S/O: P.E. in high school when you went

[SKL]

I should note that there was no "choice" in my high school.  You did whatever the gym teacher decided you were doing that day.  Maybe I would not have hated it so much if there had been choices like archery or swimming etc.  All I remember doing was basketball and volleyball.  We never went outside.  We also had a big open shower and the teacher would go so far as to touch you to see if you were wet afterwards.  Blah.  I had my period every day of the year so I could use the few private showers.  :P

[LuvToRead]

We were required to take PE all four years, unless you had a sport.  One semester was health, and one semester was Driver's Ed.  Ours was pretty organized, and we even had written tests.  We did archery, flag football, volleyball, basketball, bowling, ping pong, etc.

[Mbelle]

I think 2 years.  We still had the quarter system my first two years of HS.  I loved the quarters system. Anyway, I took it every quarter/semester every year.  We had lots of choices.  I usually took weight lifting for women, aerobics dance, or running. Our PE coach was very serious about fitness and we had to show improvements in fitness or we didn't get an A.  We did have to take 1 quarter of health in 9th grade.

[Word Nerd]

We only had to take PE our freshman year, and that included health. We did units in bowling, swimming, and golf and it wasn't just typical PE activities, so I didn't mind it.

[Serenade]

I was in high school late 70s/early 80s. We had PE/Health in 9th and 10th grade, and that was it. I think the time was split evenly between health and PE, on rotating days.

[TrixieB]

Am I the only one who doesn't remember?

 

I can't remember if I took P.E. in 9th or 10th grade. Or both? Or neither?  I played basketball one of those years, so maybe I took P.E. the same year, but maybe I got a pass due to playing a sport.

 

I know I didn't take it in 11th or 12th.
 

[StephanieZ]

In VA, late 80s, 2 years, but one quarter of each year was another subject -- Freshman year we had a 1/4 of Health Ed and Sophomore year a 1/4 of Driver's Ed. Sports did not get you out of PE, no matter how many sports you played.

[TechWife]

I don't remember - I'm old! 

 

I remember taking tennis one semester and then we had health one semester, both freshman year. I'm not sure if we had it sophomore year or not. I know I didn't take PE in the last two years.

[flyingiguana]

CA -- PE was required in every semester.

 

In the last year I was there, they did finally let the kids who were doing a sport use that instead.

 

I hated it.  We all hated it.  We didn't actually get any exercise.  We sat in lines and were verbally abused by the teachers.  I got a lot more exercise just riding my bike to school.

 

We had no choice in what activity we got to do.  And the teachers seemed to enjoy watching all the girls come out of the required showers.  Not to put too fine a point on it, it was fairly creepy.  There was also some touching if the teacher didn't see right off that you were wet. 

 

There were no private showers.  If you were having your period, you were allowed to wear whatever "devices" you needed and to only shower the upper portion of your body.  You still had to be naked otherwise.  So, no underwear.  You got to wear a belt and a pad.

 

So when we got to the yearly "posture contest" (which involved everyone stripping down to nothing while the teachers inspected us) we were all pretty inured to the humiliation.

 

These days, I'm pretty sure this would be a crime that would be prosecuted in most states of the US.

[J-rap]

California late 70's.  We had PE all 4-years.  We wore the blue one-piece suits that snapped.  My high school happened to be near a YMCA, so we'd often walk there for PE and swim.  (The water was always so cold!)

 

In the town I'm in now, kids just have to take two semesters of gym.

[historically accurate]

I transferred as a sophomore to a different school.  

 

My freshman year school required PE every semester of high school, and the grade counted in your GPA.  You were required to dress in a uniform (in the lovely school colors of purple and gold), shower afterward and stand in a line wrapped in a washcloth-sized towel for inspection to verify you showered, and do all of that in 8-10 minutes IIRC.  The school didn't have a pool or tennis courts, so we did the President's Challenge, Gymnastics, Aerobics, Volleyball, Track, Baseball, and Basketball.  I know we did Square Dancing in Jr. Hi, but I don't remember doing it in high school.  No passes for athletes; everyone took PE 5 days a week.

 

My school from Sophomore to Senior -- I took 1 year of PE, of which most was swimming (teacher was the swim coach).  I could've done only 1 semester, but I had had Health as a Freshman, so I had a second semester of PE.  

 

I despised PE, so I am glad I transferred.  Both of these schools were in IL in the early 90s.

