my son fractured both bones in his lower leg while in gym class last year. He wasnt even taken to the nurse!! After getting home and telling me what happened, he got kicked while playing soccer, I looked at his leg. We decided to take him to the ER and sure enough, two fractured bones!!!! They werent severe enough for a cast or anything, but he did have to wear a walking cast for 6 weeks! Thank you school!

Given how fat this current generation of children is, I doubt that "an increase focus on physical education" is the cause of injuries. I'd cite it more as a result of kids not getting exercise in their off time, and as a result their bones and muscles are poorly formed for when any physical demand is placed on them. Kids used to climb trees, run, play sports, and be active. Now they just sit at home, play video games, and stuff their faces. And their parents tend to be horrible role models in this regard.

Did anyone ever think that because they don't exercise anywhere else but gym class these days that this may be why they are getting hurt. They don't know how to do things properly or their muscle tone and strength is so week from lack of physical activity.

I agree with Ruth. Many kids are just plain lazy. All they want to do is eat fast food and play video games. They are out of shape and over-weight. If you look at the parent, that's what the kid will look in in 15 or 20 years because many parents are lazy too. Get off the couch and walk or do something. I walk 3 miles every morning at 5:45am and then go to work. Put that burger down and do some push-ups and PE Class won't be so hard.

I worked in a school for years and I can tell you from 1st hand experience that kids these days are the worst behaved kids ever. In PE they spend more time trying to out dance or jump over eachother rather than following the directed class activity. Your kids are geting hurt because they are not following instruction and keeping on task.... parents look at yourselves not the schools.

I agree with the last two posters. Children these days need to drop the fork and step away from the table. Get a more active life and leave the Nintendo Wii games alone! When your teenage boy weighs about 700lbs., something is definitely wrong. Parents aren't helping the situation by catering to their every whim as far as feeding them. Then the folks get pissed off at the kids, like it's all their fault.

I had gym the whole semester of seventh grade I think I'm more active!!!

BLAME THE PARENTS! I work in a school system and these kids are so lazy. What do they do all summer? Stay inside and play video games, computer, hand held games... We can't even get a kindergardener to run around a gym for 3 minutes. How sad is that!! Parents need to step up and stop being so lazy themselves.. get the kids outside and do activities with them!

From what I've seen (having worked in a school and having three school-aged children, myself), there seems to be two main reasons kids are getting hurt in PE class.

One, they are not physically coordinated and are not used to the physical demands that movement requires. This means they will be hurt more by tripping, falling, and making skill mistakes (e.g. -- accidentally kicking the ground while trying to kick a soccer ball). Being less fit also means that a simple running fall may cause more injury than to a child who is more fit.

Two, many of the PE classes are now taught by regular classroom teachers who have no training in Physical Education. Degreed PE teachers are knowledgeable in safely teaching skill progressions and in injury prevention. It's pretty difficult to get hurt doing math, but very easy to get injured exercising with weights, for example.

Mike -- a former PE teacher and casualty of staff cuts

All of you have made a great argument. I believe it starts with the parents, both the laziness and the disbehavior. I believe that parents are so afriad to displine thier children for fear of someone callin Defacs or the police even though they havnt done anything wrong except discipline thier child. Children have lost respect for thier elders. Teachers hands are tied. We need teachers to enforce the rules and let the children know, you will flunk this class if you fail to pay attention and follow the rules and daily activities given. Now someone will say thats not fair. It was fair in the past and its what is expected of the teachers. Some will say my child shouldnt have to do what they dont want to do. These are the people that could care less what happens to thier children. Thier children become spoiled and then turn on the parents and the parents blame the system. Then you have parents that just dont care. The goverment wont set up a checks and balances system to help the children and parents of our country. They claim they have to much to do now, but usually two or three days a week after working only a couple hours they go home or play golf. Lets face it, these issues are far from over and theres a lot more involved then just any ony thing. We all need to step up to the plate to changr the ways we have set in this country.

When I was a kid, my parents told me that video games would rot my brain....however, those kids who were free to play those games on a regular basis grew up and designed todays billion dollar games! And they make a lot more money doing so than they would have doing something else. BTW, Stacey, its funny you would critique computer use while you fill your comfy office chair typing comments on your computer. How sad is THAT? YOU'RE the type of person in control of my kid at school, and you cast stones at me and other parents?!?! NO MORE RAISES FOR YOU PEOPLE.

kids today are pansies.

hmn. sure there's a point, but
one thing is: which grade are these injured kids in? we tend to get more active in middle and high school on teams and then in P.E. but accidents happen no matter where you are... P.E. happens to be becoming more demanding (I think).

Vahn made a reference to the kids that played computer games growing up to design computer programs and become millionaires. Thats the same argument for inner city kids playing basketball "you might make it to the NBA!". The truth is that 99.99% of the kids playing these games (and yes I include myself in that number) will never benefit in any way financially from the experience. In any case the two activities are not mutually exclusive. You can play video games and still lead an active lifestyle. Parents just need to not let their kids "Veg-out" in front of the TV or computer for hours on end. Its just bad (or has been stated lazy) parenting.

Seriously Ruth. Your kid is a clutz or there is another issue. Quit blaming the schools for everything. It is so far out of hand it is crazy. Kids can no longer RUN on the playground because of people like you! Our kids are getting fatter and fatter because all they can do is sit in a corner so that they do not hurt your child. Why don't you teach your child some skill? Maybe then he would not be kicked with the soccer ball, however even the pro's get hit. Cowboy up it is life!

if you take away the video games,the computers and the tv.....who is going towatch and raise the children.....

next your going to want parents to actually raise thier own children....

Kids are getting hurt because they're all overweight! They should be outside playing all day and staying active instead of sitting on the couch playing video games. And you stupid Parents who blame the system/school, why don't you look at yourselves and think about the fatty, low-key, unmotivated lifestyles you're setting for your fat kids! They would decrease their chance of getting hurt of they got off their butts once in a while if they got involved in some physical activity! They more they work out, the more muscle they build, and the more their bones become more dense!!!!!! THINK ABOUT IT!!!!! It will also decrease their chance of getting diabetes! Use your heads......

The increasing trend of injuries in gym class is directly related to the increasing trend of our youth’s nutrition and exercise habits. Over the past ten years, America's youth have become more and more lethargic, obese, and mal-nourished. A sizeable percentage of kids these days are less active, however consume the same number of calories as there more active counterparts. They are ingesting more and more fat and sugar and less essential vitamins and minerals that support healthy bodily function, which is most likely the case for the kid with two fractured bones. Bones are incredibly hard to break by kicking, unless they are already in a weakened state. This is where parents have to start taking a more active role in monitoring what their children put into their mouth and how much time they get exercising OUTSIDE of gym class. Kids aren’t the only generation getting larger. Maybe if parents actually spent some time everyday with there kids participating in a physical activity after work and school, we’d be killing a lot more than two birds with one stone.

Children are not as active as they used to be. They spend too mch time watching T.V., texting and playing video games. Along with a diet consisting of eating fast food, how can they be in good physical condition.

my son broke his wrist in gym class in 8th grade. He is tall and thin and IS NOT LAZY. The teacher was not in the room at the time and had the kids running backward. Another child was goofing around and cut him off and he fell. The teacher wrote on the incident report that he used improper technique.

