What can I get from this weekend to help my team?”

Photo Credit: Tyler Mode

Around the country, sport specialization is a growing trend among student-athletes because the reward at the end of the tunnel could be a Division I scholarship or possibly a professional contract.  Even though student-athletes are trying to pursue this goal, the data is not that encouraging.  Only 3.4% of high school student-athletes will play college basketball and only 1% will play Division I basketball.  Of those playing Division I, only 1.2% will make it to the professional level (NCAA, 2019).  The numbers are similar across all other sports.

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