[zoobie]

Early 1990s in GA, my public school required one semester of health and one of PE. In PE, we dressed out three days a week and had class two days. Class was a joke. We took turns reading aloud from the textbook. On dress out days, it was usually calesthenics and running. You had to be able to run a mile and a half in under 15 minutes to get an A on that before the end of the semester. Stressful for non-athletic kids like me for whom a B could hurt my hard-earned GPA! I needed that for scholarships. Hated, hated, hated PE and the setup.

[HRAAB]

Later 1970s.  One year of PE was required.  I took it my sophomore year.  I loathed it.  Ridiculous uniforms.  A teacher that should have been in jail.  Shaming and making fun of students.  Oh, and the mandatory open showers complete with bullying and name calling while the teacher stood there and watched you.  Not far into the year I refused to take showers.  The teacher told me I would fail the class if I didn't.  Fine, fail me.  One F in PE with mostly As in everything else.  Whatever.  I told my parents, and they backed me up.  I ended up getting a B-.

 

By the way, I actually enjoyed running, volleyball and field hockey.  Just not PE with a sadistic, twisted teacher.

[Ananda]

I graduated 2004, in NE.  My high school required 2 semesters of PE (they gave lots of choice) & 1 semester of Health.  You could also take 3 semesters of JROTC.  I took the JROTC even though I am not that type.  It makes no sense because the only physical element of JROTC was marching 1x/week; for health we each did a report on a drug and a report on an STD and read the reports in class.  I am ever grateful to have gotten out of it.

[MysteryJen]

Late 80s, one semester of health required and one year of PE. They were quarter classes and I took them my senior year, aerobics, weightlifting, fitness (really just running) and team sports. The team sports was really pretty fun, it was taught by the football coach and so we played football. I perfected my spiral, learned a ton about the game and had a great time. 

I took it my senior year, it was a great break from my AP load. And an easy A to counteract calculus.

[Slartibartfast]

There were several activities that could take the place of P.E. when I was in school such as sports, band, and show choir. I was in band and never took P.E. in high school.

[Kathryn]

Mid 1990s, we were required to take one year.

[ocelotmom]

I went to high school in California in the 90s. I believe we had to take 2 years of PE - one semester of "Core PE", which was a typical introduction to various physical activities PE class (actually, reading through other posts, it may have been one semester of health and 3 semesters of PE). The rest could be either Core PE or electives. Electives included martial arts, aerobics, weight lifting, surfing, biking, and probably others that I'm forgetting.

 

It was a really good program. I ended up taking an extra year beyond the requirement because I liked the martial arts class, and I was previously a gym class hater.

 

Grades were participation-based, not performance. As long as you showed up, dressed appropriately, and participated, you got an A.

 

Extracurricular sports could be counted as "Independent PE", and could fulfill some or all of the PE requirement. Marching band and other active non-sports also counted.

 

Showers were available, but they thankfully stopped requiring them the year I entered middle school (where they'd previously been required).

[ScoutTN]

I went to boarding school. No P.E., just sports. Everyone had to participate in a sport every season. Might be competitive or might not. They had all the traditional team sports, usually three teams deep and other things like dance, lifeguard training and orienteering/ outdoor skills. We were on the ocean so sailing was a big deal.

 

The point was exercise and health and keeping 300+ teenagers and their teachers relatively sane.

I had at least 1-2 hours of exercise 5 or 6 days a week and it was a good thing. That was in the 80's and I don't think it has changed much.

[MinivanMom]

I attended 3 different high schools in CA. They all required 2 years of P.E., but playing a sport, cheerleading, dance classes, and even marching band all counted for the P.E. requirement. All the schools had showers, but nobody was allowed to shower . . . ever . . . due to liability issues (problems with bullying & harassment by both teachers and fellow students in the past). I was a dancer, so I never had to take P.E. at the high school level.

 

P.E. in junior high was a traumatizing experience. I think it did more to make me loathe sports and exercise than anything else I have experienced in my life.

 

We have the wrong folks teaching P.E. classes. A coach who loves sports and competition will never be able to connect with non-sporty kids and find a way to support them in finding physical activities they enjoy.

[Jackie]

Graduated 1995 in Indiana. Two semesters total were required, encouraged to be taken within the first two years of high school. No substitutions counted and there was no choice in what you did. Oh, how I hated P.E.

[Wheres Toto]

NJ, graduated 1987.  All four years required, 5 days a week for three semesters.  The fourth semester was health in 9th, 11th and 12th, and drivers education in 10th.

 

From what I could tell when my oldest was in school, it hasn't changed that much in NJ.  

[kiana]

One of the best parts about being homeschooled for high school imo was not having PE.

