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Presidential Physical Fitness Award? No! Makes kids feel bad.

Jan 19, 2010#1

Dave

Apparently they are getting rid of the Presidential Physical Fitness Award because it puts kids in direct competition against one another instead of promoting health and fitness. So that fat kid who can't do pullups won't even try because he's be embarrassed and be made fun of. Instead, they want feel good by using a system called FitnessGram, which takes each kid and incrementalizes their workouts to coincide with their goals. So that fat kid who can't do pullups might get "a message to increase arm strength."

This is one of those areas where I turn hardcore conservative. In most things I'm pretty far left, but I think that competition is a GOOD thing! Losing can be a GOOD thing. Being ashamed of being unhealthy can be a GOOD thing! Yes, I know that kids are mean and that bullying is a bad thing. But kids who are sheltered from all pain are pussies. Case in point. My wife is very (over)protective of the kids and my son had never been seriously hurt in the past. A couple summers ago we went to the water park and his 16 year old behind declined sunscreen. The next day he was crying like a bitch because he was in pain.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't like to see my son in pain. But the sunburn wasn't bad enough to break down and blubber like a 5 year old girl who had her pigtails pulled. I've never vented this to my son and never made fun of him (to his face) but he's always been like this. When camping he'd carry like a pillow and then complain if he had to carry anything heavy, stopping frequently until someone took the heavy stuff away.

This article promotes exactly the same kind of wimpy, pussified behavior that is making our society litigious and more willing to take a handout than to work for something. This is a bad, bad idea.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100119/NEWS01/701199954

Like an exhausted child straining on a pull-up bar, the Presidential Physical Fitness Test is losing its grip on public schools.

School officials say the 44-year-old test, once the gold standard for measuring fitness, embarrasses and discourages out-of-shape children while doing little to motivate students to become healthy.

Schools increasingly are replacing it with the FitnessGram, tests that measure individual progress toward health goals rather than how a child ranks against his peers nationally. It also gives kids a range of fitness targets to hit.

To qualify for the Presidential Fitness Award, for example, a 10-year-old boy needs to do 22 push-ups. To hit his “healthy fitness zone” under the FitnessGram program, he has to do between 7 and 20 push-ups.

“It strikes a different chord about bringing up the average child instead of having kids compete against other kids to be the top,” said Iowa State University assistant professor Gregory Welk, FitnessGram's scientific director.

Tens of thousands of schools nationwide have adopted the program, developed in 1982 by the Cooper Institute of Dallas, a nonprofit health research center. The shift is part of a national trend to refocus physical education classes from teaching sports skills to promoting healthy lifestyles, especially as childhood obesity rates increase.

But not everyone is eager to dump the Presidential Fitness Test, which challenges students to place in the top 15 percent of the nation for their age and gender in pull-ups, sit-ups and other exercises.
Students at Chase County Elementary School in Imperial, Neb., earn more Presidential Fitness Test awards each year than any other Nebraska school of comparable size. They have brought home the Presidential State Champion Award 30 of the past 35 years.

Physical education teacher Jodie Schuller is trying to keep the tradition alive.

Schuller, 39, is a fan of in-your-face personal trainer Jillian Michaels, who goads obese contestants to get into shape on NBC's “The Biggest Loser.” In this age of “biggie”-size meals and video games that don't involve much activity, she said, putting a little pressure on kids can be a good thing.

Kids sometimes don't know what they're capable of until they're challenged, Schuller said.
“To me, life is sometimes made too easy on kids nowadays,” she said. “We hand them things. I guess I'm old-fashioned.”

If you're between 20 and 50 years old, you probably took the Presidential Fitness Test. President Lyndon Johnson established the national test in 1966 amid rising concerns that U.S. kids, softened by industrialization and affluence, were not as fit as European children. Thousands of schools employed the test, and millions of children tried to push, pull and run their way to earn a handsome blue patch and a certificate bearing the president's signature.

Gretna Public Schools physical education teachers abandoned the program five or 10 years ago when they “found over and over again that it wasn't motivating kids,” said Superintendent Kevin Riley.
“Conceptually, it's very good,” Riley said. “However, if you've got a heavyset kid who can't do a pull-up, it doesn't do anything to motivate them to get better.”

Julane Hill, coordinated school health director for the Nebraska Department of Education, foresees a day when the Presidential Fitness Test will be gone.

Eighteen Nebraska school districts, including the five largest, have switched to FitnessGram. The Lincoln and Millard school districts adopted it a decade ago, the Omaha Public Schools in 2008.

In Iowa, FitnessGram and the Presidential Fitness Test are believed to be about equally used, said Elaine Watkins-Miller, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Education.

