Musings: Phys ed classes needed now more than ever

The elimination of physical education classes is not only a poor idea but detrimental to our students’ health and well-being [“Don’t stick with phys ed classes,” Musings, Feb. 17].

More than ever, education through physical activity should be a national priority. We have a youth obesity/health crisis that will only escalate if not aggressively addressed.

Physical education teachers have the daunting task of giving our youth the tools to manage their health and wellness as adults. Understanding body mass index, heart rate, strength training and how to create a lifetime exercise program is just the start.

Disease prevention starts with daily exercise. Teachers have the difficult task of helping students create their own programs and to learn how to enjoy them.

Sports travel teams and community programs, which are often too expensive, are not universally available. So, what happens to most students whose parents can’t afford them? Or children who have no interest in athletic competition?

Teachers promote many sports. Schools also teach CPR, automated external defibrillator use and emergency first aid.

To be certified, a physical education teacher must have a four-year degree from an accredited college that includes many courses mandatory to become a doctor or nurse. A coach must take three coaching courses and have a CPR certificate updated yearly, along with a first aid course updated every two years. No “volunteer” can fulfill these requirements.

And who would volunteer all day, supervising 30 to 45 students per class? These classes are not like a typical classroom. A “gym class” is a daily supervision challenge, especially considering locker rooms and outdoor and gymnasium activities. A small injury risk exists, so a student’s teacher always has first response training, too.

Society should be promoting these classes and encouraging greater adolescent understanding of health, nutrition, wellness, and movement. Any effort to eliminate such material is counterintuitive and contradictory to all current research. We should be looking for more support and greater innovations in physical education pedagogy, not less.

— Hans Wiederkehr, Wading River

The writer was a physical education teacher and coach at Suffolk high schools for 34 years.