Campolindo students aren’t able to have athletic PE if their sport is outside of Campolindo. What are their thoughts?
Athletic PE is a way for students in the Acalanes Unified District to complete 10 of the required 20 PE credits required to graduate. Every student at Campo gets 10 PE credits after their freshman year PE class, but the other ten can be achieved through two seasons of a high school sport or a year of yoga or weight training. Although it’s controversial to some, students without an NCS recognized sport aren’t eligible for this credit.
Athletic PE is a tricky area, only being eligible for students that do a sport within Campolindo. It allows students to avoid an extra year of PE by rewarding them for doing two seasons of a sport. This can be upsetting for some students who have a sport that isn’t part of the school’s athletics . Although Campo students understand why sports outside of school won’t be eligible for PE credits, they still feel like they are unrepresented.
Shira Ayalon is a junior who spends her afternoons doing ballet. Ayalon said that “As long as [one’s sport] is an actual commitment and has actual coaches, students should get credit for sports outside of Campo”. She, and many other students, feel that teens who put time and effort into a sport outside of campo aren’t properly being recognized and rewarded.
Students with sports outside of school also face many challenges regarding time management with classes and practice. For instance, Junior Shubh Sharma is a short-track speed skater with notable recognition but faces challenges going to practices and meets. Sharma mentioned, “when I get on ice I have to drive one hour round trips on Saturday and two hour round trips on Sunday so it’s a lot of time taken up just going to practice”. Sharma expressed he is annoyed by the effort he puts in while not getting credit, but understands the policy behind it.
Ayalon mentioned, “it takes away a spot in my schedule for more useful classes”. A big issue some face with PE classes are AP classes and other extracurriculars they are missing due to a PE class. Ayalon expressed this because she is unable to add a class she is interested in, so that she can complete her credit.
Junior Zack Seilder is a head member of the ultimate frisbee team. As a junior at Campolindo, one challenge Zack faces is the lack of members he gets for his ultimate club because of PE credit, “we have many people who love frisbee but play other sports because we don’t have PE credits”. He’s tried to get his sport to count as athletic PE in the past but because they don’t have an NCS (North Coast Section), they aren’t allowed.
So the fundamental question is: Why aren’t students with sports outside of school eligible for credit? After interviewing Campolindo counselor, Duane Magno, I found the answers.
2016 was the beginning of the athletic PE option after a task force was sent to research the needed credits for PE. Magno mentions that they allow sports within Campo to have Athletic credits because, “the only credits that students can earn athletic PE through, were those that came through a school connected, NCS, interscholastic, sport.”
The task force is unable to count outside sports for a number of reasons. One being the oversight; who is monitoring the student and the sport. Another reason revolves around what counts as a sport. Some sports might not be recognized as such compared to others.
Athletic PE is a major benefit for Campolindo athletic students, but debates have arised for some that aren’t included in this credit. Although it’s stressful, there are many other ways to achieve this credit, while still staying in your outside sport.