With the Presidential Fitness Test, districts typically test upper elementary and middle school students each fall and spring in five events: curl-ups or partial curl-ups (sit-ups), shuttle run, endurance run/walk, pull-ups or right angle push-ups, and V-sit or sit and reach.

Boys and girls who score at or above the 85th percentile of U.S. youths on all five events, based on standards established in a 1985 study of youth fitness, are eligible for the award.

With FitnessGram, students also test twice a year, or sometimes more often. They try to keep their scores within the health fitness zones for three areas: aerobic capacity; body composition; and muscular strength, endurance and flexibility. The zones are established by research to reflect levels of fitness necessary for good health, the company says.

It's the bottom number that's most important, because it's the threshold for fitness. Scoring below that puts a child in the “needs improvement” zone.

Children periodically get a colorful FitnessGram report highlighting their successes, reminding them to lead a healthy lifestyle and offering tips for improvement. A child who scores low in pull-ups might receive a message to increase arm exercises or climbing.

The switch to FitnessGram may be driven by the national alarm over childhood obesity, as school districts search for physical education programs that work, said Annette Eyman, spokeswoman for the Papillion-La Vista Schools, which switched this year.

Between 1976 and 2006, childhood obesity in children ages 6 to 11 increased from 6.5 percent to 17 percent, raising the risk of diabetes, asthma and sleep apnea, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The ultimate goal of the FitnessGram is to give kids a lifelong measurement tool that can help encourage and promote that physical activity,” Eyman said. “That's the goal, versus a one-time recognition.”

In Chase County, however, recognition is a part of the winning formula. Patches, certificates and a tradition of winning help motivate kids, Schuller said. “It's mainly the tradition,” she said. “The kids want to be like big brother or big sister.”

Robert and Robyn Forsyth of Papillion have raised four Presidential Fitness Award-winning kids. Their children even practiced the exercises at home.

Beth, 12, earned the award twice and prefers the Presidential Fitness Award to the FitnessGram because it's more challenging. “It's important to challenge kids because then they'll work harder in other things,” she said.

Beth sees some good in the FitnessGram. When the girls in her sixth-grade class ran a FitnessGram aerobic test, nearly all of them reached their healthy fitness zones. That was good for the girls who were not able to earn the Presidential Fitness Award, she said.

The Presidential Fitness Test is still used in the David City Schools, where Tom Jahde taught PE for 20 years. He encouraged kids to try to at least pass one or two of the exercise tests. During the mile run, he grouped kids by ability to minimize embarrassment. He looked for improvement.

His district passes out the patches during a parents awards night.

“We try to promote it and make a big deal about it so kids really feel proud of what they accomplished,” he said.

The only thing he didn't like about it was that kids had to pass all the tests to get the award.

Pull-ups were Megan Adkins' Achilles heel. Now 30 and president of the Nebraska Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, she is a fan of FitnessGram.

“When adults go to the gym, it's not ‘Well, we're going to compete against the person next to us on the other treadmill to see who can run faster.' We're trying to improve our own self and our own bodies,” she said.

Adkins, now a physical education lecturer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, never earned the Presidential Fitness Award because of what she calls those “stinkin'” pull-ups.

“I tried and tried and tried,” she said, “and never could get that pull-up and never could get that Presidential Award.”

Jan 19, 2010#2

Chazwozel

“When adults go to the gym, it's not ‘Well, we're going to compete against the person next to us on the other treadmill to see who can run faster.' We're trying to improve our own self and our own bodies,” she said.

AHHAHHAHAHHA, I always go to the gym with a friend and we try to outdo each other in everything. That's why the buddy system IS the best system for a good workout.

Pull-ups were Megan Adkins' Achilles heel. Now 30 and president of the Nebraska Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, she is a fan of FitnessGram.

Sounds like she's butthurt cause she could never do the pull ups. And I agree that pull ups are hard to do when you're a kid. Kid's don't have quite the upper body strength to do that many, but I think the Presidential fitness test requires like 1 to pass for boys and a 'good effort' for the girls.

Jan 19, 2010#3

ElJuski

Actually, I kind of hated the Presidential fitness bullshit, because I thought it was bullshit. Even as a grade school kid I rolled my eyes at the whole process, let the athletic kids jerk off to that crap, did my one pullup, and went on in my life.

Now, if they taught me as a kid the importance of working out, and relative success in relation to working out, I might have considered the whole thing more than just "oh I can't do it, so fuck it".

The overall goal is to improve our nation's children's overall health, right? Not to be HARDASS AWARD WINNERS RAWR. Who gives a shit about some dumb arbitrary award? Let's get our kids to set their own goals with real body results.

