It is no secret that FHS freshmen are required to take physical education classes, and many of these students often also play sports. However, ninth grade student athletes do not get any PE credit for participating in sports, which students like FHS freshman Olyvia Caracasso, believe is unfair. After all, a full day of classes, an after school sport, other extracurriculars and homework can be a lot to handle, as they can take up a good amount of time.
According to CA.gov, it is not a state requirement to have freshmen take PE, as long as a student completes two courses of Physical Education or gets the equivalent amount of credits. However, the district mandates that all freshmen take PE 9, and doesn’t give the option to opt out of it. According to Untapped Learning, high school students spend an average of 10-15 hours per week on their school sport. When student athletes are already dedicating that much time to their sport, spending just under four hours a week in a PE class can seem like nothing.
“The state essentially requires that all ninth graders take PE and take the Physical Fitness test in ninth grade,” FHS Principal Bryan Emmert said via email.
Some freshmen find this requirement unreasonable. Carrasco believes that by not having to take PE, students are encouraged to do sports instead. Some schools that have this policy are Gunn and Mountain View High School, which do not require freshman athletes to take PE during their sports season.
“I think [freshmen] shouldn’t have to take PE in the season they’re doing a sport,” Carrasco said.
As for credits, the policy of freshmen not getting PE credit for participating in school sports has been in place for a while. Although sophomores and older are allowed to get PE credit, freshmen get elective credit instead, which Carrasco believes to be unfair.
“Because we are also doing a sport, and it’s not fair [that] just because we’re doing PE [we don’t get PE credits for it],” Carrasco said.
PE is a class that students are required to take, but for good reason. Being physically active allows one to maintain and live a healthy lifestyle. PE promotes motor skill development, cognitive development and improved health. Staying physically active reduces many health risks, and those who are informed about PE and participate in physically engaging activities are proven to more likely live a healthier lifestyle than those who do not.
“[Some of the benefits of taking PE are] daily exercise, cardiovascular strength, body strength, resistance training, a social component that comes to spending time with their friends, [and] learning new things,” FHS PE teacher Jason Townsend said.
However, overtraining can be bad for the body and can lead to strains and injuries, which are painful and may need a long recovery. This is why training and exercising is good in moderation, but it is important to know ones limits and train safely.
PE can be beneficial, helping with things such as strength and a healthier lifestyle, but can also have negative effects, especially for student athletes that are already dedicating a significant amount of time every week to their school sports. Overexertion of the body can be harmful and can lead to injuries. As well as that, freshman athletes do not get PE credit for the sports that they do, which students like Carrasco do not appreciate. Since this rule affects all of our students, perhaps this is an issue the district should reconsider.
