In reference to the editorial cartoon on the Aug. 15 Opinion page about the high cost of athletics, I offer a free alternative also provided by Duluth public schools: physical education.
Obesity and the need to be physically active are real concerns for everyone. The Centers for Disease Control states that half of young people ages 12 to 21 and more than one third of high school students do not participate in physical activity on a regular basis. Other studies point to the importance of physical activity in improving academic performance. Physical education is an important link to both physical and mental wellness.
The physical education programs provided today are very different from the memories most of us hold onto from the past. Gone are large games where only a few are active. They have been replaced by team-building activities to teach teamwork and bullying prevention, by individual sports that teach lifetime fitness, and by heart-rate monitors that provide accurate information so students can set individual goals and create their own fitness plans based on their personal fitness levels.
Our beautiful new school facilities -- including weight rooms, large gymnasiums and eight-lane pools -- only add to the benefits of high-quality physical education programs in the Duluth public schools.
I urge concerned parents and students to check out the physical education courses and elective options at school and to talk to the school's physical education teacher. I urge everyone else to add physical activity to their daily schedules.
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Amy Kaiser
Duluth
