Old School PE: What Were They Thinking?

Welcome back PE Nation!

Today I revisit the PE practices many of us grew up with—public showers, shirts versus skins, elimination games, captains’ picks—and show how small changes create safer, more inclusive classes. Stories from the 70s and 80s meet modern fixes that keep kids moving without shame.

• why public showers and rigid swimming norms erode psychological safety
• how pinnies replace shirts versus skins without fuss
• designing re-entry rules so elimination games keep everyone active
• small-sided games to increase touches and learning
• equitable team formation without public ranking
• reframing fitness testing toward growth, not humiliation
• safer alternatives to risky legacy games
• what to keep from tradition and what to retire

Let's keep the good stuff and do away with the bad,

Dave

-Check out supersizedphysed.com for more resources, including free PDFs, articles, and courses to help with your PE program. Please leave a review to help grow this podcast and keep pushing our profession forward.

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-Free resources include Substack and Medium articles with PE tips, games, and strategies

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-Paperback or download: HERE

-Amazon Ebook: HERE

Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Stage For Old School PE
• 0:36 Growing Up Gym Class In The 80s
• 2:10 The Swimming And Showering Saga
• 3:50 Shirt vs Skins And Alternatives
• 6:59 Square Dancing And Forced Pairing
• 9:21 Elimination Games And Better Designs
• 11:21 Captains, Picking Teams, And Fixes
• 13:04 Honorable Mentions And Safer Choices
• 14:24 Cowbell Tip And Closing CTA