OK Well the way I see it is that it is a double sided problem and the blame resides on everyone. Parents are not setting proper role models for our children and in doing so are allowing them to become obese. Society is requiring for the majority of parents to work long hours so that they can make ends meet in doing so parents are limited in the opportunities to be stay at home moms and dads which in turn is enambling them to need to children to find indoor actities to occupy their young minds. Very few of us live in areas that do not require adult supervision when the children are playing outside. When I was young we could go outside and disappear in the woods for hours so long as we were in by dark. Now that would be called neglect and the police would be arresting the parents. Also the schools are to blame as they are not staffing the teaching positions properly. And our government also plays a harsh role in the blame as they are putting strong PE requirements on the schools to combat the obesity problem we are beginning to see. I took my 12 year old daughter for a physical last month and was told she needed to go for a cholesterol screening, which I thought was completely absurd since my daughter is 5'2" and is barely 90 pounds. She has no excess body fat and is clearly not a risk but due to the increasing obesity problems in the country my pediatrician is sending all her kids for the test. We are all to blame and need look at all the factors involved from the bottom up. But the key to stop the problem is to first admit their is a problem at home and then look to fix the problems outside the home.

You tell 'em, coach. I was just down the hall from you in an English classroom they limped to after complaining about moderate physical exercise. I helped you out by making them take time to stand up and do stretches. I would also be glad to proofread for you, since I have so many great coach friends who cannot spell! Between spelling errors and ninth graders who cannot fit their 300lb bodies in a desk I'll mispell nything!No one blames the parents because we have public schools teachers to curse at, spit at, and call foul names. Who thought that three or four degrees would make you the punching bag for every failing, fat parent. Our public schools should have very narrow doors with signs that say, "IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN, YOU'RE TOO FAT FOR THIS RIDE!"

I am a Physical Education Teacher. Part of the reason is that kids are by and large out of shape due to in active lifestyles and coupled with that schools are increasing class sizes. A teacher may have 50 or more kids in their class. Safety should be number 1 at all times but with numbers like that it is difficult at best to insure that no one gets hurt. Many states also do not require teachers to be certified in PE to teach it. A regular classroom teacher qualifies to teach it but not the flip side. PE is much more than playing games and bouncing balls. In todays climate the need for Quality programs is great. I hope this study will open some eyes and bring some needed change.

Maybe if kids got more activity on a regular basis they wouldn't get hurt when they do participate. Kids are overweight and lazy these days. We need to turn off the TVs, computers, and video games and get them outside more.

Parents
It is MORE ACTIVITY NEEDED not less..!!! Our kids are fat, out of shape, bUT facebook savy. As a retired Physical Education teacher with 35 years experience I can tell you that the kids are same as they have always been for 100 years..IT IS THE PARENTS THAT ARE DIFFERENT The
KIDS just need for their parents to shape up, get the picture, don't stop at McDonald land and skip by the snack aisle at the grocery store. Your kid is FAT and therefore prone to injury.....WAKE UP PARENTS........!!!!!!!!

Yes a lot of children are getting more overweight however the blame should not be placed just on the parents. Many kids like to goof off, not follow directions and can end up hurting others. Some accidents were just that, and accident that happened and resulted in an injury. There are still many active kids and since PE is required through High School, those who are overweight have the chance to become fit.

Side Note: It isn't just kids who are lazy and overweight. Parents take a look at yourselfs too. Are you a good role model or not. Are you lazy and your child is just doing what mom/dad do?

Yes a lot of children are getting more overweight however the blame should not be placed just on the parents. Many kids like to goof off, not follow directions and can end up hurting others. Some accidents were just that, an accident that happened and resulted in an injury. There are still many active kids and since PE is required through High School, those who are overweight have the chance to become fit.

Side Note: It isn't just kids who are lazy and overweight. Parents take a look at yourselfs too. Are you a good role model or not. Are you lazy and your child is just doing what mom/dad do?

Yes a lot of children are getting more overweight however the blame should not be placed just on the parents. Many kids like to goof off, not follow directions and can end up hurting others. Some accidents were just that, an accident that happened and resulted in an injury. There are still many active kids and since PE is required through High School, those who are overweight have the chance to become fit.

Side Note: It isn't just kids who are lazy and overweight. Parents take a look at yourselfs too. Are you a good role model or not. Are you lazy and your child is just doing what mom/dad do?

GIVE ME A BREAK:

MORE KIDS TODAY THAN TEN YEARS AGO = MORE KIDS HURT IN GYM CLASS TODAY THAN TEN YEARS AGO

Seriously....people want to complain about physical eduction when they feed their children brownies, cookies, ice cream and all other kinds of unhealthy foods. Why is U.S. the fattest country in the world? If the parents aren't going to be physically active with their children, the schools have to do it. Quit complaining about physical eduction when your kids are fat. They need EXERCISE!!!!!

Seriously....people want to complain about physical eduction when they feed their children brownies, cookies, ice cream and all other kinds of unhealthy foods. Why is U.S. the fattest country in the world? If the parents aren't going to be physically active with their children, the schools have to do it. Quit complaining about physical education when your kids are fat. They need EXERCISE!!!!!

My son was hurt in weight training class even though this was the third such class he had been in at high school. The p.e. coach told the class that everyone would do push ups if they were found not putting enough weight on their bars. This was the second day of class after being out of school for the summer. My son was deydrated from being outside pushing a lawn mower in the hot summer heat days before this. This landed my son in the hospital. I blame the school p.e. coach for not watching these young teens knowing they have just returned to school from summer break. My son is lean and strong but schools should have trained people who know the dangers of physical training.

as a 61 year old granny, i see right and wrong in all the comments above. too much blame is cast. there is a problem and it needs to be fixed. i come from an era where i ran the woods and came in when it was dark. i played outside. there were no video games or computer.. BUT, the world has changed and i think i have hit a happy medium with my grandchildren that i am helping to raise.
this works for us, though not the answer for every family as we live out in the country. there are three young children in my home, ages 5-9. we live in central texas where temperatures do not allow children to be outside all day long. we hit a happy medium of playing outside in the cooler hours of the morning, in for the afternoon for games, tv or whatever, then back outside in the later afternoon for bikes or hiking our own trails when it is cooler. the children have a few junk snacks, but they are limited. we keep plenty of fruit for them and juices with cokes and such as a treat. i prepare well planned meals with an odd day of hot dogs and hamburgers only once per week. all three children are slender, active and healthy and they are keeping up with what the other children do as well. there is always a happy medium to compromise with technology and todays world. i think we have done a marvelous job in finding that happy medium and we have happy, active children. stop casting blame and find what works for your own family and get with the program. the girls are also very very active in dance class. this in itself beats any PE program any school i have ever seen offers.

You know what? You people are stereotyping. Not all kids are lazy and overweight. Plus everyone has fast food evey once in a while. Kids play in gym class so they're going to get hurt every so often. At 13 to 15 or 16 kids are klutzes. And let me tell you something else... not all parents aren't active with their kids. My parents take me and my sister somewhere almost every weekend. They take us to places like the museums in D.C., and Williamsburg, and even amusement parks sometimes. The U.S. is not the fattest country in the world either. Look it up! We are number 9 on that list. I'm not saying to do away with the gym class program i'm just saying to stop stereotyping. Not all kids are lazy and fat and not all parents ignore their kids.

First off, kids aren't taken to the nurse unless they've dropped dead or are severly bleeding. If your kid gets hurt in gym, they themselves have to go the the nurse on their own volition.