Jan 19, 2010#4

ElJuski

And I totally KNOW this thread is going to devolve into the kids that could actually DO the award, and the kids who couldn't.

Calling me a fatty weakling in 5 4 3 2

Jan 19, 2010#5

Chazwozel

ElJuski said:
And I totally KNOW this thread is going to devolve into the kids that could actually DO the award, and the kids who couldn't.

Calling me a fatty weakling in 5 4 3 2

Nah, I can tell you I didn't give a shit about it either in grade school. I was able to do like 3 pull ups and that was it. And I was terrible at the mile run. Good lord do I hate running.

Jan 19, 2010#6

Dave

ElJuski said:
And I totally KNOW this thread is going to devolve into the kids that could actually DO the award, and the kids who couldn't.

Calling me a fatty weakling in 5 4 3 2

I see this thread going there, too. But it needs to be said that this lessening of competition HURTS kids for the future. Yes, some kids will do better. Some kids will suck. Some adults will be great at life, some will suck. The stratification of people based on arbitrary social classifications is not only natural, but beneficial to society as a whole. Kids who suck at the physical stuff who are forced to try and improve their social standing in this area are doomed to failure. Which is why they naturally gravitate towards the less physical pursuits such as computers, games, etc.

I know how this looks and yes, I was one of those who was very good at the Presidential test (I had the State record for the 600 meter run/walk until only recently). But the lack of a competition stifles those kids who would benefit from this by coddling those kids who more than likely will not be motivated by this attempt, either. Lazy kids will be lazy regardless of the methods used to try and motivate them.

Jan 19, 2010#7

Shakey

I was able to get the award when I was a kid, and I think it's crap. Shaming kids into losing weight obviously isn't working. It seems to me if you can help them make progress, it's a lot better than laughing at them and saying you lose. Does the loss of the competitive nature of the Presidential fitness award really hurt more than the rising obesity of kids?

Jan 19, 2010#8

WolfOfOdin

You're not a weakling

As to Chaz, Varsity X-country and track BOOYAH!

I'm with Dave here a bit, in that I think we do need to encourage our kids to actually compete instead of telling them to go at thier own pace. having a hard deadline in place tends to motivate people rather than having a soft one that is continually pushed back because little Johnny didn't feel like trying today due to cartoons.

However, it would more than likely be in the best interest of the people who run the program to re-tool it to work better with modern kids.

Jan 19, 2010#9

Chazwozel

WolfOfOdin said:
You're not a weakling

As to Chaz, Varsity X-country and track BOOYAH!

I'm with Dave here a bit, in that I think we do need to encourage our kids to actually compete instead of telling them to go at thier own pace. having a hard deadline in place tends to motivate people rather than having a soft one that is continually pushed back because little Johnny didn't feel like trying today due to cartoons.

However, it would more than likely be in the best interest of the people who run the program to re-tool it to work better with modern kids.

Varsity Football and Ice Hockey. I'd kick your weakling ass! (...if I could catch you, lol). Wait! I did track too. Javelin! Who needs to chase when I can just hunt you down like an antelope!

Jan 19, 2010#10

Chazwozel

Shakey said:
I was able to get the award when I was a kid, and I think it's crap. Shaming kids into losing weight obviously isn't working. It seems to me if you can help them make progress, it's a lot better than laughing at them and saying you lose. Does the loss of the competitive nature of the Presidential fitness award really hurt more than the rising obesity of kids?

Jan 19, 2010#11

Dave

Chazwozel;330656][QUOTE=Shakey said:
I was able to get the award when I was a kid, and I think it's crap. Shaming kids into losing weight obviously isn't working. It seems to me if you can help them make progress, it's a lot better than laughing at them and saying you lose. Does the loss of the competitive nature of the Presidential fitness award really hurt more than the rising obesity of kids?

but but laughing at fat kids is one of the greatest joys in life...[/QUOTE]

I got laughed at for being too thin. I could run like the wind but since I stopped growing when I hit high school I went from one of the biggest to one of the smallest kids.

Jan 19, 2010#12

WolfOfOdin

Chazwozel;330656][QUOTE=Shakey said:
I was able to get the award when I was a kid, and I think it's crap. Shaming kids into losing weight obviously isn't working. It seems to me if you can help them make progress, it's a lot better than laughing at them and saying you lose. Does the loss of the competitive nature of the Presidential fitness award really hurt more than the rising obesity of kids?

but but laughing at fat kids is one of the greatest joys in life... Seriously, watching fat kids run around and try to do the physical shit they see on TV or video games is hilarious. For example: Star Wars Kid.[/QUOTE]

I did hurdles and long jump in track. Our coach motivated us by chucking sticks at us in order to get our base speed up. And I had to walk FIFTEEN MILES UPHILL, IN THE SNOW TO BE DONE EVERY DAY.

