PE lessons in a Polish school? “I always felt like a loser. Sport was practiced as a punishment”

Physical education is an activity that usually holds many memories. Not everyone was a fan of this subject, and many people notice after years that these lessons were not fully adapted to the individual abilities and needs of students. Some even associate it with a trauma they would never want to return to. Surely many of us remember cases in which students repeatedly reported the lack of clothes, female students – indisposition, etc. For a large group of people, PE during the first lesson was also a problem – the inability to take a shower, and then sitting sweaty after physical exertion during lessons was not for the most pleasant experiences.

Jumping over the buck, long jump, double stroke, volleyball, running warm-ups – almost all of us had to include these things in the price. Was it right? After all, we differ from each other in terms of build, height, physical abilities, etc. In many cases, PE was simply like the teacher throwing a ball and the class playing volleyball or football for an hour.

How do today’s adult women remember Physical Education classes? We asked a few of them. As it turns out, many of our interlocutors have not very positive experiences, but they love physical activity and cannot imagine life without it. As they emphasize, however, they had to find a sport that suits them, and the lessons they attended had it that they felt forced to do something they did not want to do at all.

What were the PE classes like? “Rude teacher and uncool attitude”

30-year-old Aleksandra, for example, never liked these lessons. Although there were stages when I didn’t like him more or less. We all had lessons together in elementary school. In grades 1-3, it was mainly some simple movement exercises, stretching and running around the corridor, because we didn’t even have a gym. Then, in grades 4-6, we moved to another building, there was already a classroom there. We were still practicing together, guys and girls. Most often we played football, i.e. the boys played, and the girls mostly stood on the pitch and watched, because no one even wanted to let us play the ball. Then our teacher changed, probably in the 6th grade – recalls Ola.

In middle school and high school, they were already divided into two groups: boys and girls.

– We mainly played volleyball, there was a group of girls who played very well and a much larger group that was bad, including me. The PE teacher didn’t even bother to teach us how to serve, and later, of course, we got credit for it: She gave the ball and “play”. And those “great” chicks, of course, were annoyed that they had to play with us. There was also running, for which we were not prepared in any way before – she reports.

In the fourth grade, she broke her arm riding a horse. It was in April. By the end of the school year, she could no longer exercise in PE.

– Because of this, the teacher said that he had to give me an A, because I did not deserve more. I don’t think it’s fair, I didn’t break that arm on purpose. My parents were also indignant, but ultimately nothing could be done about it – he says.

PE was the most stressful for me in middle school. The rude teacher and the uncool attitude of the group of girls from the class effectively discouraged me from these lessons. Rather, I tried not to abuse the indisposition due to the period or unpreparedness

She didn’t like team selection either. She wasn’t picked at the end, but she wasn’t the first either. Of course, she had to do jumps over a goat, box, etc.

– I didn’t like it very much, but I think this volleyball was worse. I passed the layouts, the goat too, I didn’t jump over the box, but I don’t even remember why… Maybe I had some kind of exemption? In any case, I was glad that I didn’t have to do it when I saw my friend notoriously hooking her legs and flying from the other side straight onto her head… – says our interlocutor.

“I’ve always felt like a loser”

– PE? I liked it in elementary school – recalls also 30-year-old Natalia. Then the stairs started. While the then teenage girl was able to cope with individual tasks, such as jumping or running, it was much more difficult with basketball and volleyball. “I was just a nerd,” she recalls.

And we played it non-stop. Of course, there was always a division between boys and girls. I remember that I always used my indisposition when I knew we were playing volleyball

– he tells.

I always felt like a loser when we played it. I didn’t like this game, I didn’t have the talent or predisposition for it. What’s more, I don’t think anyone has ever explained the rules to us in detail. We just walked into the hall and had to play. I find such methods very harmful. They can permanently discourage people from sports. Because then physical activity is associated with something bad and unpleasant

notes the 30-year-old. As he points out, he regrets that it was so – because he is a person for whom physical activity is extremely important, even a priority.

I exercise a lot, go for long walks, ride a bike. I can’t imagine my life without it. But PE classes at school certainly didn’t infect me with this love, my dad did

Natalie adds.

PE at school. “We were doomed from the start”

– Evaluations were made on the basis of how many sit-ups someone would do on time, or who would run to the finish line first – adds 29-year-old Malwina. She grew up in a small county town. She remembers that six out of twelve girls in her class were professional basketball players.

– So we – the other six “lesereks” – were doomed from the start. Because it is known that compared to girls who train at least 5 times a week, you will get a maximum of two – he remembers bitterly.

