Historical Foundation of PE and Sports

Understanding the Context for Lifespan, Sport, Fitness and P.E

The study of history is not just a matter of describing the past.
History is a bridge that helps us to understand the present and to
project the future.
The sport, fitness, and physical education today did not just
happen, the current status of these fields is the result of a
particular history. Prospective professionals must be sensitive to
how their fields developed.
They must have philosophical views of their of disciplines, and
should have an opinion about what is and what is not appropriate
within each field. For this reason they must understand the
viewpoints that strongly influenced their fields development.
George Leonard -1974
Eventually, what we now call physical education, reformed and
refurbished, may well stand-as it did in ancient times-at the
center of the academy, providing the strong foundation from
which all education can rise. Education in the formal sense,
however, is only part of the story. For the body opens us to larger
realms.
And every game we play, whether old or new, invites us to
consider the larger game our life itself

Learning objectives
To discuss the important watershed periods in our professional
history.
To explain and justify lifespan involvement as an important new
possibility.
To describe the possibilities for involvement at various
development stages.
To describe the new settings for sport, fitness and physical
education.
To discuss and analyze the emerging characteristics of lifespan
involvement.
To discuss the possibilities and problems of the current sport and
fitness booms.
Introduction
We are living in an era during which people in the United States
have changed fundamentally their perception of human life and
how it can be lived. It is now clear that lifespan involvement in
sport, fitness, and physical education is possible and desirable.
Persons can become involved in purposeful physical activity very
early in life, and can continue to pursue this interest throughout
their lives.
That possibility has not yet been realized for people.
What an extraordinary era this is for persons interested in
sport, fitness, and physical education. There certainly has been no
period in the history of the United States to match it.
Sport is central to much of our cultural life.
If you are a fitness buff, then you are already are aware of the
current trend of getting into shape .Fitness centers and sports
clubs with fitness facilities have sprung up everywhere, Whereas
the slim look was the fashion of a generation ago, the athletic
look as clearly the fashion today. The current fitness movement,
however, is by no means simply a manifestation of the latest
fashion.
Rather, it is part of a larger lifestyle trend that has a strong health
basis. Looking good, feeling good, and increasing your chances of
living longer are all part of this movement. Slowly, but surely, we
are changing our eating habits and our exercise habits. These
changes are all aspects of the wellness movements, which
recommends adopting a lifestyle that helps you to feel well and to
stay well, that emphasizes prevention of illness rather than
remediation of disease.
Physical education in our schools, on the other hand, is in a period
of turmoil. The programs have been criticized severely by some
people for their lack of accomplishment . Yet other people have
continued to recognize the importance of physical education, and
have renewed their advocacy of quality programs.
The physical education in our schools must emerge from this
period of scrutiny with stronger programs that are more central to
the school curriculum.

