Presidential fitness challenge

[Trimbandit]

Back from a 22 year hiatus is the presidential fitness challenge for kids.
I vaguely remember doing it in school all those years ago.
This isn't intended to start a fight or point political fingers. I just want to know peoples thoughts on the return of this challenge.

To me it seems like a step in the right direction. I think there is value in that measurement not necessarily on a person to person basis but measure a kids progress from year to year.

 

[TheTone]

I definitely remember doing it in school and think it’s a good thing for kids to have some measures of fitness. My friends and I were really into it and definitely competed for the best mile time

I’ll stay out of the politics of the messengers for it

 

[Poser]

I went to public school in a rural/semirural area through the 80s and early 90s. I have 0 recollection of it. I can't say that I ever even heard of it until it came back up recently in the news cycle. My recollection of elementary PE is climbing ropes to the gym ceiling with no pads on the floor, putting the small kids in the middle of parachutes and tossing them in the air, and..... square dancing?
Otherwise, it was mostly just playground time with the highlight being "Thunderdome" fights in the climberdome.

 

[Chrisamx]

I remember it. Started by JFK I think. Wasn't thrilled with it and I would rather be playing kickball or something else

 

[Ten Bears]

We had it in Detroit Public Schools. We had a former Marine drill instructor come in and show us the ropes. Dude was flat out hilarious. Total blast.

 

[5MilesBack]

I always looked forward to it every year, was a big competition back in the day for all us farm kids.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

They did it during middle school gym in the mid 90s, I thought it was fun and a challenge. My kids do pacer testing in gym right now a few times a year which I think is just shuttle runs, I'm not sure if they do any other fitness metrics.

Anything that encourages some fitness and friendly competition and keeps a healthy mindset around it is a positive thing in my opinion. Thus much of the success or failure falls with the execution of an idea by the teachers/culture in a given school.

 

[ODB]

Did it. As much as I complained, having a standard to meet did help motivate. Young boys giving each other shit in anticipation of the test was a good thing. Actually built some camaraderie.

 

[ddowning]

We need a culture of greatness again. I remember it from when I was young. It was gone by the time I was in middle school. I am a very tall lanky build. When I was a kid I had zero strength or agility. Everyone thought of my pe teacher as an asshole, but he pushed me to get the president's physical fitness award. I learned the premise of monotonous, consistent, hard work in order to be successful. Those lessons have helped me a lot in life since. In fact, thinking about it, I should probably stop and shake his hand and thank him for most of the things I have been fortunate enough to accomplish.

 

[Cornhusker]

I did the test as a kid in the 60's and 70's and then gave it to kids until they quit doing it. I gave the test for 40 years as a teacher/coach. The tests has value as a motivator. As an example the test used to have a 600 yard run which changed to a mile in the 80's I believe. If you just run the 600/mile for the test it has little value but if you train for it at the beginning of class each day for an extended period of time it has value. We always started the kids running 400 the first 2 weeks of school the 800 for 2 weeks 1200 2 weeks and then the mile so they are training everytime they have P.E. We also did the strength, flexibility and shuttle run elements training. This adds a lot of value. I guess the funny part is some of the kids that earned the patches in the 80's kept them and still have them. I think the mental aspect to teach kids mental toughness and competitive drive really helped them athletically when they reached high school. The high school track district and state championships were really won in the training that occured when the kids were in elementary and middle school.

 

[Laramie]

We are too soft as a society. I appreciate the effort, but I truly believe most of the kids, and many of the parents, have lost any kind of competitive edge. Everyone is too worried about equal and fair and trophies for everyone if they show up. Parents need to do their damn job. Sorry for offending you fluffy guys.

 

[average]

We are too soft as a society. I appreciate the effort, but I truly believe most of the kids, and many of the parents, have lost any kind of competitive edge. Everyone is too worried about equal and fair and trophies for everyone if they show up. Parents need to do their damn job. Sorry for offending you fluffy guys.

At the risk of being called fluffy, do you actually interact with people? Everyone I know with kids is having to go to sports practices almost daily and traveling hours to complete isn't out of the norm. Far more competitive than the past

 

[gman82001]

At the risk of being called fluffy, do you actually interact with people? Everyone I know with kids is having to go to sports practices almost daily and traveling hours to complete isn't out of the norm. Far more competitive than the past

Id say that’s has to be more of the circle of people you’ve surrounded yourself with. A simple walk in public would scream otherwise. In the 80’s I was THE fat kid in class now it’s more rare to see a group of kids together with multiple skinny kids.

Sure the kids in the sports are more competitive but the larger majority that’s not in sports aren’t.

And yes I’m still fluffy but try and keep it under control and walk on the treadmill almost daily and lift weights 3x weekly. Will turn 50 this week and feel better than I did for many many years

 

[Laramie]

At the risk of being called fluffy, do you actually interact with people? Everyone I know with kids is having to go to sports practices almost daily and traveling hours to complete isn't out of the norm. Far more competitive than the past

If we were in person, you would phrase the question differently.

Less than 5% of kids compete at anything meaningful. I played d1 in college. Coached my kids, at their desire, as far as they chose to go. After, we competed at life... work, sports, games, anything. The problem with society today is people suck but they think they deserve something just for breathing air. Make kids learn how to lose.... and strive for better. That's how we advance as a species and a society. Competitive society is good for everyone.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Step in the right direction...now bring back hunters ed and gun safety...completed them and Presidential fitness test in middle school...
If you passed the written HS test you got to go to field day at the local lake, and shoot 22s on the public range..all sponsored by the state DNR.

 

[Wprinkle]

I think its great! We have got to get back to being healthy and competitive. I am also a fan of bringing back some light to moderate bullying. We had bullies in school and I don't remember kids acting like cats and shitting in litter boxes....

 

[Cornhusker]

Some of your guys may be living in the wrong places, hunter ed never left my areas classrooms and high school trap teams are still really popular. Even though I retired 4 years ago after 40 years I still coach as a volunteer assistant and the competitive component of kids has changed very little in rural areas. Every generation thinks they were tougher than the ones that followed them that's just human nature. I know a lot of changes have occured within cities but rural areas and kids haven't changed that much. A lot less drug use than when I started in the profession in 1981 is one change I've seen.

 

[longtail]

yes physical fitness and just as important Healthy Eating should be part of every kids day. Just like I mentioned in a different thread, our jobs and lifestyle is totally different than the days of the past and computer focused non labor jobs and fast food dominate Today. and that has lead to many, many problems

 

[Burnsie]

I'm dating myself, but I was going through elementary school in the late 60s early 70s and the Presidential Physical Fitness Award was definitely a big deal - at least amongst the group of guys I was friends with. We competed in all the different events like our life depended on it. I think it was mostly a pride thing - you wanted to show you were the fastest, strongest, toughest.... We would get the round patches with the eagle and crest on it and wore it with pride on the sleeve of our jackets. You were the BMOC if you achieved it every year and had a string of 3 or 4 of them going down your arm. I don't hardly remember a fat/obese kid back then - we were outside running around almost all day every day.

 

[5MilesBack]

Competitive society is good for everyone.