Athletics and Physical Education Asynchronous, Student Participation Examined

By Tina Huang and Lina Huang

This spring, the Academy’s Physical Education Department and athletic teams have transitioned to asynchronous learning. The Exonian examined student engagement amid this asynchronous model. For students, finding motivation to exercise may be a challenge at times, but teammates and instructor flexibility have helped them to adjust.

“We know that moving our bodies is important to our health in what we think of as ‘normal circumstance.’ Mix in the experience we are all facing with this pandemic, and exercise moves quickly up the ladder of necessary components to structuring a new (hopefully temporary) life,” Physical Education Department Chair Hilary Hall said. “Moving our bodies, getting our heart rates up, breathing deeply and preserving mobility are all necessary qualities of the program we know will impact students’ physical and psychological health and well-being. And protecting health and wellbeing was number one on the objectives for this term for all students.”

 “From that starting point, we also knew that every student was in a unique situation,” Hall added. “Anticipating those differences and structuring a program that allowed for choices that would reflect an understanding of those differences was goal number two.”

Despite the challenges of remote learning, Boys’ Varsity Baseball coach and Physical Education Instructor Timothy Mitropoulos emphasized looking at the term positively. “Teaching PE is certainly different, and I wish I could interact with my students like we are on campus,” he said. “Having to adjust allows us to be a little creative with how we teach and that has been a neat experience thus far.”

For Physical Education Instructor and Boys’ Lacrosse head coach William Glennon, regular check-ins help ensure students follow the curriculum. “Students mostly submitted assignments on time in Canvas but some preferred to email their results,” he said. “We also used log in/journals on groups, as well as discussion boards. The asynchronous workout schedules help, and we also design games, workouts and challenges, so participation can be done by whatever means and space individuals have.”

“Individual integrity and honesty is a must,” Glennon reflected. “We hope all can exercise a few times a week to stay healthy in spirit, mind and body! Compassion for all and patience with each other is so important.”

To stay connected, the Boys’ Crew Team coaches have sent students regular training plans, including core exercises, indoor weight workouts and rowing pieces. Additionally, rowers submit their daily workouts to a group spreadsheet. Although staying motivated can be a challenge, lower Russell Tam appreciated the efforts of his coaches. “[They] have been giving training options for the students, making themselves available, checking-in week to week with new plans and info and supporting the team best that they can,” he said.

Some seniors enjoy their workouts more than regular classes. “I occasionally take rest days, [but] I keep myself accountable and train six days a week,” senior and Boys’ Varsity Crew co-captain Alexander Urquhart said. “Honestly, I’m more motivated to do my workouts than normal assignments, especially because it’s technically my senior spring. Most of my academic classes are very interesting, and I enjoy working hard for them, but there are one or two that feel like a chore.” 

With his consistent exercising, Urquhart plans to continue rowing in college and compete for a varsity boat. “Normally, for crew, we’d be on the water, but now we have no option but to train on the ergs. However, we've been working on the ergs since November, so it’s been tough to keep the momentum going,” he said. “We also want to avoid more overuse injuries; I was sidelined for a few days this winter, and I don't want to lose my back. There are also lots of people who don’t have an erg in their house, or are confined to an apartment.”

Compared to academic classes, Tam believed the crew team has less structured checkpoints. “All we have to do is write down what we have done for the week on the group spreadsheet, which is very simple,” Tam said. “The standard for exercise isn’t high, and there isn’t a way to check if you have actually done it, so I think the difference [between crew and academic classes] is that you got to choose how much work you put into each exercise, and it takes more self-discipline.”

Given the online system, upper and team member Adam Tuchler mentioned the possibility of fabricating exercises. “I'm sure there are people who have just been adding the same thing in or lying about the workouts they do just because they don't have time, or maybe they don't manage their time well, and they're like, ‘Oh, well I have 30 minutes. I might as well not work out, and I might as well watch Netflix or something,” he said. “I think there's probably a good portion of people on the crew team who are doing that because it's not really a sport that's fun by yourself and most people don't have ergs, so it's not even crew.”

When reflecting on the team, Boys’ Varsity Crew Coach and Science Instructor Albert Leger hoped that students would remain passionate. “I heard a rowing college coach say that, this season, his athletes were ‘working out,’ not ‘training,’” Leger said. “It was an interesting choice of words. ‘Training’ is for something organized, planned and specific—for us, in a regular season, we train for our weekly dual races and ultimately for the NEIRA championships.” 

For Girls’ Varsity Softball, coaches host weekly Zoom meetings to check in on team members. “Coach [and Director of Nursing Nancy] Thompson would send us different workouts for the week,” co-captain and senior Velen Wu said. “She's [also] a yoga instructor, so she's been sending us yoga [and ladder workouts.]”

