Homeschool physical education

By Kaleel Grantham

Physical education, well known as PE, is one of the classes offered in public school. However, do homeschool students have as much access to physical education as public school students? Many people continue to wonder if PE is even mandatory for homeschool students. Homeschool students could rack up PE credits by taking part in seasonal sports leagues at their local school district, camps, and even classes. Even through hobbies of their choice, such as lifting weights, running, nature walks, biking, ballet, martial arts, gymnastics, and many more options based on a poll within TEACH-NW students.

Time management is one of the biggest challenges for homeschooled student athletes with all the requirements and obligations of their sports. Especially, if they are on a team sport where they have daily practices, weekly games, film studies, weight room obligations, and more. Israel, Elijah, a student at Teach NW stated, “people should join sports because it’s fun and good for your health.” Studentswhoplay sports develop to be healthier, more fit, and happier within their mental health.

Sports is an investment, not just of time, but also within their fitness. For some people, sports is their whole world, and others might just play the sport to try something new, it’s a matter of their interest with how much they’re willing to put into the sport. There are a lot of things you can learn from being involved in physical education including teamwork, having good sportsmanship, and mental toughness. "I've learned how to put in the work so I could get better, because before I was completely focused on basketball and working out, I was just playing video games, even though I still liked to play and wanted to improve my game, I wasn't motivated to take the next step.” says Elijah

There are many things you could do in PE to keep yourself fit, healthy, and strong. There are many ways to achieve those health goals that are more available for everyone and their schedules and hobbies. Some examples include running, swimming, gym, hiking, yoga, tennis, weightlifting, and so much more. “My favorite thing to do is probably going to the gym because I’ve been doing that the most,”says Elijah.

In conclusion, physical education is an important subject for all students whether they are homeschooled or attend public school. Homeschooled students have full access to participation in individual and team sports, allowing them to build the skills they need to develop into stronger student athletes or help them gain other skills such as sportsmanship, dedication, mental toughness, and the ability to grow in fitness. Homeschool students are required to turn in work samples of their physical education activities, where they receive credit based off of the hours that they spend during the Semester. Spending 120 hours earns them a full PE credit, and 60 hours earns half of a credit. It is highly recommended that homeschooled students get involved in sports.