Physical Development Program
The Physical Education Program strives to provide an opportunity for each student to develop optimum health and physical fitness for his or her age and developmental level. The department assists each student in gaining knowledge, confidence and self-esteem through physical fitness activities. The department promotes the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play. Each course is designed to respect the individual differences and skill levels for all students.
All courses are non-academic and do not count toward the total number of academic courses required in a semester.
Students are required to take two semesters of Physical Development. The first semester is PD 1 and is taken during the freshman year. The second semester (PD 2, Strength and Conditioning for Competition, or Football Conditioning) is to be taken in subsequent years. Students are not restricted to two semesters of Physical Development and are encouraged to take as many classes as they desire. All electives may be repeated.
Required Courses:
PD 1: Body in Motion – Grade 9 – Semester course
PD 1 class is a mandatory course for all freshman students. It is designed to promote health and fitness concepts. PD 1 stresses cardio vascular training with different modalities such as dance, aerobic movement and sports circuits. The students regulate their own heart rates and personal training zones using the Polar ® Heart Rate Monitors. The course encompasses instruction in nutrition, physical fitness, and basic skills in various team sports and activities. Every freshman goes through a 3-week swim program highlighting swim fundamentals especially body alignment and hydrodynamic orientation in the water.
This course is designed to help students develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. The experiences presented in the course are intended to develop knowledge, self-confidence, positive self-image, good sportsmanship, cooperation and ideals necessary to maintain both physical and mental health. Concepts of fitness, training and nutrition are covered.
PD 2: Personal Fitness – Grades 10 through 12 – Semester course
This course will emphasize individual personal fitness and attitudes to keep students involved in the learning process and to show students that everyone, not just athletes, can be healthy and physically fit. PD 2 is a total body fitness course designed to improve individual fitness levels. This is a medium to high intensity workload designed to increase muscle endurance and strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and body composition (nutrition). The students will learn to use free weights, jump ropes, medicine balls, and elastic bands as forms of resistance. Students will also be exposed to yoga, aquatic resistance, as well as, kickboxing to improve their overall conditioning. The students will evaluate their body-type, muscle function, and exactly what can be done to achieve a desired fitness level. Students will acquire the necessary tools to needed to design and implement their own wellness program. Fulfills Physical Development requirement.
Prerequisite: PD 1
Strength and Conditioning for Competition – Grades 10 through 12 – Semester Course
Strength and Conditioning for Competition is a course designed to improve the core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility, and flexibility of students playing interscholastic sports. This course will focus on development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific movements as well as speed and agility development. The students will learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, Olympic lifting, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed and agility work, as well as, sports nutrition and use of ergogenic aids. Fulfills Physical Development requirement.
Prerequisite: PD 1 and Strength & Conditioning Coordinator approval.
Advanced Strength and Conditioning for Competition – Grades 11 through 12 – Semester Course
Advanced Strength and Conditioning for Competition is a high level sports performance class building on the principals learned in the Level 1 Course, Strength and Conditioning for Competition. Designed to improve on the techniques and performance levels it focus will remain on core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility, and flexibility. This course will focus on development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific movements as well as speed and agility development. The students will learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, Olympic lifts of Power Clean, Clean and Jerk as well as the Snatch, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed and agility work, as well as, sports psychology.
Prerequisite: Strength and Conditioning for Competition and Teacher Approval.
Football Conditioning – Grades 9 through 11 – Semester Course
Football Conditioning for Competition is a course designed to improve the core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility and flexibility and basic skills and concepts of students playing football. This course will focus on development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific movements as well as speed and agility development. The students will learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, Olympic lifting, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed and agility work as well as sports nutrition and use of ergogenic aids. This is a second semester course open to freshmen, sophomores and juniors. Fulfills Physical Development requirement.
Prerequisite: PD 1 and Strength & Conditioning Coordinator approval.
Electives
Pilates – Grades 10 through 12 – Semester course
Pilates is a fitness course based on the exercise regimen created by Joseph Pilates. This class is designed to increase core strength, flexibility, and muscle control. Students will learn the importance of using breath and concentration in exercise. The students will learn to use the magic circle, ball, and resistance bands to assist in the physical activity. Students will also be exposed to anatomy and the history of the Pilates method.
Prerequisite: PD 2, Strength and Conditioning for Competition, or Football Conditioning
Team Sports
The Team Sport class is an elective course for boys and girls. The course includes instruction in physical fitness and basic skills in various team sports and activities. The course is designed to help develop the student physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is intended to promote life long health and fitness concepts. Experiences presented in this course will develop student responsibility in the areas of knowledge, self-confidence, good sportsmanship, and cooperation.
Prerequisite: PD 2, Strength and Conditioning for Competition, or Football Conditioning
Physical Development Waiver
Seniors who are registered for both semesters in Mathematics, Modern Language and Science may apply for a one-semester waiver for Physical Development. Sophomores who anticipate a full academic load of classes their senior year are encouraged to take PD in the sophomore year. Participation in an extra-curricular sport does not meet Physical Development requirements for graduation.