– The only thing I associate PE with – he continues – is that you have to do some exercises that you don’t feel like doing or for which you have no talent at all and grading for the result, not for willingness. I guess that’s what I got out of those classes: sports were a punishment.

That’s what WF says. “I used to find excuses not to exercise whenever I could.”

Daniela, now 35, definitely did not like these activities. I felt one of the weakest. I wasn’t good at any discipline, and the teachers didn’t pay attention to teach us anything, they just chose different sports and we played volleyball, basketball, and running – he recalls.

– As soon as I could, I was looking for an excuse not to exercise, most often I used the fact that I had a curvature of the spine and therefore the orthopedic exemption from some exercises – recalls Daniela.

She adds that the biggest regret is actually towards the teachers. – That they didn’t push me or lead me to practice a sport. I believe that physically I had potential, I am tall, slim, durable, I could do many things. However, I was mainly criticized that how is it possible that I have such long legs and run so slowly – she says.

I was always picked last on the team, it was a terrible feeling. I felt that I was not good at anything, and situations like this proved to me that it was true. I didn’t like PE, I would gladly quit it, I probably asked my parents, but they didn’t agree

he adds.

“I even practiced when we started training at 7.00 and finished at 16.00”

The next interlocutor, who attended a school with sports departments, stands in complete opposition. As Maja points out, the reality of Physical Education classes there was completely different. She loved PE. Anyway, as he emphasizes, it was difficult to call these classes that way, because they were simply trainings of 10 hours a week – both in elementary school and middle school.

At first she practiced swimming, then she devoted herself to her great sports love: volleyball. There was no talk of frequent layoffs or “fake” indispositions. “But it was also a bit different because we played in the same team,” he points out.

I exercised very often, even when we started training at 7.00 and finished at 16.00

– he admits.

Maja loved PE. “I practiced a sport that I loved”

– I do not know if it is helpful for this article, because I have very positive memories – laughs Maja. – But it’s also like that if you love the sport you do, you have great memories too. Because I was just practicing a sport that I loved.

“I totally don’t understand girls who quit PE”

But he also knows from the reports of their friends that many people did not like these activities. – I do not support the frequent dismissal of PE. I feel like everyone is taking the easy way out now. Of course, I also believe that PE should be appropriately adapted to students, and this is impossible in general, non-sports schools, in my opinion. I don’t know if we have a cool program right now, but kids need to get moving.”

I also completely don’t understand girls who quit because, for example, they cheated that they had a period. This, in my opinion, has a negative impact on the general perception of women who actually have painful menstruation

he adds.

And he points out: sport is health. – Of course, at school very often there are simply no conditions to organize nice PE classes, because firstly there are too many people, secondly it is often a “dumb age”, boys show off in front of girls, etc. And thirdly washing, because often locker rooms are not equipped with showers and there is no such intimacy to be able to take a bath. not to mention the 5-minute breaks, during which you have to get changed and rush to the next lesson – sums up Maja.

“I treated it as a reboot and an opportunity to live my life”

For Maria, Physical Education has never been a problem – that’s how she puts it.

“Even though I was the fatter kid, when I had some skills, the kids were mostly messing around and I didn’t hear any negative comments. Throughout all the years from elementary school to high school, I took part in extra sports activities. Plus, I was going to competitions! In volleyball, handball, basketball, football. It was a lot, says Maria.

She recalls that before PE she did not feel any extreme emotions. “I rather approached it as a moment of brain break. I treated it as a reboot and an opportunity to live my life, discharge my energy or clear my mind. I also haven’t had situations where I was last selected for the team because of my physique. though not! It was like that in the beginning, he thinks.

“We had a teacher who said changing clothes on the playground was a good idea.”

And she adds, she liked the moment when the rest thought she couldn’t make it. “Someone thought they could ignore me or downplay me because I’m ‘bigger’. At first, I wasn’t considered a player who could be a threat. And often it was then that I played a nice prank on them. Overall, I liked the effect,” she admits.

And she adds that she did not quit PE. – Except for one high school situation where we had a miscarriage teacher who said changing clothes on the playground at the back of another high school was a good idea. And then in high school, as part of PE, they invented a swimming pool for us, and it was beyond my strength, mainly mentally, in terms of accepting my own body. It’s different when you run and sweat in your clothes, and it’s different to go to the pool and shine your buttocks. It was not comfortable for me. But I was still competing in team sports! our interlocutor emphasizes.

And what are your memories from PE classes and more? How do you remember your school years? We look forward to your letters and comments! Write to us at the following address: woman@agora.pl.