Gym Anxiety
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
I can’t say that it was particularly surprising to discover that some boys are afraid of gym class. I was afraid of gym class myself on occasion, namely when we did square dancing (not very coordinated), gymnastics (again with the non-coordination), rope climbing (no coordination and scrawny arms), and dodgeball (my middle school class had a boy that later went on to be a pitcher on a Division One baseball team). So I definitely understand the concept of gym anxiety. I was a little bemused to learn that someone commissioned a study on why some boys experience gym anxiety–I’m not sure whether the grantors were all spectacular athletes in their youth who fit in well at school and have never seen a single movie or television show set in high school–but sure enough, the main sources of the anxiety were concerns about being teased about their physical appearance or athletic prowess.
So it’s not a particularly new or novel phenomenon–I’m pretty sure that it has been around as long as there have been young men–but that doesn’t mean that it’s acceptable. Plenty of regrettable things have been around a long time, like theft, bullying, or Carrot Top. If, at the same time that we’re looking to improve physical education to combat obesity and encourage healthier lifestyles in men, boys are afraid to go to gym class, then we’re not being truly effective. Schools definitely need to look a little more closely at the intimidation that goes on in the locker rooms if it’s preventing boys from benefitting from gym class. And also, let’s just do away with the square dancing lessons altogether, shall we?
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