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:06

Hello and welcome to the Super Science Fizz Head Podcast. My name is Dave, and today we're gonna talk old school. Yes, old school phys head, old school physical education, and what were they thinking? So without further ado, here we go. All right, everybody, welcome in. So um just in FYI, I grew up in the late 70s and early 80s, um, as as far as my I guess my childhood. Um I grew up, I'll I'll give you the year. I was 1972, I was born, so that makes me super old. And I uh so my teenage years were in the 80s, let's just say, and um, well, obviously, and uh, you know, I really enjoyed PE class. I did. I I really did. Of course, it was gym class. It was called gym class because in the gym. And, you know, I had a good childhood. I I did. I and PE, I really enjoyed it. Uh, one thing I did not like in PE was swimming, by the way. That was my least favorite thing. And I guess we'll talk a little bit more about that as we go. But for the most part, I really enjoyed PE. I enjoyed, yes, dodgeball. I we don't do dodgeball anymore, but I enjoyed dodgeball. I enjoyed, I was good at it. I was good at a lot of sports. I wasn't great, but I was really good and I excelled at it and I enjoyed it and uh, you know, had friends. And although a lot of people did not like it, including my wife, um, she hated PE, which again, that's it goes on to kind of what we're gonna talk about today, which is uh just some old school practices that um I they're kind of head scratching now. And unfortunately, some things still take place, and again, we'll talk about that as we go. But uh, some are really bad. I'm glad they're they're done with. Um, I'm gonna go I'm starting with the first thing. So the first thing, and I'll make I'll make it a boomer in a moment here, but um I had this conversation with my dad, uh, it was probably about a year ago, and I I did not know this. Um, so one of the things I hated to do was swimming in PE. And that was I that was in high school. We didn't have a a middle school um pool. So I don't think so. I could be wrong. So we just swam in high school and I hated it. We had a you know shower in front of our friends, which again, that'll we'll come back to that. We'll circle back to a lot of these things. And uh, you know, I was it was just going back to class after that, you're all wet and whatnot. And back then I had hair and you had to kind of do your hair, and um, I sure wasn't very easy for girls or anybody with long hair. And uh it was just a mess. But talking to my dad, I was I I had no idea that they he used to have to swim naked in front of his uh in front of everybody, in front of the boys. It was all boys swimming naked in front of boys in PE class and like at the local pool and stuff like that. And girls got to swim with these, you know, school-issued, I don't know if the government-issued swimsuits or whatever. And I was doing some research on this because I was dying laughing when he told me all these stories. But it has something to do with the germs or some kind of I don't even know. No one seems to know. It's all about germs and chlorine and chemicals and um I don't know. But either way, I'm glad they changed the practices when I was in high school. Um, it was only like a decade removed from that. It was like in the 70s they did that up until then. And so uh I'm glad I was born in the 70s and had high school in the 80s and uh graduated in 1990. So, anyways, here's some more head scratching things of of the past, I think mostly of the past. And unfortunately, some of these are still around and we just need to do better. So here's number one. Number one is showering in front of your peers. And this was one of those things when I was in uh elementary school, it was kind of looming over me and over a lot, I think a lot of kids. We we knew eventually this would be coming. We uh in you know, middle school, it was you were expected to change and shower in front of your friends and enemies as well. And we weren't swimming naked, which is good, but it was close second. There was no uh privacy. It was like a almost what I call it, like a prison-style shower, um, with you know, just stations of whatever faucets and a lot of kids. And wow, what could go wrong there, huh? So it was it was just an ultimate embarrassment. Um, I remember trying not to get sweaty so I didn't have to shower after class. Um, I wasn't like one of the cool kids. I was fine, you know, but I wasn't one of the the jocks. They got right in there and they were like, yeah, this is cool, man. Uh but you know, I wasn't like that. And a lot of people were not like that. And, you know, I'm not sure about every school in the country today, but my son's in tenth grade and my daughter's in eighth grade, and they don't have to experience this, which is good. You know, social norms have changed and uh they can shower if they want. I again I've been doing some research on this, um, but they're rarely rarely used. Most kids just slap on some deodorant and I mean hopefully they they do and get changed in the stall and go to the next class. Um, I'm just glad this is, I think, mostly a thing of the past, and it's just again, it's more about the embarrassment and the humiliation and you know, everything goes with it. So, and that's with most of most of these I'm gonna talk about today. So that's number one, showering in front of other people. Number two, shirts versus skins. This became a math problem really fast. As you're looking down the line when the coach is saying shirts, skins, shirts, skins, you're like, oh man, what am I gonna be? What am I gonna be? And hopefully you were a shirt if you're a boy, at least for me. Um, I did not get picked to be a shirt all the time, obviously, because it was another embarrassing thing that, you know, I just don't want other kids to go through. I don't want my son to go through that. Um, unless you were ripped like Arnold Schwarzenegger back then, which very rarely anybody was, um, you know, it would be very, you know, embarrassing. The word's embarrassing for with a lot of these things. And it's funny because I I one of our well, at least my kids when we were growing up, uh when they were growing up, one of their favorite movies is Diver Won't be kid, and the uh chubbier friend of his, um, oh gosh, I can't think of his name. But he kind of made fun, like he was just kind of playing around with his stomach, like making noises. And so he he he made it into like a joke kind of thing. Um you know, if I guess if you're funny or you're ripped, it's one of the two. But I was neither. And it just was one of those things that's just not good, just not good. Um, you can see the girls look kind of or maybe they weren't, but I felt like they were like staring at me from across the gym on the other side. Um, I'm sure they were not looking at me, but still not a good practice. Luckily, pennies or jerseys became a thing, and it made everything better. So let's keep that going. All right, number four is square dancing. And I'm sorry, I think I just might have realized my microphone was not plugged in. And so if it sounds a little better now, I hope it does. Um, that's this one. If not, I'll go back and check it out. So I I remember this feeling as well, square dancing. It happened in fourth grade, and I don't know why, but the Virginia Reel must have been on the P standard list back then. I don't know. I don't know what's going on with that. So the day of the unit, the coaches gave us about five minutes to find a partner. And then if we didn't find a