Fit to Succeed

By Audrey Parman | Sports | Jan. 31, 2025

    Stanton College Preparatory School has long been recognized for its academic excellence, but it is less well known for its physical education offerings. While physical education has been part of Stanton’s curriculum for many years, the only mandatory PE class as of the 2022-23 school year is Health Opportunities through Physical Education, which is exclusive to freshmen enrolled in the Honors program.

        According to its description on CPALMS, Florida’s official website for course information, HOPE combines classroom learning principles with physical application. Course benchmarks include topics such as nutrition, substance use, internet safety and injury and disease prevention, with physical activity remaining a central component. The purpose of HOPE is to serve as a resource for students to understand the importance of physical health through both exercise and education.

        “[We] start with a warmup, then talk about the topic of the day,” said coach Christopher Crider, Stanton Athletic Director and HOPE teacher. “[After that,] we go outside [for] physical activity on the track [ then] come back inside [for] either a health or PE lesson.”

        Though HOPE teachers approach the class differently, this structure allows Coach Crider to meet all of the course’s requirements. However, time constraints often leave little room for exercise, given the amount of material that must be covered. While PE is part of the curriculum, physical activity is not always a primary focus in this class. Some students, for instance, report doing homework rather than taking advantage of time available for exercise.

        “In HOPE, we would walk the track and then come back inside and do a HOPE assignment," said junior Lucy Cooke. “Afterward, if we had time, we could work on homework.”

        Cooke took HOPE as a freshman and was part of the first class affected by the change in the 2022-23 school year. Her experience with the class does not differ significantly from what it was in previous years. Senior Veda Kapadia also notices minor differences between her experience and what she has observed in today’s HOPE classes.

        “HOPE was a chill class freshman year. [But] I have noticed [teachers] have been way more lenient in terms of dressing out, which was a requirement for us,” said Kapadia.

        This reported leniency, while a small change, reflects the suggested decrease in the rigor of PE courses. The National Institutes of Health link a decline in the rigor of PE courses with a growing emphasis on standardized testing. The NIH suggests this trend, in particular, accelerated following the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, which prioritized academic achievement and standardized testing across the nation. As a result, children have had fewer opportunities to explore and develop healthy habits, making it harder for them to maintain physical activity.

         In the past, PE courses were different as they initially served to keep young men in shape during times of war. Physical education was introduced to the United States around the 1820s, according to Harvard University’s biography of Charles Beck, who is credited with bringing it to the U.S. Early PE classes focused heavily on athletic growth and achievement.

        Today, there are also electives that go beyond traditional PE courses and direct focus entirely toward physical activity, specifically by providing an opportunity to practice a sport. Stanton offers some of these, such as the tennis and volleyball courses, but many students choose not to take them because the courses are unweighted, which can negatively impact their GPA. To compensate for the reduced emphasis on PE at school, various students find other ways to stay in shape. Some go to gyms or participate in sports, both on and off campus.

        “I maintain a healthy amount of exercise every week,” said freshman Kimiko O’Connor. “I stay active by going on frequent runs and incorporating weightlifting to ensure I am fit for the upcoming [soccer] season. I currently play club soccer and [am on the girls] varsity soccer [team at] Stanton. After a good workout, I feel refreshed, [and] soccer brings me joy [since] I get to do it with my friends.”

        O’Connor is enrolled as an International Baccalaureate student and, as a result, does not take a HOPE class. Despite this, she gets sufficient exercise through extracurricular activities. Some students, on the other hand, struggle to find time for physical activity, which contributes to the overall decline.

        “I do not get enough [exercise,]” said sophomore Neha Ananth. “I spend more time on homework. [However,] I do play tennis a couple times a week.”

        The 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey found 76.1% of children do not meet the recommended 60 minutes of exercise per day. It also revealed 81.0% of students had not attended a PE class in the five days prior to taking the survey. These concurrent trends may be strongly influenced by the academic prioritization at Stanton.

        “I know there is an emphasis on weighted classes and having the highest GPA, but I really wish we could make [HOPE for IB students] work,” said Coach Crider. “Exposure to PE and health is even more important because it is not happening at home regularly.”

        In addition to the changes in the amount of physical activity students are getting through PE classes, the way they are tested has also evolved. PE testing is generally considered to have begun with the Kraus-Weber test, which measured athletic abilities such as core strength and flexibility. The Presidential Fitness Test was later adopted in 1966, gaining popularity throughout the 1970s for its rigor and toughness, until it was discontinued in 2012 in favor of less competitive replacements. For example, the FitnessGram Pacer test is now an official assessment of athletic ability in the United States, though it is not used at all schools, including Stanton. The only testing for HOPE is a statewide End-of-Course exam, which does not assess physical fitness, but rather knowledge of health concepts.

        “The only [PE test] I had to take was the EOC at the end of HOPE,” said sophomore Ella Dioso. "We just sat down with our computers and took [it].”

        Even if students’ physical fitness is not assessed in school, there are still ways to monitor it. For example, wearable fitness trackers have become more popular. Watches like those from Apple, Garmin and Fitbit track statistics such as heart rate, steps taken, and workout data. Just as students can get physical activity outside of school, these devices provide a way to compensate for what HOPE or other gym classes may lack.

        Changes in what a PE class entails over the years have not completely prevented students from staying in shape, despite potential external challenges they may face. Other options, such as gym memberships or buying fitness trackers, can be expensive and finding an hour each day for exercise can be time-consuming. Regardless, physical activity remains crucial for good health. In fact, NIH studies reveal how exercise provides a variety of advantages, like reduced stress levels and a lower risk of disease. Even if maintaining a daily habit of moderate exercise is challenging, getting any activity as often as possible is still beneficial.