Henderson daily dispatch., 1937-02-22
BY L. L. "BING" MILLER.
Director of Physical Education
Henderson High SchooI


Henderson High School
Ideas concerning ,phvsical e,a,oo
tlon nave 'ceen changing since the
turn OF Vhe century. The old notion
'L&+' cnlio needed constant disci-
pune 10 lnold his character has given
piece TO the theory that it is better
20 give MN directed freedom This
freedom allows the individuality of
the chlld to expand and develop along
i1nes which make him a more con-
'ented, more useful, less restless. and
aitoSether more Well-balanced and
interesting personality.
Fhyslcal Education no longer con-
Germs itself with artificial formal svs-
TENS OF movement done to a stiff
count. Modern society found that this
hlho Oh program offered no opportun-
ity Tor exercising judgment, initiative,
selT-control, or any of the qualities so
necessary for the successful life of
today. 1t has found that play is nat
ural, that 1T is spontaneous and an
expression of ones personality. Muscle
building and the DEVELOPMENT of
giants in sports belong to yesterdays
lhyslcal education program. The aim
OF modern physical education. there
tore is more than mere physical and
physiological development The pro-
gram now includes mental stimulation
ana alertness, character TRAINING
Keen Judgment, proper attitudes in the
matter of give and take, modestv in
winner, resolve in the loser, and in all
the making of an individual whose
aspects OF life are not out of tune with
the world of today.
Inc nigh school children of Hender-
son have been deprived of the privi-
1eSe OF competent playground expert
ence due strictly no doubt to crowded
ana congested conditions heretofore
prevailing in the school system Such
a past condition is quite apparent in
me present enrolment of the high
school. l would say that ninety per
cent of the high school students of
Henderson do not or did not know
how to play more than one game or
activity that is now offered in the
present physical education program.
4hey have never heard of most of the
games and thus do not enioy them as
much as they will in the future. The
teaching of the rules and how to NAV
the games are consequently made
doubly hard for a director who has
approximately sixty students in every
CLASS. Under the present set-up the
classes are divided into squads of
Twelve each. Each squad has a lead
or VINO is actively in charge. Each
squad participates in a different acti-
witty each day thus making five diff
1erent activities going on at the same
time. 1t is my intention at present to
see that each squad plays every acti-
witty offered in the program at least
cnce this year SO that they will know
what it is all about. The squad lead
ers are picking representative teams
from their squads to compete against
similar teams from another SQUAD. In
the last quarter Of this school wear
when these contests will begin COM
petition in the physical education
classes will be keen and hard Team
champions and individual champions,
wherever this is possible, will be Civ
Ell due recognition. The opportunity
offered here to be on a team is a pri-
vilege not heretofore enjoyed because
of the limited number carried on the
varsity interscholastic teams Every
student takes part in physical educa-
ton and every student is on a team.
The program at present includes
approximately $50 students divided
into some 80 squads. A schedule show
ing what each squad will play each
day is made out and posted a month
IN advance. The activities participant
ed in by the boys are: boxing, wrest-
Ling, handball, tumbling, track, table
tennis, basketball volleyball dart base
ball, and gym hOrSeShOeS Activities
participated in by the girls are: arch
cry track, table tennis, basketball,
volleyball, dart baseball, tumbling, for
NAL exercises and gym l1orseshoes At
the request of the parents and family
physicians some few students are not
allowed to participate in the more
strenuous games but are allowed to
do something else that can not pos
sibly hurt them physically
Students are graded on the basis of
their attitude and responsiveness, and
not upon their physical makeup or
proves as an athlete. 1t is there
fore practically impossible to "flunk"
physical education unless a student is
unusually -.npudent, refuses to play
with others, deliberately destroys
equipment, or is absent from class too
much to be given credit for the course.
Taking bath is also very strict re-
quirement. A grade of satisfactory"
or unsatisfactory" could be given but
I find that students like to know
where they stand thus in conformance
with the grades given on the report
cards I am grading them with latters