Educational Athletics: A Playbook for Success

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Education and especially scholastic sports have undergone significant shifts over the last twenty years. The last few years of the pandemic have sped up this process and shown us the great value sports can have on a student’s entire life as well as on an entire school community. At its core, education should be dynamic, progressive and at the forefront of today’s changing landscape and school athletic programs should be no exception. Today there are more schools, more leagues, more programs, more changes to personnel, and of course more options on how people spend their time. My hope is that when schools focus on educational athletic programs they will also improve their school culture and make their entire school communities a better place. Athletics can do things that other areas of schools cannot, and in many cases, athletics is the fundamental fabric that holds schools together – that needs to be realized and strengthened by all community members. As someone who understands the purpose of athletics, I have been working towards the goal of widening the outreach and understanding of athletic programs for some time now and hope that my new book “A Global Playbook” is a helpful step in doing just that.

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This simple way we call our programs can have a big impact on how they are viewed by community members. “Educational athletics” embodies the idea that athletics is an extension of the classroom and that playing sports is an educational activity that provides outstanding opportunities to teach life lessons at the same time.  Using this term benefits a program in two ways. First, it should be that it is not solely about wins and losses. Second, it shows that a school, or club for that matter, is also interested in educating its athletes in areas other than Xs and Os. One of the major benefits of athletics for young men and women all around the world is that they have a higher chance of succeeding in all aspects of life because of the skills that they can acquire while playing sports. There are incredible correlations between successful people and the skills they learned while participating in athletics such as the ability to put in the work to hone their skills over a long period of time, the ability to show up on game day, and the ability to be prepared to compete. But the fun part is that this list can go on and on.

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Things to Consider in Starting a New School Year

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As we move back into our teaching/coaching roles with the start of another school year, it is appropriate to look back, but we must be prepared to move forward.  For many, these last few years have caused personal and professional challenges and undue stress for staff, students, and athletes.  COVID has redefined educational/coaching practices and not for the ‘best’ . . .

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Educational testing is just now yielding data on student drop in performance in reading and math scores. Conflict in/out of the classroom and in the sports arena is illustrated daily in the news.  Yet, as it has done for many years, the educational pendulum swings back and forth. And, as teachers/coaches, we look forward to a new school year with enthusiasm and with the hope of everyone reaching their full potential.

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Motivating Children in Middle School Physical Education

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Getting and keeping school kids motivated in physical education is not the easiest task. Particularly for novice physical education teachers, that might seem to be “mission impossible.” Kids come to school carrying different cultures, different backgrounds, and different beliefs. Some kids are athletic, whereas others don’t like playing sports or participating in physical activities. Some of them enjoy competitive sports and others feel uncomfortable getting physical, for several reasons (Grieser et. all., 2006).

The Theory of Self-Determination (Deci & Ryan, 2000), which states that behavior is self-determined or voluntary, includes three types of motivation: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation (Moreno-Murcia, González-Cutre, & Chillón, 2009). One of the challenges for a physical education teacher is to be able to distinguish between the three types of motivation. This is an important factor as it helps the teacher identify the students’ motives in physical education. Extrinsic motivation derives from getting an external reward, such as a trophy, a certificate, a trip, or a social reward such as recognition, praise, a given title, and so on. The intrinsic motivation arises from within an individual and can be identified as participating in an activity because it is satisfying the person; the internal drive toward a particular behavior. Amotivation, the lowest level of self-determination, refers to the absence of the first two types (intrinsic or extrinsic motivation) representing a total lack of self-determination (Deci & Ryan, 2000). That is, amotivation represents this category of students who are not willing to participate in class for any reason. Understanding what best motivates the students, requires awareness of both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation that regulate students’ behavior.

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The Case for Coaches Attending Their Student-Athlete IEPs

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High school governing associations have academic success rules or guidelines for athlete participation. Some schools design even tougher academic rules for participation beyond what state organizations suggest. When I was a head football coach, our school’s eligibility rules were steeper compared to the state high school association guidelines. The rules did not affect a lot of our players at the time, but for one learning and emotionally disabled special education student, it was always a barrier for him to play. This was a sad situation because football was the sport he loved even though he was not a very good player; he just wanted to play in any position and at any time during practices or games.