...And I did laugh horribly at the chubby kids who failed miserably at running the mile every week. But again, we need to bring our standards of what's acceptable up a notch. Sometimes making someone feel like an idiot for messing up is a good way to motivate them towards not messing up again.

Jan 19, 2010#13

ElJuski

We teach kids to compete, but then when you get old all excersize works at a very individual pace, is my understanding of it all. You compete with friends, sure, but kids learn how to compete throughout gym class and, uh, playing outside anyway.

I don't think the Presidential Fitness Test meant anything to me at all as a kid except that I knew I wasn't gonna get the award, so I didn't even care. How many people actually thought that program influenced their life?

EDIT: What I'm trying to say is that removing this program isn't necessarily coddling. It's just removing a system that doesn't seem to effectively promote health fitness anyway, except to give the athletic kids a piece of paper mom and dad will gloat on their fridge for a month.

Jan 19, 2010#14

WolfOfOdin

My life was influenced around an insanely active need to be the best at what I'm doing. Growing up with a very close in age sibling tends to make you very competitive....mainly for food.

Jan 19, 2010#15

ElJuski

Which I'm sure works out for you great, even now.

But the Presidential Fitness test, itself. Beyond WANTING it, (and getting it) how much did it change your life?

I'm guessing only for that moment that it was important. However, teaching kids to understand their body and how to work out properly, and why being fat and lazy is wrong, probably would have a bigger impact. Everyone here has already detailed their athletic extracurriculars. That's what we need: more kids to go into sports and be active kids, and not even worry about being fat. Go for the gold in a sport, that promotes healthy competition AND a healthy lifestyle. That's something you'll carry with you from here on out, not that piece of paper.

Jan 19, 2010#16

The Lovely Boehner

I was in insane shape elementary-middle school, then sagged a little bit freshman year, but then I joined the wrestling team and that kicked my ass way back into gear.

That out of the way, I don't think this is such a bad thing? Competition against yourself is actually something kids that are way out of shape can actually win. Get some sort of victory. It would take years for a kid raised on McDonald's to beat the kid forced into Little League every year since he was 4. But in just weeks, or a month, the more-rotund kid could destroy his old mile time or push-up number. It's stupid to do "everybody's a winner" platitudes, but it's also bad to call someone a loser forever as well. It's like when I was learning chess. My dad was a bit of a prick about it, and he beat me every time we played, soundly and super fast. I got frustrated, I couldn't do anything right, and I quit. Then, later, I played against my friends who weren't so much better than me, and we all got better playing together. The Presidential Fitness thing is a lot like banging their heads against the wall for a lot of kids. FitnessGram seems more likely to get some sort of positive results for the most-problematic kids.

Jan 19, 2010#17

Shakey

ElJuski said:
EDIT: What I'm trying to say is that removing this program isn't necessarily coddling. It's just removing a system that doesn't seem to effectively promote health fitness anyway, except to give the athletic kids a piece of paper mom and dad will gloat on their fridge for a month.

Exactly. From what I can remember of it, it was basically those that could do it did it and those that couldn't did as little as possible to get their turn done. It was rare to find someone that was actually training for it.

Jan 19, 2010#18

Chazwozel

WolfOfOdin said:
My life was influenced around an insanely active need to be the best at what I'm doing. Growing up with a very close in age sibling tends to make you very competitive....mainly for food.

Oh damn, I can relate to that. My brother was 4 years older than me, which isn't all that close, but man did we compete over everything. Especially food, lol. My mom would go to the store every week with 300 dollar food bills that would be devoured by the third day. Sometimes my sister and mom would take day trips to some girly things they liked to do. Things in the house quickly turned into three grizzly bears fighting for the plate of salmon.

Jan 19, 2010#19

Cajungal

I don't care about this test as long as kids are still given some sort of realistic goal to meet. If they cannot go a mile without getting tired, make them work towards a mile and a half or two. If they can only do 10 pushups, make them work for one more every other class... something like that. No one cared about the test except for one or two kids. The competition aspect of it never bothered me. Competition can teach cooperation as well in something like team sports (even though that's not on this test...). I was always bad at it, but I could do some things that the kids who did well could not. So it all evened out, and I got my exercise anyway. People need to calm down about their kids feeling bad about themselves. It wouldn't hurt a whole lot of people to be a little more humbled.

