Running head: Physical Education

Physical Education
Stuart Russ
Madonna University

Physical Education

Abstract
Im writing my final paper on the cultural meaning of physical education in America. In
this paper I will be giving the readers an introduction of my topic by using the pan approach. I will
also being using the 10 on 1 method. The 10 on 1 method will lead to my preliminary thesis. From
doing research I will provide the reader with some evidence backing up my thesis. At the end of
this paper I will have a new and evolved thesis.

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In todays society too many young kids and teenagers are falling into bad habits relating
to their health. They are not always taking the positive steps to living a healthy lifestyle, but
some are taking the necessary steps. The health of todays youth is becoming a serious problem
because the lack of physical activity and the development of more electronics. Teenagers are not
going outside to play as much as they have in the past, and this is effecting their health. It could
affect their health when they are young or it can come back later when they are older and affect
them a lot more. Physical education is so important in todays youth because for some kids it is
the only exercise they are going to be getting all day. Physical education has its pros and cons to
it just like anything else would.
Physical education has different effects on every student and kid because not everyone is
alike. There are some kids who completely dread going to their PE class, while others look
forward to going to that class because it is something that they enjoy partaking in. Physical
education can either build up a student or take them down completely. There are some kids who
in the middle of it, they dont dislike it, but they dont like it. Physical education could make a
worlds difference in one kids, but not have the same effect on another kids life. Although
physical education has many benefits to participating in it, it also has some negative side
consequences to it. During kids teenage years they are very self-conscious over their weight and
ability to perform in physical activity. This could affect the teenagers confidence and sense of

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belonging to a group of people. Not all kids are born with athletic ability or high metabolism, so
they struggle when it comes to physical education.
The cultural meaning of physical education in America is that it leads to a healthier
lifestyle than if you did not participate in physical education. Physical education is very
important in American culture because it teaches kids at a young age how to live a healthy
lifestyle. It also helps prevent child obesity and overweight kids, which is becoming a bigger
problem in todays society. Physical education can help strengthen the individual depending on
who they are as a person and their abilities. Physical education means the opportunity for young
students to be able to develop healthy habits that can last a life time.
There are many benefits from participating in physical education and there are also some
negative effects from participating in physical education. Recently there have been schools all
across America who are cutting back on physical education because of budget cuts in their
school districts. State and federal government may think slashing PE programs will save
money. Perhaps this is true of short-term, narrow thinking. In the long term, however decreased
physical education in school means fewer healthy lifestyle choices in childhood and adulthood,
meaning more sedentary lifestyles, meaning increased prevalence of heart disease and other
weight-related health issues, meaning higher health care costs for America (SPARK PE). Also
in the article it said that according to studies by NASPE and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), attending physical education classes is directly related to better academic
performance and attitude toward school (SPARK PE). Participating in physical education gives
the student the opportunity to perform better academically and improve their attitude towards
school. Physical education can have some negative effects on students though because not every
individual is the same when it comes to physical activities. Physical education can have a burden

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on the student because theyre not as athletic or athletic as all compared to the other students in
their class. America cant put too much stress on physical education because then it could
possibly become a lot about self-worth and some students would feel worthless. Another
downfall of physical education is the injuries that are possible while participating in physical
activity. Despite all of the physical and psychological benefits associated with exercise,
working out does involve a risk of injury. Typical exercise-related injuries include pulled
muscles, sprains, strains, breaks, fractures and dislocations. You may be more likely to get
injured while exercising if you are out of shape, fail to wear protective gear, perform exercise
moves improperly or use exercise equipment incorrectly (Datko. A). Exercising too much can
also lead to burnout and increase your chances of injury. It is important for the physical
education teacher to not push their students too much because it could lead to negative side
effects. While exercise is an important part of managing your health, being overzealous about
fitness can do more harm than good. Exercising excessively can cause your body to become
burnt out and increase your risk of injury. Becoming obsessive about your weight and your body
image can lead to poor self-esteem (Datko. A). Physical education can help teach kids lifelong
qualities that they learned while playing a sport or participating in some kind of physical activity
involving other students. A growing body of research literature finds that in addition to
improved physical health, sport plays a primarily positive role in youth development, including
improved academic achievement, higher self-esteem, fewer behavioral problems, and better
psychosocial.29,30 Many studies focus on the effects of sport on the five Cscompetence,
confidence, connections, character, and caringwhich are considered critical components of
positive youth development.31,32 It has long been thought that the many facets of playing
sportthe discipline of training, learning teamwork, following the leadership of coaches and