I was very active as a child. Rode my bike for miles on the weekend, played allot with my cousins (who fortunately lived next door) and my friends. I always loved playing baseball and soccer when ever I could and was involved in non-school related sporting organizations to that end. I was still chubby/fat. I have been “fat” as far back as I can remember. I love my fruits and veggies and love to cook my own food and am active, but am still "fat". I don't think lack of activity is the ONLY thing leading to the weight issue, though I know it does/can for many.

The only activities I remember doing in middle school that could result in serious injury was soccer and flag football. I didn’t get hurt playing those activities and don’t remember hearing about anyone getting hurt either. I did however manage to hurt myself several times between the showers and waiting for the bell for next period. I had many “Hey guys watch this!” incidents. I wonder how much of that plays into this study. Also I’ve noticed that kids have become much more competitive and aggressive when playing sports. This may also be a factor.

I think I have to agree with both parts.

For one, kids these days are less active than they used to be, that is for sure. Typing on a computer or pushing buttons on a video game console does not equate the reccomended minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day to stay healthy. A lot of children seem to think that a 'nutritious breakfast' is a bottomless bowl of sugary breakfast cereals, carbohydrate-loaded and nutritionally stripped baked goods with a 'healthy' dose of sugar piled on top. Trix cereal HAS to be healthy, because there's a picture of a fruit right on the box! Twelve Vitamins and minerals? Well, I can eat this and eat crap the rest of the day. I walked down to the fridge to get some ice cream -that's my cardio, I opened the door and pulled the ice cream out of the freezer - my upper body exercise, I lowered myself back down onto the couch - lower body exercise. Tada! Unfortunately, this seems to be how a lot of children are raised to think is healthy.

Then again, the article does make a point. While kids where a lot more active, say, 10 years ago or so, so where physical education teachers. The sterotype of the 'fat, lazy androgynous woman' of a P.E teacher still is a frequent sight in any grade or education level children these days go through. Seems to me like a teacher like this telling kids how to 'be healthy' and if they are injured to 'just walk it off' is in a way, like calling the kettle black.

There is no certifiable degree to become a physical education teacher. A lot of these instructors cannot tell the difference from a quadricep from a duck's quack without consulting some government issued book.

Don't specifically blame kids, and don't specifically blame the teachers or school either, Each share the blame.

Has anyone considered that most gyms are built as multipurpose rooms, not gyms. The floor surfaces and underlay are unsafe. Also, many PE teachers are overweight,so are not appropriate role models. Teachers don't like to be criticized, but face it, staff rooms are filled with unhealthy treats. I know, I'm a teacher!

My daughter had to have reconstruction surgery on her foot during the summer of 2007. She returned to school and dispite a note from the doctor she was ordered to attend and participate in gym class. The teacher argued that since her injury was not all that visible, her limitations couldn't be that bad. This summer she has had to undergo reconstructive surgery again to repair the damage that was done to her foot last year in gym class. Thanks to an under trained teacher who felt he knew better than the specialized physician who operated on her, my daughter was bed ridden all summer again. So don't tell me the fault lies with the kids and their parents!!!!

All I can say is that like any sport or exercise kids get hurt. It don't matter if they are fat or skinny. Did all thae kids that has gatten hurt in p.e class fat? No, cause my daughter is super sporty and in great shape. She has come home with broken finger, sprain ankles. Lets stop blaming people and lets do our best to help our kids.

I think that the blame can be passed around to everyone. I think the fact that children no longer have recess is part of the problem. In our school district recess is optional (even in second grade). There isn't a scheduled recess in the day. It is up to the teacher and the office. (We have a couple of recess passes in our building and it is first come, first serve.) In addition, some kids do spend too much time eating and sitting in front of a computer,t.v, etc... However some children are very active. They play sports on organized teams, ride bikes, and play outside with their friends. Finally some gym teachers teach things that are dangerous. For example, gymnastics.

Actually, a kid at my school busted her head open during gym. A metal soccer goal fell on her, you could see her skull and everything. It's true she was messing around with it, and that's why it flipped, but it was still shocking. There was a lot of blood, and a helicopter had to take her to the hospital.
Well, accidents happen.

I have two children in grade school. Both of my kids are active and in good shape. But for some reason when they do get hurt at school i can't get a phone I picked my 6 year old daughter up from school last year and saw that she had a black eye (that she didn't have when Idropped her off that morning) and when I asked her about it she told me that a boy hit her and that her teacher was not outside watching her. Where was she? I went to school the next day and spoke with the vice principal and asked why my daughter was not seen my the school nurse and why had no called me. They had no response to any of this. Some parents are to blame but so are some teachers. I have seen how some parents act and how some teachers act and I don't blame one or the other. We all have to work hard so that our children are healthy. I keep in contact with my kids teachers and they know if one of my kids misbehaves all they have to do is let me know and i will address the problem and my kids know the right from wrong. But i have a problem when the teacher can call me when my child is being bad but not when they are hurt. No one wins when they kids are still being hurt.

to TK, how would it be the P.E. teachers fault if your son got dehydrated days before school started, and then went to workout in his P.E. class? I would think that after being in the E.R. they would have given him fluids to get him hydrated again. I would also suspect that he would be fine by the time school started.

Parents need to start taking more responsibility for their own children. Stop putting the blame on others for your child being overweight. Where do your kids get the majority of their meals from? That would be from you. Not the school. It's not the schools obligation, nor the teachers, to make sure that your children don't sit in front of the television or computer and get fat. That comes down to the parent. Send your kids outside, let them run around and get dirty... that's what being a kid is about. Not being the child who is pale come the end of summer because he had to beat Final Fantasy 7 for the 9th time..

for you guys that are saying kids are lazy, it is not their fault. i am a 15 year old girl still taking pe last year alone in my pe class of about 22 students there was 2 broken ankles, a broken arm, numerous strains, and sprains. the pe activities were not difficult they were just dangerous, i.e. playing lacross with out proper equipment, soccer without shingaurds, softball and baseball with out batting helmets.

i myself sprained my ankle and injured my wrist to were my cartilage split, in pe

no one in my p.e. class was over weight we were all in a healthy range, all doing sports and were physically active yet we still kept getting hurt.

as high school student I feel stereotyping us is not the answer. The best tack runner at my school
is an xbox junky. The problem is no the computer or video games its eating habits like to much fast and processed foods and worst of all pop. I never liked pop but it grosses my out when kids at my school drink it seven in the morning. Also as a note I have alway been healthy and skinny and in in first grade I broke my right wrist falling off the monkey bars 10 yrs ago I told the nurse it was broken and she gave me ice pack and told me I was over reacting because I would be cry if it was broken well it was broken and I wasn't crying and and thank god I was left handed because I spent the rest of the day at school doing spelling but just to make that day worse the teacher made me get rid of the ice pack becuse it was dripping on my paper good thing my parent took me to the ER after I got off the bus.

my grandaughter sprained her ankle at home, took a note to school and the p.e. teacher still made her run and do jumping jacks. Well she injured herself further, the small bone in back of her ankle fractured and she had to wear a boot for the rest of the school year.