Jan 19, 2010#20

fade

I don't mean to sound like a jerk--this is genuine--but wasn't that award like insanely easy to get?

Jan 19, 2010#21

ElJuski

I don't know, but that's a solid question. If the test itself is simple, and people are complaining, then we need to revamp the gym class system overall. Which should probably get worked on anyway. My gym classes were fucking dire.

Jan 19, 2010#22

@Li3n

Fat kids aren't gonna loose weight because of some award or because of some competition against others they have no chance against...

Having personalized goals can easily be turned into a competition too, but one where the fats kids actually have a chance at winning...

Jan 19, 2010#23

Chazwozel

@Li3n said:
Fat kids aren't gonna loose weight because of some award or because of some competition against others they have no chance against...

Having personalized goals can easily be turned into a competition too, but one where the fats kids actually have a chance at winning...

LIKE PIE EATING!

Jan 19, 2010#24

rabbitgod

I never participated in this. I'm not sure why, but my PE classes never did it.

We did have a school cardio test though. They called it a 'Mile Run' except that it was more like 1.3 miles. Two laps around the tack and then you ran halfway around the school there were a couple hills at the end that really hurt. So all these freshman who didn't know any better would sprint out the first two track laps and then die through the cross country stuff. If you couldn't make it in a certain amount of time you spent the next couple weeks concentrating on running. I always made it in time so I don't know what all the failed kids had to do.

Jan 19, 2010#25

MindDetective

I'm all for incremental fitness goals but I'm not sure that implementing it should go beyond the classroom.

Jan 19, 2010#26

Chazwozel

ElJuski said:
I don't know, but that's a solid question. If the test itself is simple, and people are complaining, then we need to revamp the gym class system overall. Which should probably get worked on anyway. My gym classes were fucking dire.

You gotta do a 7 minute mile to qualify. Damn.

Jan 19, 2010#27

Cajungal

fade said:
I don't mean to sound like a jerk--this is genuine--but wasn't that award like insanely easy to get?

I could never get the mile in time or the required amount of pull-ups... or even girl-style push-ups. I'm very slow and weak in the arms, but I'm good at other things. I can lift a lot and walk at a fast pace, but no one cares about that.

Jan 19, 2010#28

Krisken

I don't remember anyone being picked on for not getting it or cheered on for getting it. The last time I remember doing this though was 2nd grade. I think the requirements weren't so harsh for 7 year olds.

Jan 19, 2010#29

ElJuski

Chazwozel;330738][QUOTE=ElJuski said:
I don't know, but that's a solid question. If the test itself is simple, and people are complaining, then we need to revamp the gym class system overall. Which should probably get worked on anyway. My gym classes were fucking dire.

You gotta do a 7 minute mile to qualify. Damn.[/QUOTE]

I have never run a 7 minute mile in my life, hahaha. Nowadays I think my top is 9 minutes. *pokes chub*

Jan 19, 2010#30

@Li3n

Chazwozel;330722][QUOTE=@Li3n said:
Fat kids aren't gonna loose weight because of some award or because of some competition against others they have no chance against...

Having personalized goals can easily be turned into a competition too, but one where the fats kids actually have a chance at winning...

LIKE PIE EATING![/QUOTE]

I was talking more about competition in areas where everyone can win... pie eating is biased towards fat kids.

Jan 19, 2010#31

Kitty Sinatra

I thought the tiny Asian women were best at putting away food.

. . . or is that just with my sausage.

Jan 19, 2010#32

D

Dubyamn

The problem with the Presidential Fitness Award is that it is a 1 day thing in which kids are deeply embarassed and then nothing more is done with it.

They don't have specialized groups where the kids who got the step down from the PFA do more jogging and strength training no they are just embarrassed as they are laughed at as they try to strain their chubby little arms to get 1 pull up. No the PFAs take up allot of time to teir the kids into groups that the schools do nothing with. That's my problem with the PFAs that they do embarrass kids and then they don't do anything else.

Now if they did the PFAs first school day of every month and the kids who "win" it are put into the PE class that does Baseball, Dodge Ball and other fun games while the kids who get the step down are regulated to jogging, and calisthenics and the ones who fail outright are subjectgated to more intense workouts then they would have a purpose. Kids would want to stay in shape and keep fit to be able to play games instead of just working out.

But as it is the PFAs just seem like the school randomly saying to some kids "You're awesome don't change a thing" and to others "You're a fatty fat fat" after having them do the exact same things in class.

Jan 19, 2010#33

Kitty Sinatra

wow, and segregating the fatties from the fit kids would probably be good for them. I remember the losers getting teased in gym class, making it hell for them. I look back on that and feel like I was an asshole just for not trying to stop it.

