1/4 Shrey Desai PE, Period 7 12/06/12 Ms.

Slover Pushing the Limits It all started when I walked into the PE room, first day of school, nave as I was, I didnt know the amount of thrill, suspense, and muscle building I was getting into for the next few months. Even though at first, I was afraid after hearing all the bad stories about PE, I found out with my experience that it has helped me build character, strength, endurance, life skills & key points of friendship, and Ive been able to share these experiences with the my peers, who are also present in the class. PE pushes our limits a lot, and the WODs really put us at the brink of our ability and strength, and by doing this three times a week, I have developed throughout the program. Through this essay, I will be touching on three standards, which I find have been the strongest throughout my career in PE. First, I will show that I have enhanced myself through the PE program through empirics. Second, I will demonstrate my effort throughout the workouts, and how Ive challenged myself. Third, I will determine my commitment and show how I have managed to keep myself consistent. Fourth, I will unfold how I have shared my knowledge with my peers and helped them in the process. The 800 meter is an assessment that Ive always looked forward to, not just because its two laps around that rugged track I love, but also it really engages me throughout the entire progression. The first time we did the assessment, I felt very tired after the first lap, yet I managed to pull through somehow for the rest of the second lap. I ended that assessment with a final time of 3:04. My second assessment, 2:51. Next, the push-up assessment. This is something that Ive really loathed my entire life, I simply

2/4 cannot do them! Yet, I ended my first assessment with 14 push-ups, and I wasnt that happy because I didnt manage good form, and I didnt pass the standard; this was the first test I hadnt passed. After all our workouts and muscle training, I ended the second assessment with 20 push-ups, something I was very proud of. Third, I will touch on the 500 meter row, which is probably the most tiring assessment I have endured. First assessment, I didnt know what I was getting through. I pulled hard, I was working hard the first 300 meters or so, then I literally fell apart, ending with a 1:55. Second assessment, I maintained my pace, I spread my energy throughout the row, with a 1:49.6. Effort is my middle name. I always try to improve myself, Im never happy with something I do, I always strive to be better, get better, and do better in whatever I do, whether its swimming, speech & debate, academics, and even PE. Concerning PE, I always strive to lift the heaviest weights, choose the heaviest medicine balls, do more than whats required, to benefit myself. During the WODs, especially ones, which require weight, I always attempt to try bigger weights. Recently, Ive been trying to focus more on the 30-pound weights now, just over the 15. As far as setup and transitioning is concerned, I always put away my materials just where I found them in tip-top shape and condition, and leave no trace of my presence behind. Third, we venture onto the subject of commitment, and this commitment is something, which is hard, time-consuming, takes skill, but can be done. Every time I do a squat, or a push press, a clean, I always make mistakes. Its human nature to make mistakes, yet I always attempt to improve on my mistakes. Ive been working on my air squats, trying to get my bottom to touch all the way to the medicine ball, and its been very helpful, Ive noticed that Im much better at squats now than I was back in the

3/4 beginning of the year. Effectivity is a skill, which I am talented at by heart. My goal in PE is to get faster, better, stronger, and effectiveness has helped me all the way. If I werent effective in PE, I wouldnt be meeting the minimum standards, etc. However, I always look for new goals, and I have to be effective to do so. During workouts, I always try to push the limit, be effective in whatever Im doing, and get the work done. Now, PE isnt all about me. Its about a team, about a family. When I walk into 7th period PE, I dont just see Ms. Slover standing waiting to give instructions, I see a varied number of people, each amazing and talented and unique, all trying to embark on the same journey, getting ready for a spring sport. I find that supportiveness is key to survival in Athletic PE. Sets get hard, workouts get difficult, and sometimes we dont all meet the standards. I was quite infuriated the first time I didnt meet the push-up standards, I only got 14 out of the possible 16, yet my friends, my team helped me pull through. And I feel like its my duty to do the same. After every WOD, every assessment, and even during it, I cheer my peers on and they do the same for me, and I feel like this is how we improve as a team. Finally, I would like to point out the level of inclusiveness I hold in this class. Assisting people is part of my daily task in class. Every morning when I wake up and stretch in bed, I tell myself: Today, I want to help someone. And, I try my best to carry it out. During WODs, if I see one of my peers struggling with a task, maybe not having proper technique, or the sort, I usually take some time out of my busy life, and just teach them, make sure they get the same amount of knowledge I do, because not everyones perfect, and the goal of a class is for everyone

4/4 to succeed, not just me. So I feel like its my duty to help people, stronger, less developed, of all levels. Next, names. I know everyones name in the entire class, and I feel like I should because we are all a community and we share our own talents, and we are recognized by our name. If I were to take a quiz on everyones name, I would probably get an A+. Now, Im striving to get to know a little something about everyone. When we form groups, we sometimes tend to be with friends, and so do I some of the time, but I feel like I should include people of all skill sets, so we can all improve together. One major thing Ive done in the past few weeks is that Ive tried to join some groups with girls in them, or Ive included them with me. For example, for the 2000 team row, I was in a group with 2-3 girls. Also for the burpee song, we had a girl in our group. Finally, in our down time, I try to include everyone in my conversations, talk about life, grades, PE, etc. For example, the other day, I found myself talking to a lot of people I didnt talk to before right before the deadlift and box jump assessment, and I felt like I was missing out a lot, because they even had a lot to share. Im not trying to just get an A on this project, but all in all, I want to express what Ive learned throughout this wonderful PE class, and all the lessons Ive learned. In a nutshell, if my paper isnt too long enough, Ive had a great time in this class, and Im really going to miss being with Mr. Ellis, and especially Ms. Slover, and Im ultimately thankful for all of the skills theyve taught us, inside and outside of PE. Thank you!