By definition a trailblazer is simply a “leader or pioneer in a particular field.” If you’ve studied the history of physical education you’ll be familiar with many of our original trailblazers. These professionals, who broke away from the European influences and created the American system of Physical Education included W.G. Anderson, J.B. Nash, Edward Hitchcock, Clark Hetherington, Luther H. Gulick and the authors of “The New Physical Education,” Thomas Wood and Rosiland Cassidy. This book reshaped Physical Education in 1927 and changed the profession from a medical orientation to a comprehensive, educational approach. These first Physical Education trailblazers pursued different paths and redirected the field to help meet the ever-changing societal demands of their time in history.

Interestingly, during the evolution of a trailblazer’s work these individuals are often criticized, overlooked, or ridiculed for their different perspectives or theories. A real trailblazer, however, possesses a special sense of conviction and purpose and the ability to persevere even when others have doubted their passion for change and innovation.

Over the past fifty years, six professionals have made unique contributions to the field of Physical Education. They’ve offered us educational alternatives, curriculum models, and impacted legislation to help shape our profession. Many other leaders, scholars and activists followed and helped add to and perpetuate our profession – but these six professionals seem to stand out as trailblazers, helping to carve out a new direction for a New Physical Education. Many younger professionals may not be aware of their impact on our field or how they paved the way for the future. So, read more about the contemporary trailblazers of Physical Education.

For more than 30 years I’ve worked closely with teachers on teaching effectiveness, curriculum. and reform in physical education – beginning as a teacher, then later as teacher educator and as a researcher. Today, I spend part of each week in schools working with teachers and administrators. When I look back on what I’ve learned from these collective endeavors a number of things are very clear to me and in this short commentary I’d like to share what I’ve learned and what I’ve come to believe. I invite you to email me your responses if you agree or disagree on what I have to say (ward.116@osu.edu).

What is Physical Education’s Purpose?

I am neither a philosopher nor a sociologist, but the four rationales I commonly hear for physical education are:

I write this month’s editorial with a mixture of excitement and great sadness. By the time you read this, if all goes well I will be the proud grandparent of a newly born healthy little girl. This will be my second grandchild. If you are a grandparent or a parent you’ll know how exciting this is. It’s a time of new beginnings, of wonderment and joy, and a reminder of how life goes on despite seemingly never ending stories of tragedies, set backs, and sadness. Simultaneously, just 25 miles from my home, rescuers continue to desperately search for survivors of the horrific landslide that in seconds swept away homes and ended lives alongside the picturesque Stillaguamish River in the tiny town of Oso, Washington.

Both personally and professionally, there seems no escaping a life destined to be a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, thrills and spills, joys and sadness. Last month, I reported a few professional successes and disappointments. A threat to empower ROTC instructors to teach physical education was rejected in California, but a similar proposal loomed in New Mexico. In Ohio, legislators supported a house bill not allowing PE and health to count as electives for graduation, together with a bill counting band, cheerleading, and athletics as physical education. And in my own state of Washington, Highline school district administrators now insist that newly hired elementary PE specialists must also be certified to teach in the classroom if they want permanent teaching contracts.

Brilliant! Let’s plan on using PE specialists to fill in for classroom teachers. That will surely boost test scores, never mind the quality of the PE instruction we can anticipate when classroom teachers take over our gyms. Did these educational leaders take early advantage of WA State’s recent change in the marijuana laws? Certainly, ensuring a quality education for Highline school kids wasn’t foremost on their minds.