Gym class is a requirement for most high school students, but should it be required for athletes?

Students who play sports have a lot on their plates. Sports, of course, take up a lot of time with practices averaging 2 hours and games which can go on for as much as 4 hours when there are Freshman, Junior Varsity, and Varsity games, one after the other. Along with sports, athletes have to make time for their homework and study time.

Besides school related activities, they also need to make time for a social life, volunteer projects, and jobs. Society puts a huge expectation on high schoolers, which makes it extremely hard for students to manage their time.  

Gym class can be pretty pointless for athletes seeing as they’re getting a lot more exercise playing their sports. Some units in gym include stress management or walking. Why should an athlete have to waste their time talking about their feelings or doing two loops around our mediocre track when they can be catching up on homework in a DLT?

It may not seem like a 45-minute free period helps, but students can get a lot done. We have been cramming school work since they walked through those doors freshman year, 45 minutes can be enough to do almost all their homework.

“Physical education shall be taught as a required subject in all grades for all students in the public schools for the purpose of promoting the physical well-being of students.” according to MA state law. Athletes should not have to partake in gym class during the duration of their sport, they should be given a DLT.

Gym class should only be required for kids who don’t play sports so they can get at least 45 minutes of exercise. Athletes have enough to worry about and they should be rewarded for choosing to be active instead of wasting their time. As an athlete, I can say that gym class has always been a waste of my time. I have never broken a sweat in gym class yet, when I’m playing my sports I go home sore and have to ice my body. By that point I’m so exhausted I don’t even want to look at my backpack.

Athletes get enough exercise playing their sports every day rather than 45 minutes 2-3 times a week. They shouldn’t have to worry about not graduating if they miss a few gym classes when they’re already getting a fitness education outside of a gymnasium.