Columnist: Get rid of team sports in gym class

I can't say I disagree. It was lord of the flies, as I recall. One of the most traumatic days of my adolescence was the day I had the gall to tell my classmates that I was "good" at basketball. I still shudder about that misstep.

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/05/reform_physical_education_gym_class_shouldn_t_require_team_sports.html

Experiences in school can have a devastating effect into adulthood. A British study from Loughborough University showed that physical education in school can be so traumatic that it turns women away from physical fitness for the rest of their lives.

Needless to say, my physical fitness did not improve over the course of my school career. Instead, I developed a slouch and the impression that my perfectly normal body was disabled.

 

I've never heard of a spelling bee where the teacher named captains who then picked teams, accompanied by shouts of "Don't pick Aloysius till last! He's a moron!"

 

Are you trying to balance out your WSJ link with one from Slate?

You're so transparent, you Northeastern snob!

 

The terrorists have won. Another example of how soft we are getting
as a nation.

In our area it's an unspoken norm that varsity athletes are
excused from gym which to me makes a lot of sense given the amount
of time they have to put in to their sport. Also allows the freaks and geeks
to not feel overwhelmed in team sports played in gym class.

 

Funny how the people who say we should eliminate gym class are often the same ones wringing their hands over the high rate of childhood obesity.

 

That's addressed in the piece.

She's not saying eliminate gym class.

She's saying reform gym class.

 

Skeet shooting combined with gun safety would be a good curriculum for
gym class.

 

Columnist is an idiot.

 

Of course let's not do anything where kids have to compete. Then, when they're welcomed to the real world, they have no idea how to compete at any level. No one will be there in the workplace to give them their trophy or gold star for just showing up and trying hard.

 

Good column. I agree with some of her points. I can't go as far as she does with eliminating team sports. It's an oversimplification that, just because she thinks there are plenty of opportunities for team sports outside of school, then there must be. I doubt she has done an iota of research on that point. If she did, she didn't share it in the article. I think a lot of kids, especially in rural and poorer areas, only have school as an opportunity to safely participate in team sports.
However, her best point is that team sports do not equal exercise. You can "play basketball" by standing around the 3 point line while the good players do everything. That's not exercise. I have long thought schools should have P.E. and recess. Let P.E. be about physical fitness (basically in line with how the author described it) and let recess be about a variety of things, including team sports for those who want to play them.

 

Exactly. Oh, no! Johnny and Susie might feel bad if they get picked last! Some kids are less coordinated than others. Some kids aren't as smart as others. This ain't likely to change any time soon.

As for this line? Start teaching kids how to do the things they can do, better.

Should we stop at addition and subtraction if that's all some kids are good at? Should we avoid compound sentences if some kids aren't good with commas?

 

Why?