Does your team have an upcoming competition against an overwhelming favorite? Do they think they don’t stand a chance? Do you need a way to fire them up and get them to believe? Then have them watch this inspirational video, produced as a Nike advertisement in 2010. Here’s a sample of the script: “Just remember, out here, the results don’t always add up. No matter what the stats may say, no matter what the experts may think, and commentators may have predicted, when the race is on, all bets are off. Don’t be surprised if somebody decides to flip the script and take a pass on yelling ‘Uncle.” A ..read more

If you’ve been watching the World Cup of soccer, you’ll have observed many occasions in which players, although seemingly untouched, have dropped to the ground and writhed in pain for many minutes. They’re “diving,” you might say! Perhaps, but I have a more likely explanation. It’s the vuvuzelas! Vuvuzelas, a fixture in South African soccer, are plastic horns based on the traditional kudu horns used to call distant South African villagers to meetings. David Flax, a South African physical educator, warned us about the vuvuzela on the PE Update.com Message Board back in December. Well, he was ce ..read more

School is almost over!! Before you head off for your summer holidays,  I thought I’d leave you with a demonstration of character by an All-Star professional basketball player and coach. Before a pro game between the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks in 2003, 13 year-old Natalie Gilbert began singing the American National Anthem, then, in what would certainly be a nightmare for all of us, forgot the words. In her moment of horror, Portland coach Maurice Cheeks, a 15-year NBA veteran and four-time All-Star, comes to her aid, standing beside her, singing along and encouraging the c ..read more

In our February 8, 2010 blog, I discussed the problems that occur when high school administrators schedule prom and graduation ceremonies on the same day as championship sports events. (See “High School Graduation & Sport Championship Conflicts. Can’t They Be Avoided?“). This conflict forces student-athletes to decide between the culminating competition of their high school athletic career and the traditional coming-of-age event they’ve long dreamed of sharing with family and friends. It can be a difficult decision. One of my track coaching friends encountered this situation several years ..read more

I ‘m a track fan and I love night meets. There’s nothing quite like them. The stadium lights turn the track into a giant stage as everything around the track fades into the darkness.  There’s a heightened sense of drama because athletes look like they’re performing under a spotlight. The wind drops to nothing, there’s a bite to the air, and conditions become perfect for competition. And there’s an elevated sense of anticipation, as if everyone in the stadium is holding their breath, waiting for the next great performance. Our regional championships were held in my hometown last week, and ..read more

When it comes to physical education, it seems that Uganda is more advanced in its thinking than many North American school boards. Rather than firing PE teachers and cutting PE from school curricula, Uganda’s ministry for education has announced that they’ll be recruiting 3600 new physical education teachers over the next two years. In justifying this expenditure, the minister stated the well-known (but often ignored or misunderstood) rationale of improved health among students. However, he also  expressed a benefit that is overlooked in North America but is of great urgency in a country ..read more

When we think of physical education classes, we automatically envision students exercising in a gym. However, the reality is that many teachers don’t have a gymnasium in which to work. That leaves them with the challenge of finding activities that students can perform in their classroom. Three PE Update.com articles that describe in-class physical education activities are: Non-Elimination Musical Chairs, Fitness Breaks, and Favourite Sports Routines. However, the Alberta Centre for Active Living has another option…yoga! That’s right, yoga can be performed while sitting at a desk, and this webs ..read more

Swamp Soccer With PE Update.com’s recent change in format (new articles are now shown for free on our homepage for several weeks before being placed into our archives), our Fun Stuff for PE newsletter has also changed, focusing on informing readers about those new article additions. So, this blog will be expanding its mandate. We’ll continue to provide opinion and commentary on the physical education, sports and fitness world. But we’ll also provide you with links to free resources and fun videos that relate to sport and PE. Here’s an example. Are you looking for a great way to improve your so ..read more

New Articles Section on the PE Update.com Website Our companion website, Physical Education Update.com, has changed its policy and that’s great news for physical education teachers and coaches. New articles  (and we add articles regularly) will now be available for FREE for several weeks. After that they’ll be moved to our archives, where they’ll will be available only to paid subscribers.These articles are free, but a membership is a great deal. You get a year of unlimited access to our archives (over 2100 articles, videos & printables) for only $29.95! Do you just want to download a ..read more

As I was recently watching the world’s women’s curling championships, I was struck by the number of participants who were wearing the latest fashion in eyeglasses –  spectacles with extremely wide arms and transparent rims. In many cases, they made a probably-attractive wearer look very severe. I know they’re the latest fashion because I just purchased some new glasses and the optometrist was pushing hard for me to get that latest look. You can call me an old fogey, but while this style may be the latest thing, I think they’re often unattractive.  And I also believe they aren’t as fu ..read more