I also wonder why the fuck the teachers were so blind.

Jan 19, 2010#34

ElJuski

Gruebeard said:
I thought the tiny Asian women were best at putting away food.

. . . or is that just with my sausage.

LOLOLOL

Jan 19, 2010#35

Dave

Gruebeard said:
wow, and segregating the fatties from the fit kids would probably be good for them. I remember the losers getting teased in gym class, making it hell for them. I look back on that and feel like I was an asshole just for not trying to stop it.

I also wonder why the fuck the teachers were so blind.

Jan 19, 2010#36

fade

You know--Facebook has done one thing for me. It's proven to me that the jocks still do all right after high school despite all those pep talks the teachers used to give the nerds. "Oh, Melvin. One day you'll be Bif's boss!". Bullcrap. Bif's charismatic ability to sweet-talk means that he's still making more money than me, and is still the boss of Melvin and the other nerds who have 15 degrees.

Jan 19, 2010#37

Chazwozel

Dave;330783][QUOTE=Gruebeard said:
wow, and segregating the fatties from the fit kids would probably be good for them. I remember the losers getting teased in gym class, making it hell for them. I look back on that and feel like I was an asshole just for not trying to stop it.

I also wonder why the fuck the teachers were so blind.

Because most people who were gym teachers in those days were the jocks and failed athletes who had nothing else going for them but their past glories and insecurities to sustain them. They look at the weak kids and are reminded that it is kids like these who are now their bosses, movers and shakers. The same kids they gave wedgies to and pantsed in front of the girls because they are smaller and weaker are the same ones who now control their lives. Gym teachers of yore were bitter ex-jocks who couldn't cope with no longer being the popular and fear-inducing figures they once were. They take out their failings on those whom they used to torment for fear that traits like compassion and pity would be misconstrued as fruity or gay. Then they dragged their sorry, balding, overweight bodies back to the trailers where their high school sweethearts (usually the prom queen) smoked their Marlboros and cooked spaghetti over a dimly lit fire while four unplanned children run around her feet in various stages of cleanliness and disrobing. Her girth and stained teeth are constant reminders that they are no longer the two they used to be as they settle into the uncomfortable evening of bland food, blander conversation and American Idol. After the kids are put to bed she goes to sleep watching E! while he surfs child porn on his computer, trying in vain to recapture his youth.[/QUOTE]

Really? My old grade school gym teacher was so fat that we called her 'Thunder-Thighs VanGordon". Even in grade school I couldn't put it past how a mean fat woman was our gym teacher. It made no sense to any of us.

<---- guesses Dave had a bad time in gym class.

High School gym class was great for me. Our football coach was the P.E. teacher and pretty much let the football players teach the class for him. We subdivided gym class into electives; I was in the weigh lifting section. It was really fun teaching my fellow classmates proper lift technique (especially the ladies <wink>)

Jan 19, 2010#38

Chazwozel

fade said:
You know--Facebook has done one thing for me. It's proven to me that the jocks still do all right after high school despite all those pep talks the teachers used to give the nerds. "Oh, Melvin. One day you'll be Bif's boss!". Bullcrap. Bif's charismatic ability to sweet-talk means that he's still making more money than me, and is still the boss of Melvin and the other nerds who have 15 degrees.

AHAHAHHAHAHHAAHAHA! Wait, I was both! Ack! Actually it was funny. My old football coach assumed we were all dumbasses. He had a policy of keeping a C average or you're benched. He looked at my grades and was nearly floored. I told him, "I'm not just a pretty face."

Jan 19, 2010#39

Dave

Chazwozel;330792][QUOTE=Dave;330783][QUOTE=Gruebeard said:
wow, and segregating the fatties from the fit kids would probably be good for them. I remember the losers getting teased in gym class, making it hell for them. I look back on that and feel like I was an asshole just for not trying to stop it.

I also wonder why the fuck the teachers were so blind.

