EDITORIAL

Society of Health and Physical Educators, America (SHAPE America) Gets My Vote

written by Chuck Corbin, Professor Emeritus, Arizona State University

Roberta Park, a noted physical education historian, has suggested that physical education (and I would also include health education) can become the renaissance field of the 21st century. She makes the case that medicine was a fledgling field prior to 1900, but became the renaissance field of the 20th century. The development of the medical sciences, strong delivery programs (treatment, prevention, and promotion), strong medical training programs, and a strong professional organization were the keys.

At this point in our professional history I believe that Park makes a good point! Health and physical educators are primed to do good things in the years ahead. Our ever-evolving scientific base has grown in recent years, just as medicine’s did in the previous century. We have the support of major medical groups (AMA, AHA, AAP, IOM), governmental groups (CDC, PCFSN, USDHHS), and other well-known public and professional organization (ACSM, NFL, NAK, NAKHE) to name only a few. In addition, the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently published two reports related to our field. New standards for teacher education bode well for improved teacher education in our field, a necessary prerequisite for the type of success enjoyed by the field of medicine.

Major initiatives have been implemented in support of Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAPS) with quality physical education as the centerpiece (CDC, AAHPERD). Comprehensive health education is also a strong priority of the CDC and other groups. We have a new cooperative agreement for a Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) supported by multiple cooperating agencies including AAHPERD, Physical Best, the President’s Council, the Cooper Institute (FITNESSGRAM®), AAU, CDC, and the new National Foundation for Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition (NFFSN). Parental support for health and physical education is also strong. According to a Harvard survey, more than 90% of parents support health and physical education in the schools.

Let's not squander this support. Carpe diem! Now is the time to seize the day! We (health and physical educators) have a unique, but time sensitive, window of opportunity to do good things for America's youth. For too long we have "played the name game," debating and arguing terms within our field. We've missed opportunities that others have seized upon. It is time to move on.

As a life member of AAHPERD, I have seen many changes (in name and organizational structure) since first joining as a student member in 1958. On October 17, I learned of the proposed new name (Society of Health and Physical Educators—SHAPE America) for the reorganized AAHPERD. I was not involved in choosing this name. Like most AAHPERD members, I've thought about possible names. No doubt we all had possible names in mind.

I confess that I was surprised by the new name that was chosen. I also confess that I initially had some reservations. On reflection however, I decided that the name reflects who we are—we are a professional group of health and physical educators. The name is simple and easy to remember. The name will not be what distinguishes us in the future. It is what we DO as a group that matters. This name will work if we make it work.

Accordingly, I urge all members to vote in favor of the new name. A "yes" vote allows us to move forward. SHAPE America, with our support and effort, can be THE strong professional organization that is necessary to help us seize the unique opportunity presented to us—becoming the renaissance field of the 21st century.

(Dr. Chuck Corbin is a professor emeritus (retired) from Arizona State University where he taught in the Department of Exercise and Wellness for more than 20 years. He is the senior or sole author of more than 70 books. Fitness for Life (winner of the Texty Award of the Text and Academic Authors Association), Concepts of Physical Fitness (winner of the McGuffey Award), and Concepts of Fitness and Wellness are the most widely adopted high school and college texts in the area of fitness and wellness.)

Thoughts about SHAPE America

written by Steve Jefferies, pelinks4u Publisher

Since AAHPERD president Gale Wiedow announced the proposed new name for AAHPERD, similar to Chuck Corbin I've had mixed personal feelings and heard both positive and negative comments from others. But on one thing we can all agree. For our professional association to move forward it's pretty obvious that everything can't stay the same. So it makes sense that we should consider a new name.

As a former NASPE President I confess I'm pretty attached to the NASPE name and its public recognition as the professional association for physical educators. A few years ago our Canadian colleagues converted themselves to PHE Canada – a name that I also like but recognize that the thought of copying Canadians would be an anathema for many Americans! More recently, our nutrition colleagues renamed themselves to the daft sounding acronym “AND” yet it doesn’t seem to have negatively affected their 75,000 and growing membership.

So where does that leave me? For the past few years I've spent much of my time deliberating about the future of public school physical education. It's something that concerns me, especially in this era of rapid and often irreversible change. I've asked myself not only "What is the future of public school physical education?" but more worryingly, "Is there a future for public school physical education?" Of course I'm convinced that there is a need for America's youth to be physically educated, but worried about the status and support for physical education and the teaching profession.

It's this concern that leads me to agree with Dr. Corbin. We need to move on. For too many years the Alliance has deliberated structural questions at the expense of its members. The vast majority of health and physical education teachers find membership in AAHPERD irrelevant to their needs. That's clear from the decline in membership. I suspect that most public school health and physical educators don't give a hoot about the name of their professional association. They want to know what's in it for them? It's what we do not what we call ourselves that's the critical question facing us today.

So I've decided I need to quit wasting energy on name-calling games. In honesty, I'm impressed that the AAHPERD Board of Directors turned to marketing experts to investigate a new name. We all need to recognize what we're good at, and what we should leave to others. SHAPE America is fine with me. Now let's get on with the important stuff, or what we call ourselves won't really matter.