I remeber in High school that you had to participate and behave or you would visit the principles office and then your parents notified. Well, now a days, kids aren't scared of getting in trouble, the love it and the more trouble they are in the "coller" they are. Also, I do agree that if it wasn't for the gamers, some would not have good jobs and skills but, they also have to have a good sense to get off the lazy arses and play real physical games. Yes, fast food is bad but every once in a while it ok. Also, desserts is bad but like I said every once in a while. Parents need to step up and teach their kids how to be healthy from eating to physical activities and have good sense of respect and morale. Teach right from wrong and let themknow that if the misbehave, yup, you are in trouble. Follow the rules and listen and participate when you have to and be careful. Kids will goof around, but that is what almost every kids has done @ least once. Schools need to make sure they have the right teachers teaching the right class. We need to work hand in hand and figure out what is the right way of doing things again. Also, kids will get hurt no matte what, they are still learning about their bodies, what they can do and how far they can push themselves. SOmetimes it is to far others because they aren't used to using a particular muscle or whatever. But it does start from home.

I an an 8th grader and this report is very true! Many of my friends got hurt in PE. One of my friends dislocated her sholder numerous times and her knee once as well. Kids are very rough in gym because the are all about being competitive. Also
I think having kids play the Nintendo Wii is a great idea because every kid loves the Wii and it's a fun and safe way to exercise. I agree with others that the gym teachers aren't such good models as well. And you know what, why is everyone worrying about the over weight kids they obviously don't care if they're over weight. It's they're problem not yours. The kids that are in shape shouldn't have to participate in all of the games. It's not fair to the others who are in shape. Also, I think it is VERY unfair that kids are graded on their physical fitness scores. For instance the catagories are- the mile, the stretch and reach, push ups, and pull ups. Some kids aren't good at those things and just because they aren't, and they don't do good on it they get a bad grade. For example I'm not good and the stretch and reach (you have to fold one leg in and put the other straight out against a a box, but the box is missing one end so you basically put your foot in box while your sitting down. Then you put one hand on top of the other. The top of the box is labeled by centimeters. You have to put your hands out and stretch then the take down the # where the end of your hand touchs if it doesn't pass the number physical fitness number you fail the part of the physical fitness test. And in order to get your reward for passing the physical fitness test you MUST pass every catorgory. So, I never pass. I think having the Wii in gym class would be the best!!! Because to tell the truth I hate gym because we never do anything fun, but this would be VERY fun!

I an an 8th grader and this report is very true! Many of my friends got hurt in PE. One of my friends dislocated her sholder numerous times and her knee once as well. Kids are very rough in gym because the are all about being competitive. Also
I think having kids play the Nintendo Wii is a great idea because every kid loves the Wii and it's a fun and safe way to exercise. I agree with others that the gym teachers aren't such good models as well. And you know what, why is everyone worrying about the over weight kids they obviously don't care if they're over weight. It's they're problem not yours. The kids that are in shape shouldn't have to participate in all of the games. It's not fair to the others who are in shape. Also, I think it is VERY unfair that kids are graded on their physical fitness scores. For instance the catagories are- the mile, the stretch and reach, push ups, and pull ups. Some kids aren't good at those things and just because they aren't, and they don't do good on it they get a bad grade. For example I'm not good and the stretch and reach (you have to fold one leg in and put the other straight out against a a box, but the box is missing one end so you basically put your foot in box while your sitting down. Then you put one hand on top of the other. The top of the box is labeled by centimeters. You have to put your hands out and stretch then the take down the # where the end of your hand touchs if it doesn't pass the number physical fitness number you fail the part of the physical fitness test. And in order to get your reward for passing the physical fitness test you MUST pass every catorgory. So, I never pass.) I think having the Wii in gym class would be the best!!! Because to tell the truth I hate gym because we never do anything fun, but this would be VERY fun!

I an an 8th grader and this report is very true! Many of my friends got hurt in PE. One of my friends dislocated her sholder numerous times and her knee once as well. Kids are very rough in gym because the are all about being competitive. Also
I think having kids play the Nintendo Wii is a great idea because every kid loves the Wii and it's a fun and safe way to exercise. I agree with others that the gym teachers aren't such good models as well. And you know what, why is everyone worrying about the over weight kids they obviously don't care if they're over weight. It's they're problem not yours. The kids that are in shape shouldn't have to participate in all of the games. It's not fair to the others who are in shape. Also, I think it is VERY unfair that kids are graded on their physical fitness scores. For instance the catagories are- the mile, the stretch and reach, push ups, and pull ups. Some kids aren't good at those things and just because they aren't, and they don't do good on it they get a bad grade. For example I'm not good and the stretch and reach (you have to fold one leg in and put the other straight out against a a box, but the box is missing one end so you basically put your foot in box while your sitting down. Then you put one hand on top of the other. The top of the box is labeled by centimeters. You have to put your hands out and stretch then the take down the # where the end of your hand touchs if it doesn't pass the number physical fitness number you fail the part of the physical fitness test. And in order to get your reward for passing the physical fitness test you MUST pass every catorgory. So, I never pass.) I think having the Wii in gym class would be the best!!! Because to tell the truth I hate gym because we never do anything fun, but this would be VERY fun!

I an an 8th grader and this report is very true! Many of my friends got hurt in PE. One of my friends dislocated her sholder numerous times and her knee once as well. Kids are very rough in gym because the are all about being competitive. Also
I think having kids play the Nintendo Wii is a great idea because every kid loves the Wii and it's a fun and safe way to exercise. I agree with others that the gym teachers aren't such good models as well. And you know what, why is everyone worrying about the over weight kids they obviously don't care if they're over weight. It's they're problem not yours. The kids that are in shape shouldn't have to participate in all of the games. It's not fair to the others who are in shape. Also, I think it is VERY unfair that kids are graded on their physical fitness scores. For instance the catagories are- the mile, the stretch and reach, push ups, and pull ups. Some kids aren't good at those things and just because they aren't, and they don't do good on it they get a bad grade. For example I'm not good and the stretch and reach (you have to fold one leg in and put the other straight out against a a box, but the box is missing one end so you basically put your foot in box while your sitting down. Then you put one hand on top of the other. The top of the box is labeled by centimeters. You have to put your hands out and stretch then the take down the # where the end of your hand touchs if it doesn't pass the number physical fitness number you fail the part of the physical fitness test. And in order to get your reward for passing the physical fitness test you MUST pass every catorgory. So, I never pass.) I think having the Wii in gym class would be the best!!! Because to tell the truth I hate gym because we never do anything fun, but this would be VERY fun!

i think that its the parents to blame and not the school system. when i was a kid (not that long ago, im 17 now) i was outside all the time climbin trees, walkin through town with my friends or just sittin in the back yard, the only restrictions i had was that i couldnt get into any trouble, i had to eat lunch and supper (either at my house or one of my friends houses), and that i had to be walking through the door no later than an hour after dark, and if i got in trouble the punishment was not seeing my friends and to be inside all day. and at school, if we fell and scraped our knees or somthin we got up rubbed the blood off and kept playin, of course the teacher would ask if we wanted to go to the nurse, we would always say no. my half-brother who is just 10 years younger sits in front of the tv all day, gets on the computer when his parents get home from work (they watch tv when they get home). he thinks that goin outside is punishment. the difference between us is our upbringing (namely our moms). my mom was constanly worried about me but trusted my not to get "seriously" injured, his mom on the other hand wont let him go outside by himself, and he has to stay in the yard when he does go outside. when i was his age i could go all over town. as for the school system being part of it, they are to an extint but by the parents hand.

You people are clueless. Put down your cell phone so you can think. Have any of you ever been to school with you kids. I have four kids in elementary school and one in college. Only one has a weight problem. Our elementary schools have only one 15 minute recess and PE two days a week. The most exercise that they get each day is walking to and from the lunch room. There are 20 or fewer kids in each class, with a teacher and a parapro. There are easliy 10 computers per class. Teachers these days no longer teach classes...they execute programs. How frustrating this must be for the really good and dedicated teachers that are not allowed to do what only they can do best. PE does not compute. By the way coach, you were a C- student weren't you?