 

The local high school had PE required all 4 years and it was all competitive games such as volleyball etc. For someone who was fat and clumsy like me it would have been utter torture.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I did PE for all four years.  We only got out of it for a quarter of Health and a doctor's note (and even then, you had to do adaptive PE.)  For the most part, I liked PE, but I hated some of the bullying as it was pretty much the only time I had to deal with the mean slackers instead of the nerdy high-achievers.  After sophomore year, I loved it because we got to pick the units we wanted to do (I think there were four 8 week units.)  I got to do jazz dance, yoga, gymnastics, golf, weight training in addition to the traditional PE things like basketball, floor hockey, and some weird outdoor game that was a cross between soccer and football that was made up just for PE. 

 

Our local high school is similar in that 4 years are required except for that unit on Health.  Sports do not generally get you out of PE, unless you are an elite athlete at a sport that requires a ton of outside practice (i.e. elite gymnasts, figure skaters, etc.)  I don't know if they get to choose their units, but I do know that they are much more fitness oriented as opposed to sports-skill oriented.  Their program was written up in the paper as a model for how PE should work so that it is beneficial for all, not just athletes.  They have heart rate monitors for some of the units. 

[Amber in SJ]

In California in the late 80's 3 years of PE were required.  You had to dress everyday, open stall showers and quarterly emphasis with no choices; volleyball, weight training, softball and track & field.  I despised PE.  At the time I was going to ballet 4-5X/ week.  There was no way I was going to risk a stupid injury by running several miles on blacktop.   I flat out refused to run.  I would walk, or mosey.  I called poor Coach Jacobs the gym Nazi.  To his face.  When it was my turn for volleyball I would stand there & watch the ball go by or bounce in front of me.  When it was my turn to serve I'd let the ball roll off my fingertips, drop to the floor and then take my place at the end of the rotation.  When I was called into the principal's office with my parents, I pointed out that it was against school policy to grade on my performance that as long as I attended gym (which I did) they had to give me a C.  That was the only C I every received in High School.  Yes, I was that kid.  And yes, I have been paid back in spades with the kids I have.

 

If you played a sport or were on the cheer squad you had "Athlete PE" and "Athlete Study Hall"  As far as I could tell those were just two periods/ day that the jocks got together & planned how to bully the other kids & made out with the cheerleaders.  Occasionally one of the smart kids would be invited to "Athlete Study Hall."  Ostensibly to help someone on one of the sports teams with schoolwork, but word quickly got around that the smart kid was there to do math homework or write papers while the jocks made out with the cheerleaders. 

 

Man, I hated high school

 

Amber in SJ

[Amber in SJ]

I enjoyed PE (Human Performance) at the university level much better.  4 semesters were required and you could take all kinds of cool things.  I took yoga, self-defense and two semesters of belly dance.  Aced them all :) 

 

Amber in SJ

[SKL]

I know this wasn't asked, but since it was mentioned by a PP will add that I also had to take 2 credits of PE in college.  I took backpacking as a pass-fail course because it was worth 2 credits and I could get it over and done with.  It was fun.  What bugged me was that PE was required.  Gimme a break.  Next they'll be requiring PE to get a promotion at work.

[ChocolateReignRemix]

I know this wasn't asked, but since it was mentioned by a PP will add that I also had to take 2 credits of PE in college.  I took backpacking as a pass-fail course because it was worth 2 credits and I could get it over and done with.  It was fun.  What bugged me was that PE was required.  Gimme a break.  Next they'll be requiring PE to get a promotion at work.

 

Considering PE has been a college requirement at many schools for decades and PE has still not been used as a criteria for promotion in the vast majority of jobs, I don't think the bolded is a real concern.

[bobbeym]

In Texas late 80s/early 90s I think I had to take 1.5 yrs.  It was a joke though.  We'd do a unit each of softball and volleyball, and most of the rest of the year was spent either walking the track or the school campus, or we had "free play" in the gym which meant tossing basketballs or sitting upstairs pretending to be doing something.

 

Now kids have to take 1 year in high school but there's a gajillion things that can be taken in lieu of a traditional PE course. 

[Laurie4b]

How many years of high school did you take PE?

 

I took all 4 years of P.E. in high school and where I went sports did NOT count, so sports was just extra curricular and you did it in addition.

 

It was the same for me. We had PE twice per week for an hour. (That counted changing and showers afterward.) I played 3 sports, but there was no exemption from PE. In PE, we learned a lot of different stuff from gymnastics to dance to team sports to badmitten, etc. It was definitely a positive part of my educational experience.