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captains, learning to loseprovide lifelong skills for athletes. (Psychological and Social
Benefits of Playing True Sport). Physical education can help lead the individual to having a
healthy lifestyle when they are older because of the positive habits they could possibly develop
but not everyone continues to follow those habits. You have a higher chance of living a healthy
lifestyle though if you participate in physical education or sports. Clearly, sports will improve
your fitness and weight goals. However, they also encourage healthy decisions such as not
smoking or drinking and offer hidden health benefits such as a lower chance of getting
osteoporosis or breast cancer later in life (Benefits of Sports).
I would rank the schools across America having to make budget cuts in mainly physical
education as one of my most important pieces of evidence because it has many effects to it, both
long-term and short-term. Cutting out physical education in school leads to less healthy lifestyles
and this leads to possible poor healthy lifestyles as adults, which would cause health care costs to
increase a good amount. This affects not only the students who are no longer participating in
physical education but it also affects the people who will have to pay even more money for
health care costs. The second piece of evidence I would rate, would be the article Psychological
and Social Benefits of Playing True Sport. This article covers so much about the positive effects
from physical education and from sports. In this article it talks a lot about how someone involved
in physical education or sports can develop great habits to live a healthy lifestyle for present and
future. Next I would rank improved academic performances and attitude towards school next on
my list of evidence. Parents want to see their children strive in the classroom and whatever can
help improve their attitude, and academic performance then they are all for it. The negative side
effects come second to last and last from my pieces of evidence because they simply dont
outweigh the positive effects of physical education. In my pieces of evidence it talks about how

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the individual can be at a risk of injury from playing a sport or from physical activity. Injuries
are nothing to play around with and most be taken seriously also. Injuries can help in everyday
life though and thats why Im ranking this second to last on the list of my pieces of evidence.
Coming in last for my pieces of evidence is exercising too much can cause burnout and put the
individual at a risk of being injured. Only a small percent of students and athletes exercise too
much causing injury, this is why it is last for me. If you are looking at physical education and the
students as a whole barely any of them would encounter this problem. Physical education could
strengthen the individual and their lifestyle.
Physical education is an important thing for young students to get involved with because
it has numerous benefits. In the article written by Benefits of Sports it says this about how
exercise can help you, Exercising is a natural way to loosen up and let go of stress. Also, you
will most likely make many new friends on the team who can be there for you as a support
system. When you find you are having a lot of stress, you can call up teammates and head to the
gym to talk it out and play it out (Benefits of Sports). This can help out a lot because stress can
cause health issues for people, some serve as causing a heart attack. Kids who play sports don't
just benefit physically. Research shows they also do better in school, develop personal discipline
and learn how to get along with others. "Sports are more than a game; they are a set of life
lessons," (Why kids benefit from playing sports). Physical activity helps kids develop great life
lessons that can become so valuable to them later in their life. Playing sports or doing some form
of physical activity with others gives the individual the opportunity to develop positive habits
and start to being living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives. Kids learn that things aren't
going to go their way all the time, and that they need to respect their peers as well as referees and
sports officials. These experiences can influence them throughout their lives such as when it

