High School gym class (PE) affects students in both positive and negative ways, but as time has gone on, there seems to be more growing negatives than positives. Gym class can add to the stress of a student’s daily life, especially when it comes to student athletes that already have a significant amount of stress and pressure on them. This is why I believe that student athletes should be exempt from the gym credit which can result in a free class period for an optional study hall or another class desired or needed to graduate.
Did you know that PE affects your GPA and can even prevent you from graduating without the necessary credits? At Harford Technical High School as well other HCPS high schools, one gym credit is needed to graduate. This credit is split between two years to make room for the health credit as well. Gym class is not only necessary but it also works against your grade if participation is low. This can affect students in a multitude of ways; however, I do understand the benefits of high school students attending gym class for health and wellness benefits. Although gym class has its benefits, I believe that student athletes who already exercise proficiently outside of school multiple days a week should not have to focus on their gym credit and worry about whether it will affect their chances of graduation or future college opportunities.
There are a large number of student athletes that are performing well and even possibly excelling in their competitive sport, therefore they should not be held accountable for additional athletic performance in gym class. According to statistics, 1 in every 3 high school students are student athletes. Student athletes average about 10-15 hours of exercise weekly related to their sport, which exceeds the recommended number of hours for activity weekly for teens (60 minutes daily). Extra exercise for athletes can always be beneficial, but adding the stress of a required credit for this is unfair and unnecessary. This can also be proven by the levels of stress for student athletes and the effect on their performance in their sport.
According to the research, 91% of student athletes experience some kind of stress due to being overwhelmed from balancing both school and their sport. Stress from grades and schoolwork can affect student athletes negatively during their sports in ways such as the following: “Injuries, concussions, overtraining, sleep disorders, and even anxiety.” Some injuries can even permanently affect the student’s career as an athlete and can have more negative than positive affects in the end. In addition, 5.4% of students overall experience at least one injury due to gym class participation. This percentage may seem small, but that 5.4% could be anyone, including student athletes.
Overall, I understand that gym provides the necessary credits for high school, more credits look good for colleges, and high school gym generally promotes health and wellness for teens. However, based on the evidence of the stress and pressure that student athletes are already experiencing, I do not believe that student athletes should be required to take gym class when they already meet the recommended amount of physical activity. To implement this change, student athletes should be given the choice as to whether they would like to take part in gym class or not, and those not interested will be given the options of a study hall or replacing that free period with another required class. This provides more opportunity for the student learning and providing study hall time can lessen stress as it gives the student more time to get homework and assignments done so they are able to focus more on their respective sport outside of class.