By Elizabeth Daniel
Staff Writer

One of the most anxiety raising classes that high school students dread in their day is gym class. Although there a plenty of students that take gym class as seriously as an Olympic title, there are just as many students that absolutely despise the idea of showcasing their inability to perform as well as others.

A couple of years ago, Neshaminy High School got rid of the selection process that let students pick what gym activities they wanted to be a part of. They could pick from traditional sports, climbing, and even yoga. Options were offered that suited many different preferences. Students would rather have the option to choose what class they’ll take for the year and it is for this and other reasons that gym class option should be brought back.

When students are forced to participate in something, it has been proven that they end up disliking the activity in and even outside of school. This leads to less exercise and can contribute to the issue of childhood obesity. Giving students the options makes them feel more in control and less like they’re being forced to do something that they do not want to do. There were a variety of options that accommodated different interests and satisfied almost everyone.

“I liked the old gym options better because we got to choose our classes and when you don’t like a class you don’t participate. Also, when we got to choose our classes we got me be in a class with kids that had similar interests as us,” senior Louis Sottnick said.

Another reason why students preferred the selection process rather than the regular gym class rotation is because they pressure of doing well in front of their peers were less of a weight on their shoulders. Those that aren’t as athletic as others feel exposed and judged in an area where they are already insecure. This experience can be mortifying for some.

When students were given the selection process they could choose an activity that they could perform better in or do something they enjoyed. They could even choose some of the less intense options like walking or yoga.

“When we got to choose what classes we wanted to be in, we didn’t have to worry about the overly competitive students getting upset when we would we did something wrong. I got to do yoga with my friends and it was relaxing.” senior, Elizabeth Herbst, said. Students should be in a friendly environment where they don’t feel intimidated and can get more involved.

If so many students feel this way about the new system, why did we change it in the first place? Phys. Ed. Teacher, Mr. Tenaglia says, “A big part of why we got rid of the selection process was because it allowed the students to be exposed to more options rather than sticking to the same activity for a prolonged time period and giving them a feel for things that they might not have usually tried. It’s all an ongoing process to see what would be best for the students.”