One of the most difficult tasks for today's physical educator is to ensure students maintain high levels of physical activity during physical education courses and demonstrate knowledge of cognitive content. The National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE) indicate that students should not only demonstrate motor competency, but also an…

NASPE's Teacher Toolbox is an instructional resource site which provides educators with a wide variety of teaching tools that focus on physical activity. This service is provided by NASPE to support instructional activities as well as promote quality programs. New monthly issues support NASPE's mission to enhance knowledge, improve professional…

With over 38 million U.S. youth (54% of children between ages 6 to 17) participating in organized sports each year, there is an ever increasing demand for entry-level youth sport leaders. To meet this leadership demand in organized youth sports, over 2.5 million adults volunteer to coach, yet less than 10% of these individuals have any formal…

In many states, physical education classes must compete and rotate with music, art, computer lab, library, and/or counseling. To meet state-mandated minimum weekly time requirements, some districts choose to have all students of a particular grade in physical education at the same time (often to accommodate the classroom teachers' requests for a…

Each year, thousands of individuals are involved in coaching at some level. Some of these coaches have been coaching for years, others for a short period of time, and still others are completely new. No matter the level of coaching, there are some common elements and characteristics of quality coaches. This article provides seven suggestions for…

Recent studies have shown that the learner's focus of attention is an important factor that influences motor skill learning. Furthermore, the ability to concentrate has been deemed one of the most important keys to effective sport performance and is essential to performing one's best. Other experts have concluded that concentration is indeed a…

An emerging trend in physical education curriculum has been sparked by the influx of a relatively new technology to the market referred to as Active Gaming or Exergaming. Exergaming has become a new buzzword identified by Popular Science as one of the ten new terms predicted to enter mainstream vocabulary in the next few years. Defined as video…

With childhood obesity and physical inactivity at an all-time high, parents and physical educators alike must look to the early years to promote competent and confident young movers. Popular opinion believes that children are naturally active and motor skill development progresses as a normal function of getting older. However, if one looks at…

Intercollegiate and high school coaches are faced with the difficult challenge of representing their school in a positive way. How a coach represents the school may be determined by his/her underlying motivation for coaching. Coaches may be driven by a variety of factors, such as: winning, financial success, or improving the well-being of the…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004 supports equitable access to educational opportunities for all children who have disabilities. IDEA requires that students who receive services for special needs receive a free appropriate public education, and have access to the general education curriculum, which includes…

University physical education teacher education (PETE) programs in many states face unique challenges in the preparation of pre-service elementary school physical education teachers. In some states such as Arizona, the majority of elementary schools employ full-time physical education specialists, while, in other states such as California, the…

A newsletter can be an effective component of a comprehensive plan for sharing information. A newsletter, in contrast to progress reports, surveys, open houses, or conferences, is a regular opportunity that allows for consistent sharing of information about the program. In this article, the authors discuss how to plan and produce newsletters and…

The ever-rising rate of obesity and the need for increased physical activity for young children is well documented. Data suggests that today's youth are not participating in enough quality health-enhancing physical activity either in or outside of school. Heart rate monitors have been used by adult exercisers for many years to monitor and assess…

The triathlon has become very popular in the fitness world. Athletes train for months and even years to get their bodies in top shape to attempt the three-part triathlon race--swim, bike, and distance run. While this activity continues to grow in popularity across the country, the purpose of this article is to create an appropriate triathlon for…

Behavior management or discipline of students in schools has consistently been reported as one of the major hindrances to educational success in the public schools in the United States. Teachers are often taught behavior management strategies such as establishing rules, routines, and expectations. Other proactive and reactive approaches to…