Because most people who were gym teachers in those days were the jocks and failed athletes who had nothing else going for them but their past glories and insecurities to sustain them. They look at the weak kids and are reminded that it is kids like these who are now their bosses, movers and shakers. The same kids they gave wedgies to and pantsed in front of the girls because they are smaller and weaker are the same ones who now control their lives. Gym teachers of yore were bitter ex-jocks who couldn't cope with no longer being the popular and fear-inducing figures they once were. They take out their failings on those whom they used to torment for fear that traits like compassion and pity would be misconstrued as fruity or gay. Then they dragged their sorry, balding, overweight bodies back to the trailers where their high school sweethearts (usually the prom queen) smoked their Marlboros and cooked spaghetti over a dimly lit fire while four unplanned children run around her feet in various stages of cleanliness and disrobing. Her girth and stained teeth are constant reminders that they are no longer the two they used to be as they settle into the uncomfortable evening of bland food, blander conversation and American Idol. After the kids are put to bed she goes to sleep watching E! while he surfs child porn on his computer, trying in vain to recapture his youth.[/QUOTE]

Really? My old grade school gym teacher was so fat that we called her 'Thunder-Thighs VanGordon". Even in grade school I couldn't put it past how a mean fat woman was our gym teacher. It made no sense to any of us.[/QUOTE]

Oh. I was talking about the men. The women were lesbians.

Jan 19, 2010#40

ElJuski

In my teaching classes, the gym teachers are usually the chubby sports buffs with nothing better to do, or lazy frat boy ass bags who don't have the brains or the family connections to join gym class. Obviously a stereotype, but you can totally tell whose here training for that job, and why.

(For the record high school english teachers are usually either stoners, sorority girls, motherly types and people who got an english degree--went absolutely nowhere with it--and came back to try and get a big boy job. WHICH ONE AM I WHICH ONE AM I)

Jan 19, 2010#41

Dave

ElJuski said:
In my teaching classes, the gym teachers are usually the chubby sports buffs with nothing better to do, or lazy frat boy ass bags who don't have the brains or the family connections to join gym class. Obviously a stereotype, but you can totally tell whose here training for that job, and why.

The reason this stereotype exists is because those who go to college on a sports scholarship FOR THE MOST PART pick majors that are easy to get by in. Physical sciences is one of these majors. So they get used up by the college, can't make it pro in whatever sport and come back to their home depresses, disillusioned and with no discernible skills other than their former physical prowess and UG Phys Ed degree. In Nebraska the players come back and sell real estate.

But a good number of them work on cars, other blue collar jobs...or teach gym classes.

Jan 19, 2010#42

Covar

So instead of needing to do 22 pushups to be told good job, you can do 7-20 and get the same results.

Yea I'm all for adapting the program to work better, but that's just lowering the standard.

Jan 19, 2010#43

Shakey

It's not about getting an award though. It's about making sure kids are able to do at least a healthy amount of exercise. It also gives kids pointers on what they can do to help improve their scores.

The presidential award looked for the top 15% and left it at that.

Jan 19, 2010#44

phil

I dunno man, if it promotes a better general health then I say go for it. I'm sure kids can just use one of the other 10 billion outlets of competition to learn how to compete with one another.

oh and as for my personal history with it, I don't actually remember ever doing the presidential fitness test. I did have to do the pacer when I had asthma though, if that counts for anything.

Jan 19, 2010#45

Cajungal

Covar said:
So instead of needing to do 22 pushups to be told good job, you can do 7-20 and get the same results.

Yea I'm all for adapting the program to work better, but that's just lowering the standard.

In a way you're right. A lot of kids CAN, they just haven't had been properly prepared or don't want to. It's the same in academics. They're not receiving proper instruction, they're apathetic, or they just need it explained in a different way. This test is a good way of recognizing another type of skill, and it promotes a well-rounded lifestyle in that way. I wasn't a fan of the test, partially because we never really prepared for it. They just sprung it on us. But if some kids dedicate themselves to that level of fitness and maintain it even when they're not in a P.E. class, then hell yes, recognize them.

In general P.E. class, I think there should be more consistent record-keeping and goal-setting. It would help the teacher to get a better look at his/her students' individual strengths and weaknesses and help them to play to those strengths and improve the weaknesses. Maybe it's improved today, but it was a mess when I was a kid.

Jan 19, 2010#46

Bowielee

Wow, Dave, bitter much?

The only thing I have to say about this is that it's really indicitive of the whole "nobody's a loser" huggy feely movement that has been slowly permeating the educational system. Kids SHOULD be in competition. If they aren't, when they get out of school, they are in no way prepared for the real world, because you don't get jobs based on how special your mommy or teacher thinks you are, you get it because you beat out the competition. It's one of the reason so many younger people feel a sense of entitlement.

Jan 19, 2010#47

Shakey

But there is still a competitive nature in this. It's scored just like every other test kids take. If a kid is lacking in an area, they are told that.

To me it's like testing ready ability once or twice a year. They stand in front of everyone while they read from books, and the top 15% get an award. If a kid can't read at all they don't receive any help at all. But hey, if they don't want to look like an idiot in front of everyone they should just learn to read.