I am in high school right now and some of you people need to shut your mouths. First of, the stupid moron that said the children in this generation are fat, excuse me , i weigh 115 pounds and im 5'4'. Im deffinitely now overweight or "fat". I live in Florida and in my whole class of 115 kids, only 4 are "fat." I'm not the most athletic person and the coaches yell at us in P.E. if we mess up in volleyball or soccer. Not all people are meant to play sports. And whoever said "we cant get a kindergardener to run for 3 minutes around the gym." I don't know what school system you're working in but I can tell you right now, five year olds are very hyper, so don't sit here and tell me you can't get the kid too run. I doubt thats the problem.

not*

IM A KID AND THEY TREAT US SO BADLY AT MY OLD SCHOOL. ALOT OF MY FRIENDS AND INCLUDING ME HAVE GOTTEN HURT LIKE 4 TIMES ATLEAST THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SCHOOL YEAR AND THE GYM TEACHERS JUST DONT SEAM TO CARE. WHEN SOMEONE HITS OR KICKS SOMEONE THE GYM TEACHERS REALLY DONT WANT TO BE BOTHERED WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF KIDS TATTLE TELLING ON OTHERS.....IT SEEMS LIKE THE OLDER WE GET THE LESS THEY CARE...... WE ONLY HAVE 1 NURSE WHOS BARELY AT THE SCHOOL AND WE USE TO DIDNT HAVE A NURSE...........I BLAME THE GYM COACHES FOR NOT CARING ABOUT INJURIES OR HOW WE ARE TREATED....

i am in high school right now. when i was in PE (not anymore because i have all the credits i need for that class) i loved it, sure it was tiring and we got hurt, we've always got hurt, its what kids do. as for replacing gym with a wii, no, thats completely stupid. ive played a wii, entertaining, yes, but not a substitute for actual excersize. after all the times ive played the wii (bowling, running, stuff like that) i was craving to be outside doing that stuff, not inside watching it on tv. its alot better to be running down the street with a friend or 2 than being inside, running in place where it feels akward (and it does feel akward to run in place). i myself dont own one, but my cousin does and the only reason i play it is for the yoga and the stuff that i cant do outside (such as skiing) if kids play on the wii in gym, they probly wont get to know what it really feels like after exerting yourself by running up a hill, feeling the wind, the sights, the smells. all they'll see is a simulated image, smelling sweat from a gym or a regular class room, and not really getting the full experience of it.

to john - when u found out that your daughter was being forced to participate in gym you should of gone to the school talked to the gym teacher himself (herself) or the principle or even the super intendent. dont blame the gym teacher because students right fake notes from "the doctor" all the time, i even did it, and i wrote a few dozen for my friends as well! its not that uncommon. and most gym teachers say that if there's no visible sign (cast, brace, ect...) then they should and can participate. and if she was still forced to she could always just sit in the office

I love the comments from school staff....always blaming parents. Of course its not the teachers fault who is not paying attention to the class, allowing bullies to push and kick other kids because they think its funny and they know they can get by with it. Oh by the way, most of the bullies are children of teachers, shcool admininstrators, and shcool board members. Love it when a bully says "you can't touch me....my mom is a teacher"

THANK YOU BETHANY!!! There was nothing in this article saying that more FAT kids are getting hurt in gym class just that more kids are PERIOD. Bethany hit it right on the head...not all kids that get hurt are fat or inactive or unhealthy. Reading these blogs makes it clear why the world is sooooo frickin negative these days. There always has to be some deep dark underlying issue. This was a very simple article noting a statistic. Now everyone should step away from the computer and got eat a gallon of Ben and Jerry's with your kids which is what all we awful parents apparently do these days. Pathetic!

Gym is not a priority anymore. Our school system shares a gym teacher so they don't get as much exercise as we did as a kid. If a kid gets hurt they worry about being sued. Nobody wants to be blamed. And please, if you don't have children, don't point fingers and pretend you have answers.

Gym is not a priority anymore. Our school system shares a gym teacher so they don't get as much exercise as we did as a kid. If a kid gets hurt they worry about being sued. Nobody wants to be blamed. And please, if you don't have children, don't point fingers and pretend you have answers.

My son who was very athletic was injured in gym class playing some strange game the teacher came up with he was in 10th grade there was a capped pipe of some type sticking out of the wall he ran into it full force he was taken to the ER where we found out that he had tore his liver he had hit that pipe so hard in that case there was a lack of supervision and thinking about could a kid get hurt doing this. I dont think that it's because our kids are lazy in most cases I think that there is a genral idea that its just gym class who cares think about it would you rather have your kid flunk math class or gym class?

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You all make very valid arguments. I think so of you are way to judgemental about eachother's comments; if you dont know eachother then you dont know who to blame.

You all make very valid arguments. I think so of you are way to judgemental about eachother's comments; if you dont know eachother then you dont know who to blame. First many children are overweight because of parents overlooking the importance for exercise and because they dont lead by example. THIS DOES NOT MAKE SOMEONE A BAD PARENT, it simply means they need to pay more attention to THAT PARTICULAR PART of a child's wellbeing. Also, school lunch contains ALOT of calories. If you have ever seen the movie Supersize Me, you'll see for yourself-school lunch, although it is not typical fast food, is even more fattening. So if you dont pack your child's lunch then that is a factor. Ruth I think what happened in your situation was carelessness on the school's part. As children, your son and his mates were just playing, an accident took place, and should have been looked into but wasnt. Finally being physically fit is a factor as well as proper instruction. If a school no longer sees the need for a P.E. teacher, then the PROPER ways of carrying out fitness are then ignored.

You all make very valid arguments. I think so of you are way to judgemental about eachother's comments; if you dont know eachother then you dont know who to blame. First many children are overweight because of parents overlooking the importance for exercise and because they dont lead by example. THIS DOES NOT MAKE SOMEONE A BAD PARENT, it simply means they need to pay more attention to THAT PARTICULAR PART of a child's wellbeing. Also, school lunch contains ALOT of calories. If you have ever seen the movie Supersize Me, you'll see for yourself-school lunch, although it is not typical fast food, is even more fattening. So if you dont pack your child's lunch then that is a factor. Ruth I think what happened in your situation was carelessness on the school's part. As children, your son and his mates were just playing, an accident took place, and should have been looked into but wasnt. Finally being physically fit is a factor as well as proper instruction. If a school no longer sees the need for a P.E. teacher, then the PROPER ways of carrying out fitness are then ignored.

You know I have seen the kids are lazy the parents are lazy or the teachers are irresponsible or less then skilled. There has been uncalled for name calling; making judgement on someone you dont know. Over what? An article that all of us have taken time out of our busy day to comment on, how many of you were at work commenting on this passing judgement on people being lazy. I call you lazy for not doing your JOB instead your on here making rude comments about other peoples kids when heck your kids are probably just as lazy and fat and unfit as the rest. Quite being hypocrits and tossing the blame game and stay do your job in your home making your kids fit and properly educated and not out there being little tramps and punks. Maybe if our teachers would be more responsible our children wouldnt be the ones suffering at the end of the day!

