OPINION: Varsity athletes have earned a pass out of PE

By Milena Brodowicz '26

High schools constantly encourage students to get involved in athletics. Everyone always talks about the benefits of sports, yet despite spending hours every day practicing and competing, varsity athletes are still required to take PE just like students who do not participate in sports. Every student has probably complained about gym class at least once, but for varsity athletes, it can feel especially pointless. Each one of us is fatigued mentally and physically, but of course, we still have to walk into gym class the next morning and play badminton. For non-varsity athletes, participating in gym class may not be a big deal; however, for varsity athletes, each day brings new soreness, pain and stress.

As a four-year varsity swimmer, I swim for almost three hours a day, six days a week. It becomes a struggle just to get out of bed in the morning after particularly tough practices. Instead of being forced to take gym class each year, getting an extra study hall would allow me to catch up on assignments and homework missed from the night before.

Earning the privilege to replace a gym class with a study hall would encourage more students to consider playing sports in high school. Not only would this increase engagement in these activities, but it would also boost students' physical activity levels outside of school hours, which completely fulfills the purpose of a PE class.

Some people argue that PE is about more than exercise, that it is about teaching lifelong skills like teamwork, cooperation and fitness habits. That is definitely true, but varsity sports already teach those exact same skills.

Gym class undoubtedly has value for students who are not involved in sports, but forcing varsity athletes to take it does not make sense. If students are already dedicating hours of their lives to athletics, schools should recognize that commitment and give them credit for it.

For the administrators out there who are designing schedules, think about your athletes who are swimming, running and jumping after school for hours. Think about how much of that time they could spend on schoolwork while still choosing to represent their school on the field. They deserve the flexibility to catch up during the school day so they can keep giving their all to their sports.

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