Gym Class for All
By Matt Wood
Standing on a wooden platform perched high in the trees during a gym class freshman year, I am terrified, yet excited. I jump off and speed down the long zip-line through the pine trees.
It turned out to be an exciting experience, but one only available to Hanover High School freshmen. Gym class is not offered for HHS students in grades 10-12. I think that all students should have the option to take a gym class at Hanover High.
At the Ray School and the Richmond School, my elementary and middle schools, everyone took gym class. It was always a nice break from being in a classroom and learning academic subjects, where you are sitting for the entire class period.
Getting to run around and play sports is a great way to break up the day. It is important that all students get some exercise during the school day, especially if they don’t play a sport after school. The fact that more Americans than ever are overweight is yet another reason why having gym class is crucial.
Aside from being a break from academic learning and a way to get exercise, gym class is fun. From playing capture the flag and Wiffle ball at the Ray School to floor hockey and flag football at the Richmond School, gym class has always been enjoyable for me. In elementary and middle school, we played many different sports, so almost everyone got to play something they liked.
One student who is a firm believer in the option of gym class at the high school is junior Zach Estes. He wants to see upperclassmen gym class added to the list of courses: “The idea of gym class for everyone in the high school would be beneficial to those who don’t do a sport or any other extracurricular activity involving endurance. Indoor basketball, floor hockey, and soccer would be a great way to break up the day and have some fun.”
Although I am all for the idea of having gym class offered at Hanover High, some people might be opposed. They might think that people would take a gym class instead of an academic class, making their schedule easier. Other people might be opposed to gym class because they would have to hire more teachers, allowing fewer for academic subjects.
However, I believe that gym class should be offered at Hanover High School. It should not be mandatory, just offered so those who want to take a gym class have the option to do so. It is a good way to break up the day, which can become tedious when you have too many academic classes in a row. It is also a good way to get some exercise for people who don’t participate in sports after school. Above all else, it is fun. That is why I want to see upperclassmen gym classes offered at Hanover High School.