[Mom23Boys]

Louisiana - graduated 1997

 

2 years required, but some of it was health. Maybe 1/2 semester, I am not sure. It was a complete waste of time. It was just mass chaos most of the time. I did it my freshman year, but I was home bound most of the year due to health problems. I went to a private school my sophomore year because I was still having health issues and they were more flexible. I was still having health problems, so I was exempt from most of the activities. I walked most of the time. 

 

Sports counted and they did it the last hour because practice continued after school. I know cheer leading and dance team counted, but not sure about marching band.

[Mrs Mungo]

Any sport counted when I was in high school. Marching band counted as a sport. ;)

[T'smom]

We had to have two semesters, one freshman year and one sophomore year. During one of them, I had injured my knee (in marching band!) and was on crutches. I was supposed to "dress out" which entailed taking off a brace that went from my hip to my ankle, change into shorts and then put the contraption back on. I could not do this fast enough, so I got graded down.....the only C in my high school career. The teacher was a jerk.

[Laura in CA]

New York state: 4 years required. Boys and girls completely separate (MUCH better!!!); many sex-specific sports (we did field hockey, they did wrestling, etc.).

9th and 10th grades: MWF

11th and 12th grades: TTh

 

California (where we moved): 2 years. Coed (horrible idea)

 

 

okay, I probably shouldn't bring this up - I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about it ... but here goes:

 

My son attended the local ps for a few years and had to take one year of PE. Because of stupid rules designed to get the females to actually participate, and lax supervision by the PE teacher, my son was injured (scary! hit in the eye by some unsecured sports equipment). I contacted the administration and told them my son would NOT be participating in PE until I was assured he'd be safe. UNbelievable. I'm not sure I would have had that much chutzpah if we hadn't homeschooled for many years and I knew we didn't have to submit to this nonsense.

 

[Luanne]

Colorado, early '80s.  I think 1 year was required. I probably took three.  I loved PE.  We had a variety of things to choose from ... tennis, basketball, softball, soccer, badminton, track, flag football, handball, racquetball, etc.  I took most of these.  Each one was usually one semester for 2-3 days per week.

[Slartibartfast]

Any sport counted when I was in high school. Marching band counted as a sport. ;)

 

If we moseyed in marching band the director would have had an apoplexy.

 

 

:lol:

[texasmama]

I don't remember. lol  I do recall dressing out for PE as a freshman.  I also took bowling for at least a semester my senior year.  That was fun.

[gaillardia]

Sounds like Lanny & I should be sittin' in our rockers, canes nearby, to keep up with you young 'uns 'n' whippersnappers.

[JenneinCA]

California, graduated for high school in 1989

We wore shorts or sweats and a tshirt with the school logo on it.

No showers for anyone. I believe they turned off the water to the showers to enforce this.

 

Two years of pe. Ninth grade was mandatory and split by gender. It was back when grades 7-9 were junior high school.

I took pe in the fall of tenth grade, football, basketball, volleyball, and basketball. I was totally awful compared the the much larger and stronger guys. I did softball team in the spring and that counted for pe. I played softball all three years, so had more than enough pe credits.

 

Other kids used band, dance, and other sports for pe credit too. If I had known to ask about it I didn't need to take that pe class in tenth grade...

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I think after 7-8th grade it was an elective or sport....that's the last grades I remember taking PE.....

[flyingiguana]

Believe me, you can get quite the workout in marching band. Blowing full blast into a wind instrument while simultaneously highstepping along. Even more if you're hauling a tuba or a big drum. Really gets the heart pumping.

 

I got way more exercise in marching band than I ever did in any PE class.

 

But back when I was in high school, I suspect PE was more of a jobs program for teachers who couldn't succeed in anything else.

 

The glimpses I get of PE these days, it seems those teachers have more going on than just verbally abusing children and looking at them naked.

[Cinder]

My school had a unique set-up. At one point in time all boys had to take JROTC all 4 years. By the time I got there it was down to 2--classes were every other day. Girls had to take home-ec for one semester. So while I was in school I had to take 2 years PE plus 1 semester home-ec. Boys had to take 1 year PE, 2 years JROTC.

 

Freshman year we were split boys/girls. Girls had running first semester where we ran about 1.5 miles per day; the semester culminated in a 10K. Boys had various options first semester and ran second semester. Among the options I took for PE were jazz dance, self-defense, soccer, cycling and life-saving. If you couldn't run for the running semester you were allowed a swim option. Our PE teachers specialized so the running teacher only taught running. The soccer teacher also taught cycling. Life-saving teacher taught self-defense and golf.

 

The year after I graduated they dropped the JROTC req and made a combo req that included so many credits of JROTC, PE and home ec with at least one year PE in that mix.