Alternatives to Using Exercise as Punishment: Using exercise as punishment remains common in sports and physical education despite efforts

to end the practice

By Jake Elliott & Robert Garcia

Exercise as Punishment
In the past teachers have always used exercise as a punishment. It is a short term method to manage a classroom, focus students attention, stop bad behavior, stop bad attitudes. Individuals in authority might benefit from reflecting on the consequences of using exercise as punishment or behavior management

Purpose of Article
This article examines participants' beliefs about the outcomes of using exercise as punishment in an effort to better understand why individuals engage in this practice and how future teachers and coaches might be educated to not use this practice.

Survey of Future P.E. Teachers

Burak, Rosenthal, and Richardson (2010) explored the use of exercise as punishment or behavior management in a recent survey of 273 undergraduate physical education majors and 65 nonmajors, many of whom have multiple career goals including coaching (68.8 %), teaching physical education (42.4 %), or becoming a fitness professional (71.1 %). The participants included 31 first-year students, 57 sophomores, 91 juniors, 138 seniors, and 21 post-baccalaureate students. Females made up 42.5 percent and males made up 57.5 percent of the participants. The majority of students (96%) reported being athletes, 68.4 percent of them had participated in sports for more than 10 years. More than half of all the students reported that they would likely use exercise as punishment in their teaching, coaching, or fitness careers

Reasoning Behind the Survey

The survey instrument was developed according to the theory-of-reasoned-action guidelines (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) to determine the predictors of intentions to use exercise as punishment. According to the theory, a person's beliefs determine his or her attitudes and norms, which in turn predict intentions and behaviors. Beliefs about the outcomes or consequences of behavior are, therefore, foundational in the development of attitudes and intentions.

Developing Survey
To develop the belief-based survey items, Burak et al. (2010) asked 10 individuals who were representative of the student population to identify what they believed to be the positive and negative outcomes of using exercise as punishment. The lists of outcomes were analyzed and compiled into a list of seven possible outcome beliefs: exercise as punishment

Possible Outcome beliefs

1. Improves Attitudes 2. Increases Injuries 3. Improves Fitness Levels 4. Leads to Exercise Avoidance 5. Increases Mental Toughness 6. Establishes the Authority of the Coach or Teacher 7. Teaches Athletes or Students that there are Consequences to Their Actions

Student Reports
91 percent reported that their coaches used exercise as punishment in sport 42.7 percent reported that their physical education teachers used exercise as punishment in school. staff in 32.3 percent of a representative sample of United States schools were allowed to use physical activity as punishment. Staff were actively discouraged from using exercise as punishment in only 8.9 percent of schools staff were allowed to exclude students from physical education for bad behavior in 22.6 percent of schools

Participants Beliefs
Participants' outcome beliefs about using exercise as punishment were grouped into three thematic categories: 1. Teaching and Leadership 2. Fitness Training 3. Mental Toughness and Attitude.

Suggested Alternatives to Using Exercise as Punishment

1. Create a task-involved, student-centered environment.
This takes away from off-task behavior

2. Adapt the FITT principle (Frequency, intensity, type, time)

Keeps students on task by keeping them active

3. Adapt the fitness plan in response to schedule and fatigue

Know common times in the year that students are under pressure from other classes

Suggested Alternatives Cont.

4. Use positive, detailed, timely feedback to increase desired behaviors
Feedback can make the students work harder to obtain a goal they are given

5. Teach for social and personal responsibility, empower students with decision making
Students that make good decisions while working with each other instead of against each other will have better interactions and fewer disruptions

Suggested Alternatives Cont.

6. Focus on the positives
Who works well when all they hear about is the negatives?

7. Reflect on coaching, class, and team performance.

Reflecting on performance can help to understand how and what is and is not working.

8. Foster mutual respect between teacher & student and coach & athlete
People work better for someone who they respect. If there is no respect, then performance can hinder.

Teaching and Leadership

Student-Identified Outcome Beliefs Related to Teaching and Leadership

1. The use of exercise as punishment can teach students or athletes that there are consequences to their actions.
2. Using exercise as punishment can establish the authority of the coach or teacher over the students or athletes.

Problems
If exercise is used as punishment often in a classroom the students know that if they participate in off-task behavior they will be forced into unwanted physical activity. Athletes who are punished with exercise do not gain insight for their next competition. Teachers who use these techniques to establish authority have a harder time gaining the students attention and respect.

Alternatives in Classroom
Proximity Control Have the students help in the demonstration Deliver timely feedback to keep students on task. Acknowledge other students who are on task.

Alternatives in Coaching
Take time after game to discuss the positives, and negatives, to find where improvements can be made. Use the next practice to focus on the items such as skills, strategies, and tactics the team discussed instead of using it for punishment such as running sprints.

Alternatives to Establishing Authority

Create a mutual respect with the students or athletes. When students have a positive attitude toward a teacher they are more likely to follow directions the first time and staying on-task.