By Alex Costello
While that has been the model for years, things are starting to change at Oceanside High School.
A few years ago, phys. ed. teacher John Messina introduced a fitness class to the school that focused on working out, as opposed to playing a sport. Now, Messina has added a new program: a circuit class.
"It wasn't so much that I wanted to start this - I figured it would be another aspect of a fitness class," Messina said. "But I think the kids should be doing this. I don't think they should just be playing sports."
And the circuit class is definitely not like playing sports. Students rotate among a number of stations, and each one offers a different activity, ranging from simple moves like step-ups, jumping rope and crunches to more difficult exercises with names like "farmer's walk" and "scooter push-out."
"Sports are great, and there's a place for them, but I think that gym classes should be fitness classes," Messina explained. "That's my feeling. And sports should be part of a phys. ed. program, but mostly, if you want to play football, join the team."
Messina's students appear to have taken the philosophy to heart. "My [badminton] coach always wants me to take her class," said Carla Saulle, a student in Messina's fitness class. "And I'm always like, no, I don't want to do the other sports classes. If I wanted to do that, I'd join the sport. And I did. I liked playing badminton, so I joined it, and I still take this class.
"It's my favorite," she added.
So far, the reaction from many of the students has been positive. "People think being sore after gym class is bad, but I love it," said Stephanie Cohen. "And my parents aren't paying for a gym membership, so this is my gym. I'm a senior, so I'm exempt from this class, but I signed up for it."
"I was placed in this class," said Cohen's friend, Jaime Friedman. "I like sports, so my advisor thought I'd like it. I do."
Messina has seen how much the students like the class, but he points out that like everything else, there are always people who don't enjoy it. "Some of them really like it, and they come back," he said. "Some of them hate it and they can't wait to get out of it. But those are the kids that don't want to work. They just want to go to a class and maybe not do that well.
"Maybe they just like to play basketball," he added. "That's legitimate."
"It's actually a gym class. You actually do things," said Saulle. "I don't really like sports. I play badminton in the springtime, but I like actually being able to work out and stay in shape."
And stay in shape they do. "A lot of these kids work really hard," Messina said. "I can see the sweat coming off their foreheads. They want to keep themselves in shape. It's important."
Comments about this story? ACostello@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
