High School Athletic Practice

Fungo, I had never heard of kids being allowed to use class time for their sport before I came to HSBBW. I think folks here would have a fit... although the kids would surely love it!

Here, practices are sometime after school and on weekends. The times vary based on availability of the facilities. You might practice right after school or you might have to return at 7:00 pm, or you might have to be at school at 7:00 am for your practice... just depends on the sport and the time requirements needed for the sport.

I agree with you BTW, school time is just that... time to learn and focus on academics.

When my son was in HS he had PE in the final period and his coach was the teacher--he never had to attend so long as the coach knew he was in school that day

My son's school does it much as Fungo describes. Each semester, students take 8 classes and they are staggered, with 4 classes on "A" days and 4 classes on "B" days. A typical 2-week period will look like this:
Week 1 - Mon (A); Tues (B); Wed (A); Thurs (B); Fri (A)
Week 2 - Mon (B); Tues (A); Wed (B); Thurs (A); Fri (B)

Each class lasts 1 1/2 hours. If you're taking a 1-year course such as English or geometry, you take it all year. Other courses, such as government or speech, last only 1 semester.

Anyone in music (band/orchestra/choir) or athletics (all sports) takes that class for one period of every day, so in effect they are taking 6 academic classes and 2 activities classes. For my son, that means attending academic classes plus a 30-minute lunch from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and baseball class from 2:30-4 p.m. each day. As you can imagine, he loves it!

This past year, my son transferred from a private school to this public school. My son's private school team was a very good one, making it to the state tournament in May 2006, but we have seen a vast difference in the quality of training plus emphasis on the sport at his public school. At the private school, there was no athletic class for baseball and players were on their own for conditioning. At the public school, there is athletic class year-round, where the coach is able to focus on weight-training, speed training, drills, scrimmages, etc. Actual baseball practice begins in late January and occurs from 4 to around 6 or 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The varsity baseball team has at least 4 members who also play football. They have football class the first class of each day and are not enrolled in baseball class, but they get their conditioning in football.

Many, many schools in Texas structure their school days and practices this way. Perhaps this is one of the reasons there are so many good baseball players in Texas! Academically, as long as the players take several AP or honors classes, they do absolutely fine in college. My son's school has an extremely competitive atmosphere not only on the field, but also in the classroom, with high-achieving students who are spurred on by their high-achieving parents.

The school system in our city allows for an athletic class period and you can take baseball, football, etc or a more traditional PE.
You do not have to be on the team to be in the designated class (but you do have to be on the team to be double blocked - see below....
You can also take a class period dedicated to drill team, band, choir, theater, art, and so on. Band, choir, etc. have class periods designated for their "performing" group which you do have to be assigned by the director to be in that class period.

We, too, were on a block but it rotated every day so A Day will be M-W-F this week and T-T next week with B Day T-T this week and M-W-F next week.
Baseball was a single block in the fall but double blocked (resulting daily class) in spring. Football may have been double blocked all year...not 100% sure on that though...but this is a Texas ISD afterall...

Mine was double blocked year-round in choir (Show Choir one day, Concert Choir the other) and baseball in spring so he took summer school classes for 2 years to ensure that all of his other credits would be completed without conflict. He actually had a VERY light academic load his senior year.

I can't really say that the baseball class time was beneficial to making for a better team. In fact, he often complained how little time they spent playing. They did field maintenance, played basketball, had study hall, etc. as often as a day on the field or in the weight room. On the other hand, I doubt he would have been willing to give up the class.

My kids HS has been on the block system for years.
Third block my son took a PE class as his elective classes. Softball, tennis, weight lifting 1, weight lifting 2. etc. but never used this time to practice for baseball, even though his coach was the instructor for most of the classes. Many times they did do field maintenance. One of the reasons they set it up this way was so that for away games, when they had to leave early, they were not missing anything important.
I liked the block system, by son's senior year he was essentially done with all his required classes for graduation and more than qualified for the clearinghouse and was able to take a very light load his last semester. Many advanced students from the HS either left for college early or took college credit classes in the neighboring community college.

My son’s school has a block schedule like Fungo. Four classes the first semester and a different four classes the second. This past school year (son was a sophomore) the school started scheduling all PE’s and other activities the last class of the day. This works out great for everyone. When my son was a freshman, he had English I the last class of the day and he missed 2 classes a week due to traveling with the varsity baseball team. Son will be a junior and that is the only B he has had on his report card. We are blessed he didn’t end up with a C or D. Anyway, I feel schools should do everything to promote athletics, band, choir, and clubs, so I am pleased with the current scheduling. I realize this is a lot of time spent in PE or workouts, but my son will end up with plenty of extra credits when he is a senior (if he continues on the path he is on). I don’t see any harm unless the kid is really struggling in school.