I would like to make one more point. Perhaps "fat" and "lazy" people would get injured LESS in P.E (which are much less than accused of being); so the issue isn't about if kids now are healthier or not,etc. they are just getting hurt more. Why? factors including but not limited to their fitness, risk level, circumstances, teacher, nurse, population (more kids today, and even class size, competition level, violence level, how hard they push themselves, clumbsiness, etc. It's all assumptions. Can we take "fat" and "lazy" and "role models" out of the equation? Because it stands that so being, they would get hurt less simply because of lack of effort.

Ive read alot of comments and i personally feel that parents and kids are the cause for injuries. i am 15 years old and i think the P.E. teachers are right when they say we need to put the video games down and get are lazy butts outside.i have alot of friends who cant run a lap around the track let alone do a push up. thats just sad in my opinion. i hope someday parents will quit being lazy and actually try to do something with their kids. also kids should also take some responcibility. my parents were and still are somewhat lazy but i got outside and actually played outside instead of sitting around doing nothing .

Corrections need to be made. School, 6 days a week and Physical Education should be scheduled across the board, every day. Hours in the day should be from 8:00 am to 4:00. The unions should stay out of the scheduling. Men physical education teachers expectations are different than that of a woman. I have seen men be so neglegant; they are in the office working on their other jobs; coaching outside of hours ond umpireing. Should be more intermural activities and no one eleminated because they are not making a B average.

Corrections need to be made. School, 6 days a week and Physical Education should be scheduled across the board, every day. Hours in the day should be from 8:00 am to 4:00. The unions should stay out of the scheduling. Men physical education teachers expectations are different than that of a woman. I have seen men be so careless; during class, they are in the office working on their other jobs; coaching outside of hours ond umpireing. There should be more inter-mural activities and no one eleminated because they are not making a B average.

In 9th grade a few years ago, I sprained my ankle really bad in gym and the teacher told me to "walk it off"....
It got even worse the day after that, and again he told me to walk it off, even after he saw me limping because it hurt so much.
He never let me see the nurse. ever.
I took great satisfaction in the look on his face the day I came back with a note from an angry doctor and with my ankle wrapped up and swollen to the size of a pomegranate.
The ibuprofin they prescribed for the pain could have had something to do with that feeling though...

To the person who called my kids a clutz....yea, you are probably right being that he grew almost a foot in about a year. But he is not fat, lazy, underactive or a junk food junkie. He stands about 6ft 1in and weighs about 150 lbs. He wears a 34x34 pants. Not too shabby. He does play too many video games, but I do limit him daily and monitor his usage. I will be the first to admit I am an overweight adult, raised in the generation of kids who were sent outside all day to play.
Didnt stop me from being overweight. But being an overweight parent I think its my job to insure that my kids dont end up like me. I monitor their eating habits as well. When he was in school in gym class playing soccer he was kicked by another boy as they were going for the ball at the same time. My point was the fact that they never sent him to the nurse, made him finish the school day and sent him home as if nothing ever happened. This is not the first time I have had this happen at this school system. I dont know who teaches him in gym, but I do know that after he was treated for the fractures, his gym teacher made me contact his doctor for specifics on what he could and could not do...somewhat frustrating because they were still playing soccer. I definately think the schools are understaffed when it comes to qualified teachers. Thanks for letting me vent. Just wanted to clear up some issues.

what is going on ...r all the people posting comments gym teachers? dont blame the parents !!
maybe the kids r being pushed harder to work and ending up in physical pain.and not all kids have their eyes glued to the tv screen. but why does that matter its not just one type of child getting hurt! not just couch potaoes can get hurt! jocks could get hurt just as well.just b/c one child works out more doesnt mean their chances of getting hurt r less than one who doesnt! THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER . i'll be BACK

I dont understand why people are instantly claiming that every child is like some obese butterball with the coordination of an infant. Yes there are fat kids and there are thin kids. There's usually an even mix.

Most injuries are from other kids screwing around in class. I remember back in high school when we were instructed to pass heavy metedicine balls back and forth. There was always this one kid who would intentionally hurdle the ball hard and fast enough to catch you off guard or hope that you failed to catch it. As a result of his bully-ish behavior, one of the other classmates had his finger broken thanks to him.

Let's say that a class is to play "touch" or flag football. There is usually one kid who would want to be a showoff and unexpectedly tackle someone.

So, who's to blame? The P.E. teacher for not making it safe and the kids who mess around.

I think that it time we face the fact that there are many causes of children getting injured more in our school system today. Among them:
Teachers have to deal with classes that are larger (we can't watch every kid all the time).
Teachers have classes that include children diagnosed with many kinds of disabilities (did you know that the 'inclusion' our government is so fond of loves to put children with disibilities into gym classes with peers they may not see in any other class, playing games they may not understand the rules to? Try being a teacher of a class of 40 teens, 2 with behavior disorders, one with a mental age of 5-6, and one who has only had 3 weeks of instruction in the English language.)
And these same teachers may have had little or no training in the area of physical education. Worse, some of them have had little practice in PE either-- my first PE class was in third grade, and we played around in a pool after shoving our lunches down in ten minutes. Now, as a regular classroom teacher, I am expected to teach PE-- without ever having taken a coaching or PE class in college! I happen to be first aid certified, but that was not required, it was something I did on my own. I do not even know some of the skills I would like to teach the kids-- I had to look up online how to correctly throw a basketball with one hand, because no one ever taught me. The point of all this being, bring back PE teachers who know about sports. I may be a teacher but I don't know everything, and I would love to turn this over to someone who is better qualified.
On the other hand, some of the horror stories I've read make me ashamed of others in my profession. Just because we may not know everything there is to know about a sport does not mean that we cannot learn enough to at least teach the basics. And regardless of which activities are being done, we should always put the health and safety of our kids first. That's why first aid is such a God-send; it helps me distinguish between injuries and gold-bricking (and yes, there are some kids who will fake an injury to try to get out of exercise. Not all of them, but some of them will).
In addition to all the problems within our schools, some of the fault does rest with people other than teachers. I can not speak for every teacher, but I myself and most, if not all, of the teachers I know are doing their best to help kids learn safely.
Additional causes of injury include:
Kids not listening to and/or obeying instructions (and it is very hard for them to obey when they talked through the explanation of what we were supposed to be doing).
Kids choosing to pick on each other (and contrary to what was stated earlier, most teachers tend to crack down even harder on their own kids because they KNOW the problems it causes, having had to deal with it every day of their career).
Kids being clumsy or having not yet mastered a new skill (and it takes even the most agile kid a couple tries to learn something they've never tried before; a perfect dancer may have trouble with soccer kicks and a football star may fall off a 6-inch balance beam).
Kids being careless (ie. not watching where they're going and running into someone or something).
Probably the smallest problem that causes injury in gym classes is the physical fitness of the child and related eating habits. This may affect endurance and even occasionally how well certain skills are performed, but it is rarely the actual cause of an accident. I have yet to see a child so severely overweight that they had a heart attack, broken bone, or even a pulled muscle from exercise in PE class. While it is true they may be targets for bullying in PE classes and may have more discomfort in some situations due to poorer muscle tone, it is generally not an injury that they feel. And it is important to teach our children the difference between the good 'burn' of muscles being exercised and the pain of sprains, strains, and pulled muscles.
Finally, I want to stress that each school is different. What passes for PE at some schools would horrify some PE teachers, but can you really blame some of the classroom teachers for choosing activities like shooting hoops, running laps, and juggling to teach basic skills like hand-eye coordination when our society is so ready to place the blame on them for any injury? Or for letting the kids choose the games, even if the students get a bit over-competitive sometimes, if by letting them choose the game they can drastically cut class misbehavior and bullying?

