The Swedish Sports Confederation (RF) used to be the foremost advocate and defender of physical education (PE) as a subject and the work of PE teachers. This paper deals with the way in which this support manifested itself during 1940-2003 and is based on a discourse analysis of texts from RF. The analysis shows that RF has assigned three positions to PE teachers: instructor, recruiter, and health promoter. Sports leaders have gradually managed to occupy these positions, however, and as a result RF's interest in PE teachers and the PE subject has abated. The market adjustment of Swedish schools has made it possible for competitive sports to establish itself in schools side by side with compulsory PE. The study implies that gender equality is thus challenged. It is also an example of the fact that the boundaries between the private, non-profit-making, and public sectors have become fuzzy in Swedish schools. (Contains 1 note.)