WATERSHED PERIODS
This is not the first time in American history when a sense of
optimism and expansion has permeated sport, fitness, and
physical education. There have been several historical periods
when great leaps forward have been made.
Four such periods merit mention here. First, the early to mid-
nineteenth century saw the removal of many religious sanction
against sport and play. Historians refer to this period as the era of
muscular CHRISTIANITY.
Since religion and religious thought were so central to American
life at that time,it must have been very exciting for sport , fitness,
and physical education professionals not only to have religious
sanction removed, but also to have their subject matters begins to
be strongly approved by the religious community.
The second watershed period was in the late nineteenth century,
when organized sport emerged in America. The first
intercollegiate baseball and football games were played.
Professional sport developed and began to spread quickly. Tennis
and badminton were first introduced in the United States.
Basketball, volleyball, and softball were invented in America, and
became popular not only here but also throughout the world.
The third period we shall describe occurred in the early twentieth
century and was marked by the development of the sport, fitness
and physical education professions. Many national associations
were formed. The Amateur Athletic Union was founded. The
group that would eventually become the American Alliance for
Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance ( AAHPERD)
formed and expanded rapidly.
The fourth important period was more recent, in the 1960s and
early 1970s; then, the academic study of sport, fitness, and
physical education emerged. College and university programs
were changed substantially in this period. Research and
scholarship in all areas were upgraded, as the discipline of
physical education was recognized and began to grow
Whereas preparation for teaching and coaching had dominated
previous eras, this period was marked by the addition of a broad
array of career options adult fitness, worksite health promotion,
cardiac rehabilitation, academic sport disciplines, and sport
management.
Lifespan in involvement A revolution not limited by age or
gender
Historians will someday describe and interpret the current era as
a watershed period that is best characterized by the emergence of
the possibility of lifespan involvement yet, but the possibilities for
us to do so are clearly there.
When you consider the topics of sport, fitness, and physical
education, what groups come to mind? Traditionally, our thoughts
might turn to children at play, youth involved in sport, young
adults perhaps continuing for a time in recreational sports, with
involvement slowly diminishing as people grow older.
The point is that, historically, sport, fitness and physical
education have been limited primarily to older children and
youth, with adult participation decreasingly rigorous with age.
Furthermore, the participation of girls and women has always
been viewed as different from that boys and men, specially by the
persons in positions of power and leadership, who typically have
been man.
We are replacing our old ideas with a vision of lifespan
involvement in sport, fitness, and physical education- not only for
adolescents and young adults, but also for every young children.
For older people ( at almost any level of intensity ), not only for
boys and men, but also for girls and women ( with equally intense
activities ).
The possibility of lifespan involvement potentiality touches every
person. This revolution is not limited by the age or gender.
Does this vision mean that every person has to be committed
athlete from childhood through to old age. No, clearly not! What
it does mean, however, is that people who want to follow such a
course now have the possibility to do so.
And, it means that we will increasingly see some fitness and / or
sport involvement as a fundamental part of living well, regardless
of age or gender.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide glimpses (look,
suddenly, see ) of the kinds of opportunities available in sport,
fitness, and physical education that together constitute the
possibility of lifespan involvement.
Each vignette presents a snapshot of involvement for particular
people at a particular point in their life, and in a particular places.
None of the scenarios have been contrived; each is based on real
programs or persons. Together, they paint a picture of lifespan
sport, fitness and physical education.


Infant Motor Programs
Sport opportunities are being made available to children at an
earlier age.. It is no longer unusual to see 5 years olds enrolled in
a childrens soccer or gymnastics program. Many infant swimming
programs are available. These are some of the physical activities
mostly engaged by these young children.
Most evidence (Gober and Franks, 1988 ) indicates that
children who have enriched motor experiences as infants tend to
be more fit and more likely to participate in sport throughout
their lives. Sport psychologist even speculate that the drive to
excel in sport may originate in infancy, when early motor efforts
are recognized and re-sponded to lovingly by parents or child-care
workers. No more difficulties are to change.
There is much debate about the nature of early-childhood motor
activity programs. Should they be mostly exploratory, with adults
providing only encouragement, support and reinforcement? Or
should they aim to develop specific skills? At the moment, there is
no enough evidence to decide the issue. Experts all agree,
however, about the importance of providing rich, stimulating
motor experiences for very young children.
Childrens Sport
Sport opportunities for children have grown enormously in the
recent past. Both number of children participating and the kinds
of early sport opportunities available to these children have
increased. Some sports such as swimming and gymnastics, have
age-group programs that are highly specialized.


Typical of this boom in childrens soccer programs that have
sprung up across the land. The quality of appropriateness of these
programs differ dramatically from place to place. ( Soccer has
become an important sport for children and youth ). Developing
skill through exploration has become a favored method for
elementary physical education.
THE EARLY YEARS
Physical movement is the basic language of the early childhood
years, from birth to age 6 to 7 (Boucher, 1988 ). Moving about and
physically exploring their immediate surroundings are the main
ways young children learn about their world. (physical activities,
motor play etc.)