It is important to consider the whole situation, and consider that there may have been other things going on at the time the child was hurt. They injury may have even been unpreventable given the circumstances. A teacher who is disciplining a bully on one side of a softball field may be unable to sprint fast enough to the other side of the field to prevent someone getting smacked with a thrown bat, even if they do see it happening. A teacher who is umping and coaching can't prevent a first baseman from missing a catch and taking a softball to the face, resulting in a double black eye. And those kinds of injuries, while tragic, are not the teacher's fault.

I have two children who were injured (one quite severely) in gym class, neither of my children are overwieght and both are quite active. Unfortunately their gym teacher (same one 5 years apart) was a complete idiot. Our daughter , who is 5' 6' and 125 lbs. was told that she must lift as much as the boys in her strength training class. Her dumb a** teacher had her squatting OVER 300 lbs. this has caused permanant damage to her neck and shoulder. My husband tried talking to him and was told that if "he didn't push the kids they wouldn't accomplish anything" Flash forward 5 years and our youngest son is in the same class, same problem, except our son is 6'3" and 200 lbs. Teacher won't listen when we tell him we believe in more reps and lighter wieghts, this is not acceptable, if he does not increase his weight WEEKLY he will fail. Our 17 year old son ended up with a ruptured disc in his back and back surgery at age 17. We went back and talked to the teacher again, he finally admits he "probably" pushed the kids too hard. Unfortunately too late for our two, they will be affected by this for the rest of their lives. Just a side note we took our kids to the gym three times a week, they were not allowed to lift wieghts, but could use cardio machines, play racquetball, and hit the body bag or speed bag. Definitly not out of shape children.

My 7 yr.old son came home one day and showed me how he could almost twist his knees into the pretzel move. I said what are you doing? Do not force you knees to twist that way! He said the lady teaching gym class was showing the kids how to do the (which I found out later)was the lotus!( a yoga move) For a couple of weeks after that he would complain of his knee catching. Then one night it froze. I had to take him to the E.R. After being in 4 soft casts, crutches and a wheelchair, He ended up having knee surgery. He is a very active boy and I know this is what triggered his injury. Later I asked my 9yr. old daughter about her gym class and she said the same lady would have them pull there arms behind their backs (one above the shoulder and one behind the back ) and try to touch their fingers behind them. If they couldn't do it she would walk over and force them to touch. I told her do not participate in those activities. After having a meeting with the principal, the lady conducting the P.E. class was not a trained to do this class or certified, just a volunteer helping out!

My 7 yr.old son came home one day and showed me how he could almost twist his knees into the pretzel move. I said what are you doing? Do not force you knees to twist that way! He said the lady teaching gym class was showing the kids how to do the (which I found out later)was the lotus!( a yoga move) For a couple of weeks after that he would complain of his knee catching. Then one night it froze. I had to take him to the E.R. After being in 4 soft casts, crutches and a wheelchair, He ended up having knee surgery. He is a very active boy and I know this is what triggered his injury. Later I asked my 9yr. old daughter about her gym class and she said the same lady would have them pull there arms behind their backs (one above the shoulder and one behind the back ) and try to touch their fingers behind them. If they couldn't do it she would walk over and force them to touch. I told her do not participate in those activities. After having a meeting with the principal, the lady conducting the P.E. class was not a trained to do this class or certified, just a volunteer helping out!

I say it's the governments fault. If you look back this all started when they took prayer out of school. since then the kids are no longer able to get a good old fashion spaking, or to be exposed to any type of religion in schools this is the generation that has given us Columbin, Virgina Tech and the other school shootings. How does the Government expect parents to raise their kids with the constant threat of them being taken away simple because they are punished. In my day, my Daddy didnt think twice about spanking my but and making me clean up the whole yard if I through trash in the yard or out the car window. I am proud to say I am raiseing my kids the same way, they and I climb trees together we go to the park together, and we pick up other peoples liter together. the key word here TOGETHER. parents spend at least 15 minutes a day with your kids teach them something new everyday and explore the world out side with them.

Why does everyone have to find blame and fault? Think of how the world would be different if we just became good role models. If society/government allowed a parent to stay home and parent-instead of work to earn meager wages to feed the family, this would be a happier and healthier place.

There does seem to be a shift in some behaviors. When I was trying to play ball, any time I came up short, I thought of nothing but how I failed. And this was the case with other people to.

Meeting with anything less than a win meant you were the failure. But as time went by, the excuses grew and now, less than a win means the other guy cheated. Or the coach messed up. Or the ref. blew every call.

That has only been re-enforced to me by a couple of years of working for the court system.

wow i am a kid and u peeps r sad.... kids are active just so much junk and we r crammed in school 2 much!

our generation is spoiled and we want want want!! so u parents will push us and the kids will just ignore u

I'm 16 years old and play competitive volleyball and soccer and was hurt in pe, i sprained my ankle and wasn't taken to the nurse. I'm not fat, I am muscular, and it was because of lack of trained P.E. teachers.

I'm 16 years old and play competitive volleyball and soccer and was hurt in pe, i sprained my ankle and wasn't taken to the nurse. I'm not fat, I am muscular, and it was because of lack of trained P.E. teachers.

Okay, most of the injuries are a result of kids just being unable to preform simple physical tasks like a pushup, let alone run a slant pattern playing flag football in gym. Its not the Gym teachers fault that you twist your ankle that just happens. but pulls and strains and sometimes breaks are a result of poor conditioning. In Pa we have a PE test by the state as well as the Presidents Physical fittness test. When we did the tests i was told not to go past a certin number of pushups by my wrestling coach also the gym teacher, as to not set the bar too high for others in my class and not discaurage them. Go figure! The kids now need to get motivated no more excuses for why you cant do something. If you see a challenge dont say "i cant do that" grab the bull by the horns and get going. All kids exiting HS should be able to pass the USMC PFT i could and so could the wrest of my wrestling team. but only them not the baseball or football or basketball players i guess coach got us motivated. OOOHRA!!! Semper Fi!

i do believe it should start with the parents but even for some of the parents its hard. i work up to 6 days a week 7p-7a and my husband works 7 days a week. my one day off a week i'm so exhausted trying to catch up on sleep and spending time with my children. but to make ends meet we have to work these long hours. so if i look like i'm a lazy parent well i am sorry. but my children do get their daily outside exercise either at home or at the babysitter's. As for the PE classes i praise them for their work, my child's school lets me know if he gets a scratch.

just take the pain and stop complaining....

Time is the only solution to child care and should be taken seriously no matter how busy a parent is.I ll prefer to takemuch time in doing this for my children be it now and then.

