Unify your PE and Athletics to bring physical, mental, and even academic success to your school
Dulaney High brings BFS into the classroom
It used to be that the interests of physical education and athletic departments of high schools would clash, with neither wanting anything to do with the academic side of things either.
Today we live in a different world, where high school budgets are tight and compromises are inevitable. All the departments at a school have to work together, not only to share equipment but also to integrate all the aspects of a student’s education for a common purpose.
Dulaney High is part of the Baltimore County School System, and their success in integrating the BFS program into their physical education classes was a key reason they have been named a BFS High School of the Year.
Kyle Fiat, the varsity boys’ lacrosse coach at Dulaney, used the BFS program when he lived in Salt Lake City, where BFS is headquartered. Fiat is aware that a high percentage of young men and women drop out of organized sports at a young age – one estimate is that 70 percent drop out by age 13.
Fiat says that due to deconditioning, these types of kids are at a definite disadvantage in their junior and senior years if they decide to try to get back into a sport. However, he is confident that if these kids were involved in an athletic fitness program such as BFS, their strength, coordination and other basic athletic skills would be at a high level and their transition back into sports would be easier. Along with the physical pluses, there are also mental positives to be gained with athletic fitness programs.
Mental Health and Physical Conditioning
David Schlenoff, a psychologist for the school who is certified with BFS, evaluated the results of a research study involving Dulaney students who used the BFS program. The personality test administered was the Piers-Harris 2, which provides insight into an individual’s self-concept and is often used to help identify at-risk youth.
Schlenoff found that the girls using the BFS workout experienced significant improvements in many areas that fell under the category of happiness, such as cheerfulness, ability to get along with others, and their perspective of life circumstances.
Of course, being able to have BFS in the physical education classes helped with the overall success of the athletic program, as athletes could get their workouts done before classes. An early morning BFS class was also offered at 6:30 to accommodate students who couldn’t attend otherwise.
The results?
Virtually across-the-board athletic team success for both boys and girls sports. Here are some examples of win/ loss records in the 2103 season:
Girls Volleyball, 21-0 (state champions);
Boys Basketball, 13-3;
Girls Softball, 13-3;
Girls Lacrosse, 11-4;
Coed Tennis, 9-3;
Girls Field Hockey, 13-6;
Girls Basketball, 9-5;
Boys Baseball, 13-9;
Coed Wrestling, 8-3;
Boys Lacrosse, 10-6;
Boys Soccer, 8-4-2.
Also noteworthy is cross-country runner Isabel Griffith, who won the state championships.
The Dulaney High School Girls Volleyball Team not only won the 4A state championships last year, but did it with a 21-0 record.
With such great results, plus the
36-year history of success and extensive teaching resources BFS offers, Fiat says the next step was a natural: BFS was integrated into the school curriculum as a for-credit class. After all, who can argue with success?
Dulaney High School is the ultimate example of a unified program:
athletics, physical education, and academics. On a scale of 1-10, Dulaney
High and its students are 11’s!