The Power of Play

There are not nearly enough opportunities for our school children in Baltimore City to play. I'm not talking about the "we was only playin" type of playing that kids regularly get reprimanded for. I'm talking about safe and meaningful physical activity that will aid in our kids' physical, emotional, and cognitive development.

When our children do not receive quality physical education, they are not only robbed of learning basic athletic skills, but also of body awareness, self-esteem, and social skills. In areas of poverty in particular, there is increased obesity, diabetes, attention difficulties, and anti-social behavior in young people. A structured, safe, and inclusive environment where children are explicitly taught how to engage in healthy play is a sound remedy. Conflict resolution begins on the playground for most people. In the absence of a regular, required gym class it's no wonder a friendly game of Uno erupted into two twelve-year old black males trying to beat each other up in my class last Friday.

Gym class should be seen as essential, rather than a luxury--especially in inner-cities. We know that lower-income areas have fewer stores with healthy, affordable food choices. We know that African and Hispanic Americans are disproportionately poor and have historically and culturally had higher-fat diets. We know that depression and stress can lead to sedentary lifestyles. We know that in high-crime areas, moms often stay indoors with kids for safety reasons. So then, why don't we seem to know that qualitiy physical education is a glaring deficiency in our current school system?