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comes to working for a boss, or respecting the police or other authority figures. Team sports can
also be good for a child's mental health. Children who play team sports learn how to be more
resilient when presented with a setback, and are less likely to feel isolated (Benefits of team
sports). This sets up an opportunity for the kids to be successful in life because it has taught them
life values and life lessons along the way of playing a sport or participating in some kind of
physical activity. It teaches them character, resilience, hard work, and goal setting. It gives them
the opportunity to take what they have learned through playing a team sport or from PE class and
apply it to the real world. Physical education programs in schools directly benefit students'
physical health. Getting the recommended amount of exercise combats obesity, which
subsequently reduces the risk for diabetes, heart disease, asthma, sleep disorders and other
illnesses. Regular exercise also contributes to cardiovascular health and promotes muscle and
bone development. According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education,
school PE programs should require both fitness and cognitive assessments. In addition to
participating in physical activity, students in PE learn the fundamentals of a healthful lifestyle,
the building blocks upon which they can develop into healthy, knowledgeable adults (Datko
A.). This is why physical education is so important in todays American culture. It helps the
individual have the chance to live a successful and healthy life when they grow into adults.
Walking and biking trips made by children have dropped more than 60% since the late 1970s. A
full quarter of American children get no physical activity whatsoever. Schools have become part
of the problem. With tight budgets and a renewed focus on reading and math, gym is going the
way of the dinosaurs. An article in the journal Pediatrics found that only 21% of American
adolescents participate in a physical education class each week (Food). Physical education
should be emphasized more often because it is really having a negative effect on the kids and the

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next generation coming along. According to SPARK author, John Ratey, MD we should think
of exercise as medication. We know that exercise helps with executive functions like
sequencing, memory, and prioritizing which contribute to necessary skills for success in school
and life. Put simply, physical activity in school primes the brain for learning. (The Benefits of
PE). Physical education helps out the student so much when it comes to the classroom and
learning. It also helps prepare the kid for life because of the necessary skills that are developed
while in PE. These pieces of evidence truly help people have the opportunity to be successful.
Children shouldnt be neglected from participating in sports or physical education due to
the fact that they improve social skills, improve academic development, and prevent child
obesity. Even though your body is at risk of injury and if you do too much physical activity you
could burn your body out, the pros outweigh these two factors. Physical education and physical
activity can help out a student for a lifetime, if the student follows that path. Physical education
in America gives the students the opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle, and helps prepare them
to face some real world problems. It also helps prevent children from becoming overweight and
obese, which is becoming a serious problem in todays society. This is why physical education is
so important to American culture today. Physical education helps the students develop real life
skills and it also prepares them to fight through adversity. Physical education provides a stress
reliever for students who under a lot of stress and just went to get away from everything. It also
is very helpful when it comes to mental and physical health. Obviously if you do some kind of
physical activities almost every day you wont be overweight or obese. As for the mental aspect
of it, it teaches you lifelong skills, leadership skills, how to get along with others, fighting
through adversity, and provides a stress reliever. It is really important that we promote
competitive support in schools. It is very important that we recognize that has to be underpinned

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by good quality physical education and by getting people into patterns of exercise. (Sebastian
Coe).

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Works Cited
The effect of budget cuts on Physical Education | SPARK PE. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/the-effect-of-budget-cuts-on-physical-education/
Datko, A. (2015, May 05). What Are the Benefits of Physical Education in School? Retrieved
from http://www.livestrong.com/article/529108-what-are-the-benefits-of-physical-education-inschool/
Food. (2006). A Lack of Physical Activity Causes Obesity. Retrieved from
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType
=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&displayquery=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&limiter=&u=lom_madonnaul&currPage
=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=
OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010432222
Psychological and Social Benefits of Playing True Sport. (2014). Retrieved from
http://truesport.org/resources/publications/reports/psychological-and-social-benefits-of-playingtrue-sport/
Benefits of Sports. (2016). Retrieved from
http://www.muhealth.org/services/pediatrics/conditions/adolescent-medicine/benefits-of-sports/
Why kids benefit from playing sports. (2010, September 22). Retrieved from
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/22/news/la-heb-kidsports-20100922
Benefits of team sports. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/wellbeing/fitness/benefits-of-team-sports

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The benefits of physical activity in schools. (2012). Retrieved from

http://peacefulplaygrounds.com/benefits-of-physical-activity-in-school/