At Gibraltar School District in Michigan, a coordinated approach to physical education and athletics is paving the way for students’ lifelong success in fitness. From setting a solid foundation in middle school to differentiating opportunities in high school, students are embarking on a path that promises long-term success and a healthy future.
The immediate benefits for students range from improving everyday health and wellness to increasing academic performance. While these benefits alone are reasons the district has invested in the program, PE teacher and coach Drew Sweany explains the long-term vision the district has,
“Our big picture goal is to support students so they can build skills and confidence that will carry with them well after high school. Everyone needs some type of fitness and exercise in their lives, and the more we encourage and support that now, the better off students will be in the future.”
Here is how Gibraltar School District has built a middle and high school program across PE and athletics to support all students with lifelong fitness.
Building A Foundation In Middle School
To start students on a path for lifelong fitness, Gibraltar School District sees their middle school as a critical factor for setting a solid foundation.
At Shumate Middle School, students start with an introductory fitness program that helps them learn the basic elements of movement and exercise. Using the PLT4M curriculum, PE teachers focus on the foundational human movements to prepare students to be great movers.
After thoroughly introducing the bodyweight squat, lunge, hinge, press, and pull, students venture into the weight room for the first time to explore barbell and dumbbell movements. Drew says that this introduction to fitness and strength sets a foundation that makes a noticeable impact on students as they arrive at high school,
“Establishing our middle school program over the last 5 years has made a dramatic impact on helping our program grow even bigger at the high school level.”
Sample of PLT4M instructional video breaking down the barbell back squat.
9th Grade PE – Lifetime Fitness Classes
Once students arrive at Carlson High School within Gibraltar School District, their first high school PE experience is within a dedicated 9th-grade class called Lifetime Fitness. Here, 9th graders get a chance to review what they learned in middle school while also starting to set out on the first stages of choice and differentiation.
Drew describes how the class breakdown offers a fantastic launching point for future electives in later grades,
“We review fitness and strength concepts two days a week before allowing students to move on to more advanced programs. In addition, we round out the curriculum by introducing other types of lifetime fitness activities so that students can start to find the different types of fitness they like and enjoy.”
10th-12th Grade – Differentiation & Personal Choice
After a proper introduction in middle school and review in 9th grade, Carlson transitions students to personalized training programs that support individual goals. Drew assigns in-season or off-season training programs for many student-athletes in classes to help support athletic development and injury prevention.
For general population students, Carlson starts the semester with a questionnaire to determine students’ goals and interests in class. Drew explains how this helps to further differentiate programs for students,
“After the initial questionnaire, we talk with the students to plan a personalized program for them to complete during the quarter. For every student, it might be a different combination of workouts and programs from the PLT4M app.”
As a result, students can try everything from personal weight training to yoga and dance. After the first quarter ends, students complete another questionnaire to determine whether they want to continue with the program they are following or try something new.
The Evolution Of Programming & Technology At Gibraltar
When Drew first started as a teacher and coach, he posted workouts on the whiteboard for students to follow. But with big groups and the goal of personalization, he transitioned to spreadsheets and printouts for every student,
“It was a lot of work managing everyone’s workout sheets, and tracking all the students coming into the weight room and classes was tough.”
When the football team at Carlson started looking at strength and conditioning apps, the district quickly realized that adding technology and programming could help support the entire school. With the addition of PLT4M, Drew says that the program has not only saved him hours managing the weight room but has made a significant impact across the entire district,
“We use PLT4M at both the middle and high school across PE and athletics. The benefits range from introducing students to great form and technique with the instructional videos to differentiating programs and workouts directly to students with the app.”
When asked about the most significant difference in using technology, Drew says that it has helped to bring even more students into the weight room and world of fitness in some capacity,
“There is something for everyone. And the program has impacted our student-athletes and teams as well as our physical education program and general population students.”
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Key Takeaways On Gibraltar School Districts Coordinated Approach
At Carlson High School, there are upwards of 40-50 students in the weight room at any given time during class or after school. While many people might walk into the weight room and see chaos, Drew explains the well-oiled machine that supports students of all experiences and backgrounds,
“We might have 40 kids doing 40 different things at once, but with PLT4M, they all have a plan they follow. And because of that, I can spend more time walking around to give hands-on feedback and support to students throughout the weight room.”
Drew says that the students are hard at work and seeing the benefits of this commitment pay off,
“We have students who see a ton of progress within our classes and program, which empowers them to keep working hard and putting in the effort.”
And while Drew was kind enough to share his insights for this story, he makes note that hard work is a common theme across not only the student-athletes but fellow coaches, teachers, and administrators as well,
“It is a group effort and commitment we have made across the district. And as we continue to grow and evolve, as teachers and coaches, we are excited to see more great things from our students within the district.”
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