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One year, prior to our first contest, the weekly eligibility list came out and “Casey” was failing multiple classes (even with accommodations). My hunch was that a “cause and effect” was the real culprit for “Casey” losing participation. For example, when he knew he earned some failing grades on assignments and understood it would affect his participation, he’d simply give up trying in that course and think “football is over for me.” Being a young head coach and teacher unfamiliar with special education, IEPs (Individual Education Plans), and specific disabilities, I did not know what to do for this student-athlete. I decided to meet with his special education teacher and learn more about IEPs, LD (learning disability), and ED (emotional disability) designations.

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Take a Trip on the Wild Side: A Classroom Journey through the Yoga Experience

“Take your passion and make it happen” are lyrics from the song Flashdance. As corny as it sounds, it’s those lyrics that continue to drive my PE curriculum forward. Fourteen years ago I introduced yoga into a cross-training class. The students embraced the activity so much they asked me to develop a class. The following year it became a semester-long elective course and a few years later became a year long elective course. My students have been involved in the development and direction of this course from the beginning, embracing the content fully. So, let me take you on a journey. If you use your imagination you’ll see it through the eyes of my students. Hopefully, you can begin to understand how my students truly connect with themselves; body, mind, and spirit.

The first quarter builds the foundation. My yoga classroom is a kaleidoscope of diversity. All are welcome and encouraged. We begin by learning the basic skills. Yoga “boot camp” teaches breathing basics, sun salutations (a standard yoga warm-up recognized world-wide), how to use a heart rate monitor, equipment care, and more. Students learn the class expectations and how to work as a team. Each class begins with baby steps, physically and mentally, intended to create a safe, efficient, and fun classroom for all.

Through the physical skills of yoga the students begin their journey of self-discovery. Students discover their strengths and recognize their weaknesses while a non-competitive atmosphere is encouraged. This might sound easy enough, but if a student believes, “I’m not strong,” “I’ve never been athletic,” “I can’t…” or is too busy comparing themselves to others it becomes hard. This is where their self- journey (or personal assignment) begins. Others will have the physical strength but lack the mental discipline or endurance to be conscious of their body positioning and breathing patterns and their journey begins here. Through reflection and goal setting the foundation is set for a uniquely personal experiential experience. I emphasize to my students that what your mind believes you can do and what your body says it can do are often two different things: The goal is to reach a level of confidence to believe you CAN do it.

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Active Schools Virtual Summit

Copy of Building Excellence

Active Schools and the University of Northern Colorado Active Schools Institute will be co-hosting a free Virtual Summit August 1-5, 2022. There will be a total 14 (50 minute) sessions that will unveil a new guiding framework, resources, a national recognition program for PK-12 schools, and a certification program for program-provider organizations.

Click here to access the full program and schedule that outlines the specific topics and times for each session.

There is no cost to register. Complete this form to receive more information.

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I am becoming…

#RunningOnClouds

Part 1

I have been running since I was seven years old. As I have developed and grown as a person, my relationship with running has changed – over the years I have become a runner. When I first started running, I did not run because I enjoyed the act of running. I ran because I was good and I liked to win; I was or wanted to be a winner. I learned from a very young age that society values objective success, participating was not good enough, “Children are taught to compete, but they are also socialized into knowing that is important to win and that winners are somehow better off than losers” (Thomas, 1983). My relationship with running formed around my success. I did not begin running because I loved the sport, I loved to win, and I was good which fueled my desire to keep running. Though what I found was that a relationship with running solely fueled by the objective was not sustainable nor enjoyable. I was in a toxic relationship with running because regardless of my effort, I was never satisfied unless I won or ran faster than I had before. One could almost guarantee that they could find me after a race in tears because, in my perspective, I just kept failing. Though if I were ever to find meaning in the run, to become a runner, I would need to redefine my relationship with the run.

Image by Erin Olsen Photography
Image by Erin Olsen Photography

In the beginning, Running allowed me to stand out amongst my peers and I felt like I was a part of a coveted running community which I only gained access to because I was successful. When I did not meet my performance expectations, I believed that not only did I fail, but I did not deserve to be a part of the running community. Throughout my running career, I would retreat from my teammates after a rough race. For instance, at the Xterra Trail World Championships in December 2021, I was unhappy with my performance. I finished in fifth place, which may sound great, but I did not feel like I gave myself the chance to truly pursue my own personal excellence. Since I believed I had failed, I did not believe I deserved to spend time with my competitors and friends post-race. I felt like an outsider in the community like my membership had been revoked because of my mediocre performance.

Kamiak Butte

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