This is absolutely amazing. I had no idea that school systems around the country allowed this. I find it revealing and now understand why the U.S. ranks so low in the math and science. This is an absolute travesty and a waste of taxes. Schools can promote other activities, but reading, writing and arithmetic should consume the school day. Choir, band, sports and those extra activities should take place after hours.

Deldad,

PE, Choir, Band, and other clubs are considered electives, which are required to graduate. These electives have to be taken, so why not take them the last class of the day? Sorry if I didn’t make myself clear. Education always comes first in my family. When my son is a senior he will have the necessary credits for college, plus extra time during the school day to take two college courses that are taught at his high school.

In some states it is against the high school associations to practice during the school day. Many schools have that I know of have Athletic P.E. and in doing so, incorporate a time for athletes to do skills work in a particular sport. However, that can only be done in the confines of a class comprised of several different students who participate in several different sports. Therefore, the instructor or coach in some cases, due to liability can't "coach" their particular sport. The school I teach at has chosen to make "Athletic P.E." a class where students alternate plyometrics and lift weights in the "Bigger, Faster, Stronger Program."

As a Teacher first and coach second, I'm not in favor of dedicating school time to athletics. As a parent, I'd be hacked off if my child were forced to take a course for their sport while not being able to take physics or any other A.P Course.

Due to block scheduling, my son's math/science classes consisted of algebra, geometry, physics, calculus, biology, chemistry, anatomy as examples, PLUS required years of English, language, world history, geography, american gov't, economics, speech, classes, work program, etc. All were honors classes.
I think a few classes of PE (that was required) does any harm.

This coming year, apart from daily baseball class, my son will be taking senior English, pre-calculus, physics, government/economics, geology/oceonography, and art. I hardly consider this a lightweight course load.

Being something of an education policy geek, I have looked into the question of whether block scheduling is a benefit or detriment to academic achievement.

Many high schools have gone to the block schedule (our high school included.) The argument in favor is because certain classes (such as sciences, with labs) require more than the 50 minute periods, that block schedules allow for more in depth teaching and better learning.

The reality is much different, the data show. What really happens is that teachers cover less material in a block schedule than in a five day/50 minute schedule.

If you have five 50-minute math classes in a week, there will be a lesson each day, problems assigned, etc. If you have two or three (depending on the week) 90-minute math classes, the teacher knows the attention span of high schoolers will not allow for 40% more content to be delivered each class, so what really happens is a lesson is covered, then class time is used for homework.

During the course of the year, substantially less material is covered, and more homework is done at school vs. at home.

I've seen this not just in my own kids' school, but in the national data on how much material is covered in block schedule vs. 50 minute periods.

As to sports/PE - physical education is a legitimate content area, but one that is for the most part wasted with trivial activities in high schools.

I always thought that participating in varsity sports should suffice to earn the PE credit, thereby freeing up time in the schedule to take academic courses.

Sadly, my son's school does not offer this option (does anybodies?) So next year my son has signed up for an "advanced physical training" PE credit, so at least he will be able to do some real workouts for 90 minutes two or three times a week.

I should mention that in my school, students do have to make a choice between athletic p.e. and A.P. Science. This due to the length of labs. We are not on block schedule but our A.P. Courses are longer.

My son's high school just switched to block scheduling this year. No althlectic class unless it was a general PE class - and then only for 1/2 a year. What we found happening is exactly what Rob Kremer described - less material was covered in the 80 minute every other day classes and the extra time was used to complete the homework. Here, students/coaches are not allowed to "officially" work out for baseball until March 1.

Waste of taxpayer's money. I'm sure all the non-athletic parents would like to have that money back. I know that I would. I am not interested in state sponsored athletic lessons during school time. If you don't need that time to learn shut the doors and send the kids home. Save us all some money.

Block scheduling is a disaster.

I think we're confusing block scheduling with what Fungo is asking regarding time for athletics during class periods. We have block schedule at my kid's HS with A and B days - a total of eight classes each of two semesters. You have four of them on B and four of them on A day. However, none of these classes can be used for athletic practices, games, or anything to do with athletics. As a matter of fact, here you're not allowed to miss school for an athletic event - to leave 15 minutes early is like pulling teeth. In the instance a sport makes it to a state tournament is typically the only exception.