Rather than completing specific exercises, Wu noted her coaches’ emphasis on flexibility. “It's less about doing the workload,” she said. “It's definitely important to do the work, but [the exercises] are more to keep us accountable and physically and mentally healthy. Just coping with a new thing, with the changes and uncertainty. Coach [and Health Instructor Elizabeth] Hurley and Coach Thompson are very understanding and flexible, and [...] they want the best for us, so I don't think it's very stressful. [They are] a lot like our moms.”

Some softball players, however, noted decreased motivation, citing the lack of a specific goal for the term. “Last year, at the beginning of the season, we defined our individual and team goals,” lower Alana Reale said. “With regular meetings and games, there are clear markers of progress and success. We want to improve as a team and we want to win. At home, I really don't feel that drive, so it's hard to motivate myself mentally and physically.”

Upper Bea Burack agreed. “I row, and I really rely on the motivation I get from working out with my teammates, so workouts by myself are just not the same. During the crew season at school, it's awesome because we're always working toward the goal of winning New Englands at the end of May. But this year, there's nothing like that to look forward to,” she said.

Despite the lack of motivation, Reale noted that completing exercises is dependent on the student. “I would say most athletes genuinely want to exercise, so they will follow their coaches instructions and benefit from the assignments,” Reale said. “Students in PE classes who fabricate their assignments are really only affecting themselves, so I don't see it as that big a problem.”

While the team is staying connected through Zoom, co-captain and senior Amanda Harris shared her disappointment with the absence of in-person meetings. “It really sucks that we can’t be on campus this term because I know the whole team was really looking forward to it,” Harris said. “It especially sucks for Velen and I because we’re both the captains, and we were both abroad in the winter and missed training.”

Even though teams are off campus, Boys’ Varsity Baseball Coach, Timothy Mitropoulos, trusts the community. “This certainly is not an ideal situation this term [...] but you have to be able to adjust and I feel we have done that well,” Mitropoulos said. “I trust [that] my guys on the baseball team are working hard with their classes and staying active as best they can, to better themselves as students and athletes, while staying safe and healthy.”

Upper Ursie Wise, who plays Girls’ Water Polo, started running to exercise but found it challenging to adjust. “I would not on my best days call myself a natural ‘runner,’ but desperate times call for desperate measures. As for Water Polo, I have a size four ball here that I use to play wall-ball,” she said. “My motivation definitely wavers. There are days I run seven miles and days I can’t bring myself to even do one.”

For Girls’ Lacrosse, upper Marymegan Wright mentioned resources such as Nike Training Club to improve exercise experiences. “The lacrosse team has weekly Zoom meetings and buddy challenges to complete throughout the week, so we’ve been able to stay in touch pretty easily,” she said. “Sometimes I do an ab workout or lift with some of my teammates over Zoom!” 

Teammates have also helped keep Wright active. “I think there are times when everybody is a little unmotivated given the circumstances, but this team is really committed to getting better and we help each other stay active,” she said.

To promote exercise, track team member and lower Emma Chen shared her thoughts on a potential method. “Personally, I think instructors should provide a flexible framework/guidelines but understand that students may not be able to follow it due to different circumstances,” she said. “This way, students can do as much as possible for them without having to fabricate. The motivation to exercise and take care of oneself also becomes internalized.”

According to Dance Ensemble performer and prep Kiara Odums, finding space to dance has been an obstacle. “I think there are times where it does get hard to move, especially if home life isn’t really allowing for the space/time to dance,” she said. Odums further commented on the due dates for Dance compared to regular class. “I prioritize other classes, and [Dance gives] about a week to turn in your assignments, [so that] can lead to procrastination.”

However, as Burack noted, instructors have injected some exercises with an element of social connection. “Sometimes I have to drag myself out the door to run, but I always do it in the end because I know that working out makes me feel better,” she said. “There's also the added motivation of competition. We're split into groups that compete against one another with this whole point system of workouts. My team won last week, and we want to maintain that streak.”

Hall also emphasized that the department is refining the modules based on student feedback. “Each module was developed and is being taught by a teaching team of 3-4 instructors. We have been encouraged by the feedback, enthusiasm and willingness to explore exhibited by the students,” she said.

Continuing with spring term and until students return to campus, coaches plan to prioritize their students’ health. “I hope students learn how important it is to stay physically active during this time,” coach and Physical Education Instructor Melissa Pacific said. “It doesn’t have to be 100% work ethic, six days a week, but staying active is key. When we return, I believe students will look at PE with a bit more appreciation.”

“I miss you guys. I wished we were all here together, working hard as a crew to be the best crew we can be,” Leger said. “But we can still be a team, be supportive, and encourage each other to do our best. Stay in touch with each other. Reach out and see how the other guys on the team are doing. Be there for each other. It is hard to do this by ourselves. But together, we can do this. And we will be fast next year.”