I'm 16, 6'4 150 lbs. Needless to say I'm not fat or out of shape. I've played sports my entire life basketball, soccer, and baseball are the ones that I play. During the summer I like to go running every morning. Last year in P.E I was playing basketball and I landed pretty hard and wrong on my ankle after a lay-up. Having played sports for a while I've had my fair share of sprains.I suspected what my doctor told me later that day, I had a sprained ankle. I came back the next day with a doctors note, and one of those cheap braces you can get at Walgreens. My P.E teacher, a.k.a the Computer class teacher who looks like he's been force fed butter and forced to not excercise for 20 years tells me, "it isn't that bad, you can still participate in class," or something along those lines. Not wanting to get into trouble I played soccer with the class. Putting most of my weight on one foot, I attempted to play soccer. Then baseball season rolled around and I was out the first few weeks with two sprained ankles because my "P.E teacher" who's probably never had a heart rate over 160 bpm, unless he was wolfing down a plate of corndogs, knew best. P.E teachers need to be trained, plain and simple. I play some video games, use the computer sometimes, and I even like to watch the occassional baseball game on T.V. I don't like being stereotyped as the the lazy fat generation by a bunch of 40 year-olds geezers, with waistlines like whales. Yeah you played ouside when you were a kid, but can you run the mile in 5:45? And by the way Hydroxycut doesn't make up for real excercise. Why are we talking about lazy kids when we have lazy adults turned P.E teachers who can't be bothered to get a degree in anything associated with physical education or sports medicine? Just some fast"food" for thought, think about it.

As a highschooler, I must admit, I am a little offended at the 'overweight stereo-type'. Have most of you even gone to a school these days? Most of them are not fat, due to an idealistic vision of anorexic beauty sold by fashion magazines, which, much like overweight teens, can make a teen's body weak from lack on nuetrition. Another reason students get hurt often is poor funding for equipment, and teachers that seem to no longer care. During my Freshman year, a girl in my class broke her arm to the point you could tell it was busted, and the teacher did nothing but yell at her for not participating in class. I myself past out from dehydration during class, as I was unallowed to step aside for a few moments to get a drink, when it was around 102 degrees, and was later scolded by the very same P.E. teacher. Blame can be given to the teens, but think back then yourself: Did you like listening to someone older than you? Most teens dont like to listen to rules or orders barked at them by adults, but that is normal for a teen of any age. Parents also could shoulder some blame, but in this day and age, it isnt easy to afford things like a house, and the basic needs of life, which require hours of work, and still find time to spend with their children. Teachers also shoulder some blame, as these days, I find teachers no longer care about students. they tell us constantly: If you are picked on, or someone is harrasing you, tell us and we'll help. When something happens, and we go to the school staff, be it a teacher, or some other worker at the school, they do nothing however. Teachers can say that they'll help us, but in truth, all kids at school can say that these days, they just dont care, and wont do anything. How can we be expected to listen to someone, and look up to them in school, if they couldnt care less about our general health and our problems?

We cant put the full blame on just one group, be it the kids themselves, the teachers, or the parents, since they all share some of it. But if you look at this day and age, is it really that much of a suprise?

Yes, the kids who usually get hurt are the trouble making ones, who don't follow the rules. As for some kids exersising means a lot to them it's like how learning builds a strong brain just like how exerising builds a strong healthy body!

I just finished my freshman year and I don't know about kids getting hurt, as I have never seen any injuries in my class...

But I think gym/physical education as a whole should really be improved on. My gym class had a terrible gym teacher (in my opinion). He was overweight and unmotivated to help others.

I remember one time, there was a boy who had a nose bleed and my gym teacher only gave him a towel. I was thinking "What the heck are you doing!?" and the boy kept rubbing his nose with the towel until it got really bloody. I had to prevent myself from putting down the teacher and showing the boy how to do proper first-aid. I thought to myself, "Gym teachers are usually people who can't handle any other job."

I have never met a gym teacher who helped their students individually. Many gym teachers treat their class as a "whole" and expect the students to be able to do everything that another student can do.

And why in the world is gym class still mandatory? What is the point of it exactly? My answer: so people with no skills whatsoever can get paid.

All gym class did was lower my self-esteem and make me feel like I'm a useless piece of space. Many parents don't know that gym class can emotionally hurt kids: insults in change rooms, being left out in teams, other students ignoring you because you're naturally weak, extreme sarcasm about how how "strong" you are. Not everyone can be "strong." This is my personal reason for why I hate gym class.

I decided that I'm going to quit it next year for my self-esteem. I refuse to take another year of it. School is supposed to be about learning new things, not being left out.

And parents, you should get rid of the stereotypes that all of the kids go who hurt (whether it be emotionally or physically) in gym class are overweight as it's not true at all!

- A non-overweight 15 year old boy who wants to quit gym class

i am amazed at parents who sent doctors notes to school and then the children were "made" to participate. that happened once in our school with my grandson and i went to school and put a stop to it. the threat of a lawsuit if there is further injury works in an amazing way in most schools.
to the person who said there is not a "degree for physical education teachers" is mistaken. i cannot spell the fancy word that they use, but there is a very definite degree. it is something that starts with a K and is a very big word. i have a cousin that graduated with that particular degree. he is a physical education teacher and specializes. the K word is a very fancy way of saying "coach". you can get that degree at sam houston university in huntsville texas or texas A&M among other universities.
there should be teamwork between school and parents and kids. without teamwork, the fingers start pointing. by the way, genetics play an important role in childrens weight as well as lifestyle. did anyone ever think of that? each child is different. each child has their own unique needs. some are athletic and some are not. those who are not can find physical activity in other ways than a gym class. i have raised 4 and helped raise three more. 5 are very athletic and 2 are totally book and computer worms. ALL are slender and healthy. we took the individual needs of each child and worked with them accordingly. we have had our fights at school as the schools do tend to lump the kids into one catagory and all the children "need" the same thing. this is just not the case. that is where the parents and child come into the team. don't know the solution to the "state" mandates as far as gym. i only know what to do at home to promote a healthy child and how to fight the school if it ignores the doctors decree. yes, i have spent some time at school.. yes, it was worth the fight. not all teachers are bad, not all teachers are good.. parents same.. need to communicate. the art of communication will do wonders. if a parent sees something wrong for their child at school, go to school and do something about it. fight. we even home schooled for a semester due to a 6 year old (my grandaughter) found wandering around downtown when teachers did not make sure she was on school bus. we panicked when she did not come home on the bus and we did something about it. all need to work together. sorry to ramble.. school is a team.. takes all working together for the welfare of the kids. quit blaming and start working together. by the way, i have been mom and teacher.

I am not pointing fingers at parents or teachers. I agreed that kids today are way different than when I was growing up. In my days as a child growing up PE for me was going to the play field and do track and field racing.In our break time we used to play marbles, jump ropes, ball games where we had to sight the ball and a bunch of other exercises and I do not remember being hurt once. My daughter is seven years old and she got her hand broken at school during PE exercise from falling from the monkey bar. My daughter was not seen by the nurse because the teacher thought that she is up and talking to her friends and she asked her if she was okay and my daughter replied yes. However, the most frustrating thing about it is my daughter is tall and skinny not malnourished and her hand was so swollen she was in severe pain and the teacher did not report the incident to the nurse or send the child to the nurse for observation. A third grader saw her crying after school was dismissed and she was waiting to be picked up and ask her what was wrong and she told her and the third grader took her to the nurse and that was when i receive a called to say that my daughter was injured at PE from 2:30PM that day and nobody looked at her until 3:40PM when the other child took her to the nurse. I later learned that over 15 children got their hand broken from the monkey bar and they still did not remove it from the school or exclude it from the PE activities. I believed that is neglect.I know that no matter how hard we tried our children will get hurt at home or at school but is the action that is taken to notify the parents and correct the situation is whats important. I transfer my daughter from that school and she just started a new school and she came in the care a few days ago crying for pain in her leg and she stated that she told her drama teacher that her leg was hurting her and she said no you are not hurting so she had to keep on doing the task in pain. The following day she came home with one of her leg longer than the other and limping. I will be taking her in to see her doctor tomorrow so can somebody tell me who is to be blame?