Block scheduling has many benefits, and again, doesn't necessarily have anything to do with athletics.

I can't believe how many schools offer sports during the class day as has been described here.

Our school has 8 periods a day that are approx 50 minutes long. We offer PE and weight lifting all but 5/6 periods. 5th and 6th hours have lunch inserted in.

We have some teachers that allow athletes to leave a few minutes early to get taped, see the ATC, etc both on practice days and on game days as needed. Away games we get out 15 minutes before departure time. For baseball, that is no earlier than 2:30 departure times.

This year I had a study hall 8th period so I was a PE helper. PE instructor is the basketball coach and weights instructor is the football coach. I'd help them with whatever. During the fall, I would go set up the practice field some days for football and on Fridays I spent the entire period getting stuff ready for the game. A couple days this spring I was sent out to work on the baseball field during that period. We never practiced anything during that period though!


As big of a fan I am of athletics, I can't agree with having "athletic periods" and please don't even get me started about the band and chorus!

Most block schedules do not allow for an "athletic" period. School gets out at 3:20 and then sports practices can begin. The 'athletic period' would never fly where I am. We've had block schedule for about 10 years...

There is very little waste of time or money in my district... I can't speak for anyone else.

I did not see any CA posters chime in, so I will describe our district.

We have 7 periods a day. For athletes, the 7th period is considered PE, but they are allowed to practice and travel to games, etc.

I don't beleive that PE is mandatory all 4 years anymore.

we have 7 classes a day.If you are in varsity athletics,youre 7th hour is the beginning of practice.

I like it,gives us time to use daylight,before we have to move to the indoor when it gets dark.

Real quick side note is that I cannot see how block scheduling works - studies have shown that a kids attention span only lasts about 35 minutes. So why add another hour to that?

My school offers the 55 minute 7 period day and I think it is perfect (I have taught in block scheduling before and hated it). Our 7th period is an athlete only class and it is for a credit. Technically our athletic director is the teacher (he is a PE teacher for 3 other classes) but almost all the head coaches are free that period and do stuff with their athletes. So technically I don't have a free period all school year but if I have to do something it's no big deal because all the coaches help each other.

We take care of weight lifting and conditioning during this class period. It works out well for us.

The thing I cannot understand is that if an athlete is academically ineligible they have to sit out practice and games (I do NOT have a problem with this - good policy) but band members and chorus members do not have to follow this. They are considered co-curricular (get a credit for their 7th period class) and do not have to sit out.

So if an athlete is failing a core class they are done until the next grading period but if a band / chorus kid is failing a core class they get to continue going to competitions. That is what is wrong because that is hurting the kid.

My son (and daughter's) high school is on a modified block schedule.

7 Periods a day M, Tu, F.

Periods 1,3,5,7 have block on Wednesday
Periods 2,4,6 have block on Thursday
Thursdays also have "office hours" first thing in the AM so that make up tests, meetings with teachers etc can be held during this time slot.

PE is required freshman year only - after that students have to have 1 more year of PE or athletics can substitute.

My son has had both block scheduling and the regular 7 period a day scheduling in high school and he did not see any difference in grades with either schedule.

He was lucky enough to have a baseball class for his "PE" and in that aspect - he loved the block scheduling with an hour and half for conditioning in the fall and practice in the spring.

The baseball class was the last class so it helped with traveling during the season and not missing very many classes.

The only difference with having baseball as a class for 4 years in high school was that he did not have any room in his schedule for very many "fluff elective" classes.

As an educator/coach, or college grad looking for a teaching job (non-P.E. but academically based), I see getting to use a little bit of the school day for practice or traveling to games as a great thing.

I'm in favor of using the last hour or so of the day for an athletic P.E. for the reason that it can get kids home at an hour when they'll be able to get some homework and studying done. The high school I coached at this past year rarely would allow athletic teams to leave before the end of the school day, 3:11. When you play baseball games on school days that start at 4:30 and your bus doesn't arrive to pick you up until 4:00 and you still have a half hour to drive without traffic, the kids have many nights when they don't get home until almost 9 pm because the game didn't start until after 5. If my student athletes were allowed to leave their 8th period class 10 minutes early with a bus that left at 3:15, starting a road game on time would never be a problem. Give us the whole hour to travel, we can probably get a round or two of bp in the tunnel before we left.