Jan 19, 2010#48

Ravenpoe

Ahh... high school sports, how I loathed thee.

I'm a fat guy. When I was a kid, I was a fat kid. worse, aside from being fat, I'm also very big. 6 foot even and very wide at the shoulders, even without the fat I'd be a big guy.

I actually liked PE, because we'd mostly just play basketball, and I liked basketball. But whenever these fitness things would come up, I always hated them. There was no way I'd be able to do a pullup, sit-ups I was done with at the 10 count, and running? Yeah, more like a brisk walk.

But none of this humiliated me. I did my thing, did what I could do, and was done. What did humiliate me, though, was during some week long physical fitness thing.

I don't know if it's standard, or a Florida only thing, or just unique to the school I went to, but there was a week of physical events that we had to compete in. You'd sign up for different olympic-style events (shot put, relay, different length races, etc) and compete in the ones you signed up for. You had to sign up for at least two in order to get a passing grade.

The coach, an older woman, then informed the class that some students who weren't physically able wouldn't be required to do more than the shot put. She gave a kid with muscular dystrophy as an example, explaining that she wouldn't force someone with a disability to compete. She then called on each kid, so they would announce what they were signing up for, and she'd write it down. When she got to me, she announced that I was one of those special cases, and I didn't have to compete in anything other than the shot put if I didn't want to.

:confused:

wtf lady? I'm not disabled!

I signed up for everything. Oh god I hated it. That was a terrible week.

Jan 19, 2010#49

SpecialKO

All I'm going to say is that if the goal is to get fat kids into shape, rather than hand out dumb awards, you should get every fat kid a hot personal trainer/gym partner.

I'm not saying this is financially viable.

I'm not saying this is logistically practical.

I'm not saying that it's emotionally stable in the long-term.

I'm just saying, and anyone's who worked with a hot trainer or had a smokin' gym buddy knows this, there's no better motivation on Earth to dump that flab by the way side.

Jan 19, 2010#50

makare

I agree that competition is not a bad thing but that presidential award was pointless. I went to like five different schools as a kid and only one even acknowledged it. My teachers were always really fit and pretty good at getting us motivated to play and get active, you know, in gym class. Outside of gym class we were more for walking around town and causing trouble than exercising. Sigh. I miss those days.

Jan 21, 2010#51

Chazwozel

Ravenpoe said:
Ahh... high school sports, how I loathed thee.

I'm a fat guy. When I was a kid, I was a fat kid. worse, aside from being fat, I'm also very big. 6 foot even and very wide at the shoulders, even without the fat I'd be a big guy.

I actually liked PE, because we'd mostly just play basketball, and I liked basketball. But whenever these fitness things would come up, I always hated them. There was no way I'd be able to do a pullup, sit-ups I was done with at the 10 count, and running? Yeah, more like a brisk walk.

But none of this humiliated me. I did my thing, did what I could do, and was done. What did humiliate me, though, was during some week long physical fitness thing.

I don't know if it's standard, or a Florida only thing, or just unique to the school I went to, but there was a week of physical events that we had to compete in. You'd sign up for different olympic-style events (shot put, relay, different length races, etc) and compete in the ones you signed up for. You had to sign up for at least two in order to get a passing grade.

The coach, an older woman, then informed the class that some students who weren't physically able wouldn't be required to do more than the shot put. She gave a kid with muscular dystrophy as an example, explaining that she wouldn't force someone with a disability to compete. She then called on each kid, so they would announce what they were signing up for, and she'd write it down. When she got to me, she announced that I was one of those special cases, and I didn't have to compete in anything other than the shot put if I didn't want to.

wtf lady? I'm not disabled!

I signed up for everything. Oh god I hated it. That was a terrible week.

Dude, if you played football as an offensive guard, you would have been king of the school. Everyone loves the football fat guys.

Jan 21, 2010#52

@Li3n

Sororoty girl... it's pretty obvious.

Jan 24, 2010#53

Ravenpoe

Chazwozel said:
Ravenpoe;331054 snippity snip[/QUOTE said:

Dude, if you played football as an offensive guard, you would have been king of the school. Everyone loves the football fat guys.

Click to expand...

Everyone always told me I should play football, because I was built like a football player. But I just didn't like football.

Instead, I was part of a backyard wrestling league.

... don't laugh, I was great at it.

Jan 24, 2010#54

Twitch

MARCHING BAND WHOOOOO!
Seriously though, I got more fit running laps, marching for 3-6 hours a day (6 only two days a week), and carrying a trumpet at ready then I did doing anything else in High School.
I used to be able to run a 6 minute mile, now I'm lucky to make 10.

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