partner, he would randomly have a girl's line and a boy's line, and we just kind of like pair up. So uh I just remember this. I'm here's what I remember. I would tie my shoes and try to look busy while I glance up at the girls and kind of like, oh I don't know, whatever. Um, and I don't want to end up with a girl I didn't like and hold hands with a with any girl, yuck. Right. But um I got a big surprise, which I was really, really happy about. The prettiest girl in my class, I don't know why I cannot remember her name. She walked up to me and asked if I would be her partner. And I I just couldn't believe it. I really I was like in shock. Again, give me a lot of street cred after that. I'm not, I'm not gonna lie. Um, but she asked and I said yes, and I didn't know she knew my name. Um, and so we we danced. And I, in my mind, it was I was Fred Astair, and she was, I don't know, is it Ginger Rogers, Ginger or somebody? I don't know. But you know, we had fun. Um, and the other boys, I don't know if they're really jealous of me or not, but I felt like they were, and I'm gonna stick to that. Um, but I think it's I still think it's not a great idea and not a great thing to do with due to kids, um, just pairing them up like that and and again, just the embarrassment. I don't know, especially when you're in fourth grade, just doing that to kids. Um, and we did it not I I the music teacher at my former school did it. I don't know if she still does, but uh it's a good 10 or so years ago, and I helped out with it. I think it was third grade. Um, you know, I don't know. If if you make it uh if you make it less uncomfortable for kids, and she did, she did a great job, she's a great teacher. Um, that's okay. Um, I just don't, you know, I don't have bad memories of that, um, although I did have, you know, good memories of that day, but bad memories in general of it. So let's not do that. Number four is elimination games. And it's not just dodgeball, so I'm not wanting to get a big debate here, but that is part of it, I guess. It's any game where students are eliminated from the game and then sit out for a long period of time. Now, some teachers still play these type of games, and I just I feel like it needs to stop or just modify it. So just kids sitting around is just not good for them, obviously. And it's also embarrassing if you're the first one out of a game. So it also goes for relay races where there's like 10 kids in a line. You know, I've seen these games on social media, and I remember that rock, paper, scissors, hulloop game, you know, where two kids are doing rock, paper, scissors, and hopping, and 20 kids are cheering. Um, or those, you know, uh tic-tac-toe games. Again, if you make it three in a line or something like that, I the most I ever have is four in a line on a relay race, and that's usually kindergarten because they get tired out. So I'd say no more than four in a line for a relay race, um, things like that. Or if you're eliminating, you shouldn't be eliminating. Get let kids get get back in the game. Either perform an exercise, an activity, you know, they get cup stack, or they get freed from another student by, you know, tagging. Um, you know, I'll give you an example. When we play uh just a let's just say a simple tag game. Yeah, um, they'll be frozen, uh, somebody has to unfreeze them by tagging them, or they have to go off to the side and do like you know 10 jumper jacks or something. Something like that. Um, just elimination games just aren't great. I think we need to keep kids moving, and that's number four. Number five is captains picking teams. Do you remember getting picked last? Um, I do. Not very often, but I've it's happened. And I just, it sucks. It's embarrassing. Um, you know, like most things on this list, the word it is mostly embarrassing. No one wants to get, you know, picked last, and that means no one wants you on their team, and it means they're stuck with you, and it's just a bad feeling. And I don't want my students to have that feeling. So I do have captains sometimes. Now, what I do is I let them pick like one or two friends to be on the team. And by the way, they're the ones that help me uh maybe demonstrate the game. And then I'm like, okay, pick two friends to be on your team, and then I'll disperse the rest. And if it's a game like hockey with stick colors or something, I'll just kind of randomly pass out sticks or jerseys, things like that. Um, you could use apps like Team Shake to randomize teams. Um, it's just things like that. Like, don't let kids get picked last. And I actually had to tell my one of my coaches recently, uh, it was a couple years ago. Uh there were a parent complained that he did that. I didn't know he was doing that. And I'm like, you just dude, you just can't do that. Just do it a different way. So that is number five. Captains picking teams. Let's do better. All right, I'm gonna give you a few honorable mentions here. I'm not gonna go into great detail, but uh here's I'll give you three large group team sports. So 11v11, let's get rid of that. Do, you know, uh at the most six v6 games of anything, soccer, kickball, uh, baseball, whatever. Just let's get rid of the 11v11 where two kids touch the ball the whole time. It's just not good, not good practice. Uh fitness testing. Now, again, some uh teachers have to, it's like mandated, but if you don't have to, like I don't have to anymore, I don't do it. It just I don't think it's a great practice for elementary school, especially. Now, if you're doing goal setting and showing progress, you know, student individual kind of growth that's different, especially with the older kids. Um, no problem with that at all. But I just don't feel like uh doing push-ups, doing one push-up in the fall and then one and a half in the spring is really showing a lot, and it's not great. And I'd say dangerous games like Red Rover. I don't know why. I've I think some people still play that game, which is unbelievable. So just make sure if you're doing an old school game, it's it's safe, right? Safe, inclusive, kids are moving, kids aren't eliminated, all that stuff we've talked about. So that is the I guess the honorable mentions. And now it is time for your cowbell tip of the day. All right, so your tip of the day is to just learn from the past. Now, I'm not saying I'm perfect, and you know, I I do keep some traditions alive with some games and things from way back when, like jump over the brook. That's one I do. It's like a long jump thing. I just do it during the kids' heart challenge. I don't do it like for a unit, but you know, try to keep some things alive. That's okay. But don't do things that are just either dangerous or embarrassing for kids. Um, just kind of take note of that in your program. Let's learn from our old PE classes, take the good, and do away with the bad, please. And that is your cowbell tip of the day. Thank you everybody for tuning in today. I really do appreciate it. As always, go to supersizefized.com for more information and follow me on Substack. I have links to my medium articles on there. Um, all my ebooks and actually my paper or downloaded uh book, my Amazon book, um, is on there as well. So if you want to support the show, that's a great way to do it. Or just click on that link in the show notes where you can give me a five-star review. I hope if I've given you any value, please do so. I'd love it. And with that, PE Nation, you guys and girls are awesome. Take care. Have a great day, week, weekend, whenever you're listening to this, and let's keep pushing our profession forward.