I mean absolutely no disrespect to my daughter D-W

My kiddo is the type of person that challenges herself in her schooling, work and physical efforts. She goes way outside of her comfort zone to advance, but in a healthy way.

She was usually one of the slowest in PE and on the tennis courts. She started playing tennis around the age of 9 and played a day or two a week at the rec. center near us. Her coach there was one of the best coaches of youth I have ever been associated with....and I know many from my years coaching and with all my "kids" playing many organized sports year round.

I would watch younger kids run circles around her and cringe sometimes at her "misses".....but I always encouraged her...and to be honest made her cry sometimes with my frustrations of "helping" her...as I mentioned before...girls are not boys! ...especially when it comes to coaching

She was not quick enough or talented enough to play singles in high school tennis...here in southern California it is pretty competitive....but she was good enough to play doubles...where she only had to cover 1/2 the court. She learned the game...practiced her butt off and finished her senior year one of the top doubles teams in the county and was the Female Academic Athlete Of The Year ....a district with some schools of over 3,500 students.

She had no intention of playing tennis in college...however the coach needed 2 more players...he saw her playing with her roommate one day and asked her to try out...she did and made the team although didn't play very much as the other girls were far better than her...Division 1 level. She transferred to another school for personal reasons and made the team (her now husband played there) and became a 3 time All-Academic American for NAIA. Her team was in the Nationals every year and she won matches up to the quarter-finals a couple of years.

If there is such a person as one that "can't chew gum and walk" at the same time...my daughter would be her!

But she pushed herself to be the best that "she could be"...not the best..just her best.

I have seen many women here do that over the years! doing things they never dreamed possible...

One of the reasons I did those 5K's here....until the excitement wore off and no one signed up anymore

My daughter, one of the slowest in school, has run/walked many 5K's with me since she was about 12...and ran 16 miles the other day with her training team at under 10 minutes a mile She is still no speed demon...but she does...as she always has...make her daddy proud

loved your post! I don't have kids, but I get teary reading about parents who help their kids out by example with the eating and exercise. Dan with his daughter on the Biggest Loser, and Eric with his kids...forget it, pass the tissues.

I liked doing a 5K that you sponsored a while ago. I impressed bf with that, we walked all the way to downtown Brooklyn and back.

I totally get where you're coming from, Gary. Some folks are natural athletes and some have to work their tushes off for it.

My DD (17 yo) started running with me 4 years ago. We were trotting along at a 13 min/mile pace and she wanted to slow down and rest. She went out for XC and got lost the first day of practice cause she was so far behind. Other girls in her year have natural ability and were selected for Varsity. She worked her tail off and one of the best moments in my whole life was when she was so thrilled to be moved UP to the Junior Varsity squad. She spent 4 years working her tail off while other girls cruised along with natural talent. Well, her senior year her hard work paid off in droves. She was the #1 runner in her class, #2 on the team and her hard work finally made her faster than the girls with the natural talent. And she's the only girl in her class who is planning on running in college and will have a running scholarship. She had to work harder, so she did.

DD #2 is also not really a natural athlete. But she's landed on a great volleyball team with awesome coaches and she's having so much fun. And because she is having fun, she WANTS to go to the practices and games and her skills are improving so much. She has to work harder than some of the other girls on the team, and she is improving every single week.

Some folks have natural talent, some have work ethics, some lucky folks have both. My girls are hard workers, but hard work WORKS!

My girls are athletes. And so am I! It's never too late to bring out your inner athlete!

I used to dread PE!!! I was regularly teased and ridiculed on team sports days. I did everything in my power to get out of that class. I faked illnesses and injuries....whatever. But I loved dancing days and weight lifting days and, basically, any day where you could compete against yourself and not have other people focused on how you are doing.

I feel that team sports should be an elective thing. But I am fine with having a PE program where children work on their fitness in a less organized, more individualized way.

I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated!!!!!! PE in school. Since I was in kindergarten! HATED it!!!! Doing sit ups on those hard floors hurt my back, I was never as fast as the other kids (count me in with the generation raised by TV), and all of the activities were based on stuff the BOYS liked. I can't count how many times I either got hit in the head with a kickball, or was the first one out in dodgeball, with huge bruises - or had to play baseball and was expected to know the rules when I'd never even seen the sport before (while being yelled at all the while)- just ridiculous. It was awful. AND for whatever it's worth, I went to 12 different schools in MANY different states by 9th grade. So I had a fair share of PE diversity but it was all the same. Aw-ful.


I propose that instead of a mandatory lame awful ridiculous PE class for everyone, there are smaller classes that kids can sign up for - if there are 3 gym teachers, have one that does kickball all semester, have another that does dance or yoga or something, and then one that focuses on the situps/running/old school gym stuff. Or any variation like that. It can't get a whole lot worse, so it's time to try and make it better! *grumblegrumbleHATEPEgrumblegrumble*

ho boy, I still cringe when I'm in the park and a ball comes too near me

I'm a ball magnet!! We had to run/walk around the football field in Jr. high one time and someone KICKED a football & boinked me in the head! Ouch!

Once I was simultaneously hit by TWO balls...a football on top of the head and a basketball under the chin. I stayed away from the four-square blocks after that...

I really am not too aware of what the schools do now for PE...if they have PE. My kids were in athletic PE all through high school so it was different....they just practiced for their seasonal sports. In middle school they had a recess, organized PE and after school sports...all coed for their grade level.

I know there is a school, elementary, near us where teachers....on their own time...get to school an hour early...give up their own prep time...and stay after an hour...so kids can come and do laps. The kids can walk/run/jog by themselves or in groups just yaking away if they wish...for each lap they get a ticket...tickets add up to those cheapo prizes kids love....last I read there was over 70% participation ...I will say it took a lot of tickets to get a prize

I am not well aware of the wii/play staion games and such...no kids here to play...but I do know there are a lot of interacting games with movement involved....is that the "future" of PE in the schools maybe?

Any thoughts on that?....

Ok, you win

I'm a substitute teacher so I've got a decent idea of how often kids get PE these days. I've been to one elementary school that has PE every day, one that has it twice a week, and the rest have PE just once a week. Most middle schools require students to have 1 quarter (9 weeks) of PE a year, some students will get 2 (connections/specials are usually assigned by computer). And high schools require one semester (usually 9th grade) of PE out of all four years!

Recess pretty much only happens in elementary school and it's dwindled down to nothing (5 min, 10 if they're lucky). It's more like a breath of fresh air than a chance to exercise.

I agree! that's pretty good.

I just find this so sad



When I was in 5th or 6th grade I couldn't wait to get out to recess or lunch. I had a friend, Freddie, and we had a on-going game of basketball. He was Bill Russell of the Celtics and I was Wilt Chamberlain of the then Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors. We kept a running score...

it was basically a game of HORSE...

Freddie couldn't run too well...but he always gave it a go....but for the sake of fun we just tried to match each other's shots....

Of course we were a bit limited to shots too...

Freddie had to brace himself on his crutch...

I took it a little easy on him in basketball....I think he still beat me most of the time!

but not in tether ball....the kid was amazing at that game!

Not sure what happened to Freddie, we moved after 6th grade, but sometimes I wonder, when I see kids that are so unhealthy at that age, if guys like Freddie would be overweight if they were in today's schools....

of course with today's technology he may not even be on crutches...

we make progress...we fall back....