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Community Corner

Recess: You Either Loved or Hated It

What if kids had alternative ways to exercise?

I guess we all like things that we do well.  For me, it was sports. At Carpenter, I enjoyed kickball, dodgeball, tetherball, and sockball. In fact, just about anything that involved a ball was a thrill. I was usually the team caption, and had my pick of the litter when it came to choosing sides.

But what about those kids who didn’t like sports?  What did they do? Many shrank into the corners, dwarfed and chastised because of their lack of athletic prowess. Some found other activities that enabled them to excel, like art, music or mathematics. Many became the A students we used to envy, as we copied from their tests.

I never had to deal with being picked last, or teased because I couldn’t catch the ball. But there were many classmates, who endured this type of torture, and I’m sure, for most of them, P.E. was something they wished they could have skipped.

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I read an interesting article in the Wall St. Journal today about a teacher who encourages kids to move, in whatever way appeals to them.  Maybe it’s running. Maybe it’s dance. Perhaps it’s some sort of hula-hoop activity, tag or jumping on a trampoline.  The goal was not so much on competitive sports, but simply to get kids moving.

From the University of Michigan web site:

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“It is a known fact that physical activity improves overall health.  Not only does it improve circulation, increase blood flow to the brain, and raise endorphin levels, which all help to reduce stress, improve mood and attitude, and calm children, physically active students may also achieve more academically.  Physically fit students are less likely to miss school, partake in risky behaviors, get pregnant, or attempt suicide, which are all associated with better outcomes in school (Taras, 2005). “

Nowadays, in many schools, sports have been de-emphasized, subjected to the numerous budget cuts that have taken place.  Back in the day, my twin sister and I used to walk to grammar school, and ride bikes or take the bus to Walter Reed and North Hollywood High School. Sports were plentiful and mandatory.Parents now drop off their kids in their efforts to keep them safe, but what price do we pay for this?  Child obesity is on the rise, and with it comes diabetes and a host of other health ills. It’s pretty frightening.

What if our schools had offered a variety of physical education programs when we were growing up? Those of us who loved competitive sports could still rally in the big hooray of touchdowns, baskets and goals, but those whose inclinations went elsewhere could still excel by finding some activity that simply gave them joy and physical confidence.

Hopefully it’s not too late for the kids of today to discover the beauty of pure physical activity and its numerous health benefits. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

 

 

 

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