I really feel that our administration has dropped the ball when it comes to athletes in this situation because I had players that I would write passes to use during their lunch period to go see teachers or to get into a study hall, because they still had some work or studying to finish up because we got back so late from a game. I honestly feel that I had players this past spring who's grades would have been much better if given a p.e. class the last period of the day that would allow for travel.

Now, thinking as an administrator, or even an a.d., I would love to allow the school's athletes to start their practices the last hour of the school day. This would free up a lot of facility space when gyms or fields need to be used for games. It also allows teams to be able to get some sort of practice in on a day when there isn't any gym space available because of another sport or teams competition. Which early in the spring season happens often where I'm at, and is even worse since we have 3 levels of boys volleyball. Again, being able to practice the last hour of the school day will cut out an hour after school where a student athlete does not have time to do homework or study. Not to mention, it will allow those teachers that coach to have the time to work on lesson plans, grade papers, and maybe even get a little bit of the family time they give up for the well being of their students.

Finally, and I promise I'll be done, what about the costs? Doesn't it cost money to heat and light gyms and to light fields? Not to mention then costs to staff a building that has people coming in and out for different things. Cut an hour off of that every day and your district saves money. And I'm not a big fan of the whole global warming thing, but if most of us are so concerned about our environment, wouldn't an hour being cut off from our building use in every school help the environment? As little of a fan of his as I am, I think Al Gore would agree to that.

quote:

When you play baseball games on school days that start at 4:30 and your bus doesn't arrive to pick you up until 4:00 and you still have a half hour to drive without traffic, the kids have many nights when they don't get home until almost 9 pm because the game didn't start until after 5.

Here, the earliest the games start is 5:00. If they're out of the county, then it's usually 5:30 to allow for travel. We don't use buses, but only parents to transport. Typically if the JV play at 5:00 or 5:30, then the varsity game follows at 7:30 or so. It does make for some long nights, but I still prefer that over missing class time to practice or play ball.

You know, I'd never thought about what coach2709 said though... it is interesting that some of the musical activities don't have to abide by the same academic restrictions/rules that athletics does.... I'd never thought about that. Interesting thought.

I stand on the side of the "co-cirricular" is a different beast.
If my shortstop is on the downlist at my school (2 f's) he's out for the week (just games, he can practice)... If the drummer has all F's but there is a concert that night I believe he should be there banging on that drum as that concert is like a final project for his classwork, we don't have a class called Baseball (dang I wish we did though).

I didn’t even know this block thing existed. My sons schedule last year was something like this:

1. Leave house at 6:30 AM
2. 1st Class at 7:10
3. Algebra 2 - 50 or so minutes
4. Language arts - 50 or so minutes
5. Spanish - 50 or so minutes
6. Lunch – 20 minutes
7. History - 50 or so minutes
8. Science - 50 or so minutes
9. Computer Science - 50 or so minutes
10. Home room – for what, I have no idea
11. Game day – stay at school – BP at 4:30
12. Game at 7 or 7:30
13. Field maintenance till about 10:30
14. Home at 11 – Homework and bite to eat till midnight

I’m getting tired just typing this

We have a mixed block schedule some classes are 50 minutes others cover two regular classes or about 100 minutes. All extra curricular activities, including sports, marching band, cheerleading, and knowledge bowl are done after school and on Saturdays. Colorado prohibits any coach/player contact on Sundays.

at our school we have 7 classes a day with each one being around 50 minutes. you can come in before school to lift weights or you can lift weights during a study hall or after school. our baseball program only has jv and varsity so they both play at the same time and those games start at 4:30. school ends at 3:05 and we just go straight to the locker room and out on the field and start warming up. we almost always get out of school early if we have an away game. i wish we could practice during school like some of you guys can.

This all started over our schools low standardized test scores. The school board recently eliminated all fourth block athletic practice saying the elimination would increase test scores. The community overwhelmingly disagreed with the school board and supported fouth block athletics. The athletes standardized test scores are among the highest in the schools. Last night at the school board meeting the board said they would not reconsider. "We want to concentrate on educating our students. We are doing a disservice to our young women and men (by keeping fourth block practice)."

Foote told attendees that board members have done the research on systems that have fourth block practice.

"There are only two states that allow athletic practice during the day and that's Tennessee and Texas," Foote said. "I don't know how we can continue to justify keeping fourth block practice when in conversations with the state we are months or a year or so from being taken over (under No Child Left Behind)."

In addition to the academic and practice schedule my son is also expected to be at weightlifting 4 days a week at 6:30 am during the summer and 4 days a week during the fall semester and 2 days a week during the season.

So much for sleep and healing, and other minor details.