Recently I received a promotion for a pedometer. It was touted as a product that would help reverse the national downward slide toward a sedentary lifestyle, make exercise fun and that after using it, the biggest problem teachers would have is getting their students to stop moving. After reading it and seeing a TV spot on how heart monitors and resistance machines got kids enthusiastic about moving again, I thought about the danger of placing too much emphasis on gizmos and not enough on fundamentals.

We need to teach activities that will keep kids moving through a lifetime. Boredom certainly will not do it. I see this technology fix as a fad that endangers our mission if overused.

Maybe I am egocentric, but I have a heart rate monitor and hardly ever use it. After I learned what it felt like to stay in my desired heart rate range I don't have to. I also have a cyclometer which I took on my typical bicycling run. I was quite excited about it the first few times. I checked my speed, mileage and time but then after a few days, realized it did not change very much from day to day, so hardly look at it now. For sure, heart rate monitor and cyclometers are great for an initial stimulus and to teach us what we need to know about our body, but they do not make activity more fun and are certainly could never qualify as the things that keep me moving.

What does it for me is habit, awareness of my needs, looking forward to a good social experience, expecting to have some fun and having a variety of activities I enjoy. I attribute the last three as the primary reasons moving became a habit. I suspect kids and I have a lot in common in that respect. Please remember that as you plan your curriculum.

Isobel Kleinman
Secondary Section Editor

With the boys of spring out there playing American's pastime - baseball - a lot of students look forward to trying their hand at something similar or at least gearing up for a summer league that puts them at bat. If you are a teacher who is looking to provide aerobic activity for you class, softball and baseball is a disappointing choice. But you can make softball more physically active. It depends on your approach and progressions. Here are a few suggestions:

- Try and turn all skills learning sessions into activities that move everyone most of the time. Allow plenty of throwing and catching practice and then try using those skills, by themselves in a game. (See below) Give each class plenty of batting practice with everyone taking turns at catching, pitching, batting and fielding.

- Play Throw Softball before going into regular games. This game has the "batter" using defensive skills --- catching at the plate and then throwing the ball --- when you are concentrating on improving your class' throwing and catching skills This will allow for a seamless transition from drill to a game - albeit a bit modified - and will reinforce the need to catch, get kids thinking of where they want their "hit" to go, give you an opportunity to teach defense and keep the game moving while kids learn the rules.

- Try small teams playing on shrunken boundaries.
- Coach playing like a team. Teach how position back each other up, and how many people should be moving on every hit. No student should be left to think that the ball is the responsibility of only one player.

If you want more ideas on how to keep a softball unit challenging for different age groups, see Complete Physical Education Plans for Grades 7 - 12, available at www.humankinetics.com

Asthma - What's new

Students who have asthma might be suffering more at this time of year, particularly since classes are going outdoors. Some might make claims that seem beyond reason and continually seek non-participation status. Some don't want to go outdoors. And interesting resource for information and guidance can be found at www.asthmamoms.com

If you find yourself dealing with a child who insists they simply cannot perform or go out, you may want to temporarily resort to giving them a research project in place of their gym work.