Module 5

Lesson 1: The Physical Education Plant

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
1. Discuss sports and sports in primitive time.
2. Enumerate the benefits of playing sports.
3. Identify the classification of sports according to players/
composition

Need for Familiarity with the Problem

There are very few principles of physical education administration that have been less
adequately applied than have those which deal with the planning and construction of buildings to
house the program. The large number if inadequate physical education buildings, even on
university campuses, is material evidence of this fact. Several factors have contributed to this
condition. One of the most significant has been the practice of copying building in a neighboring
city or state, mistakes and good points alike. This practice has been employed because it has proved
to be temporarily less troublesome than making a survey of local conditions, studying trends and
innovations in building construction, and evaluating the effect different types of construction on
the educational goals of the community before starting to build. Another factor has been a change
in educational philosophy and a consequent shift in emphasis from a formal program to a program
which encompasses community needs as well as varied school activities. This type of program
requires extensive building flexibility which tends to make many of our present facilities obsolete.
In some situations, there has been an unwillingness on the part of those in authority to seek and
utilize the advice of informed staff members, and in other circumstances physical education people
have been unable to advise judiciously when consulted.
It is the responsibility of the physical education administrator to make sure that adequate
planning is done for the new facility. Due to the magnitude of this task, all staff members should
be involved in the planning. The needs and requirements of the department must be projected for
the life of the building. The building plan should include a detailed listing of the various areas
required---gymnasium, special activity areas, classrooms, conference rooms, swimming pool,
offices, locker and shower areas, home and visiting team rooms, supply room, training room,
storage facilities, and the like---with their dimensions and desirable features indicated.
It is particularly important that the administrator be familiar with the up-to-date literature
relating to the specific facility being contemplated: there are many instances where administrators
have been very influential in getting a better facility because of their knowledge. When a major
new facility is being planned the administrator should visit outstanding facilities, preferably
accompanied by the architect, with the aim of getting ideas for the best facility for the available
funds.
 The planning process is of critical importance. As a first step, the need for a new facility
must be clearly established. The need must be based on factors such as departmental philosophy,
educational goals, student interests, community use and future projections. The community must
be involved in the planning, and the physical education facility must be an integral part of the
school or campus master plan. Selection of the project architect is a critical step and should follow
guidelines established by the administrative unit that is responsible for the building. As a
minimum, the architect’s professional status should be determined, examples of previously
designed buildings should be inspected, areas of specialization analyzed and references from the
previous clients required. It is also important to determine the architect’s interest and experience
in designing a physical education facility.
The physical education faculty should be actively involved in providing pertinent
information during the architectural design stages. Input during the pre-design planning provides
the basic information needed by the architect to design the building. Careful analyses and
suggestions must continue during the schematic design and design development stages which lead
to the construction documents. These final documents should also be viewed carefully for possible
errors.

Importance of Teaching Stations

For nearly a century physical education has been plagued by the lack of facilities which
has led to the curtailment of the physical education program in a variety of ways. The shortage of
teaching stations has resulted in a time allotment of two or three days per week instead of daily,
and in a reduction of the number of years that a student enrolls in physical education. Programs of
intramural/recreational activities and inter-scholastic programs have also frequently been
inadequate mainly because sufficient facilities are unavailable.
The total number of teaching of teaching stations required depends upon:
1. Number of students.
2. Number of days per week the program is required.
3. Number of years program is required.
4. Class size.
5. Nature of the program.
6. Number of periods in the school day.
7. The climate in the area.
8. The requirements of the intramural and interschool program.
The number of teaching stations required in a school can readily be determined by the
following formula:

NxP
----------- = Teaching Stations
Pxn
 N = Total number of students enrolled at the institution
P = Number of required class meetings per week
P = Total number of periods per week that each teaching station is available
n = Number of students per class
As an example, 12 teaching stations would be needed if a high school had a student
enrollment of 2400 students, each student had physical education five days per week, the average
class size was 30, and there were 35 periods per week when each teaching station was available.

NxP 2400 x 5 12,000

----------- = ------------ = ---------- = 11.4
Pxn 35 x 30 1,050

It should be remembered that the above formula does not provide for future growth when
current enrollment figures are used no does it accurately depict intramural/recreational activity or
interscholastic athletic needs. The formula provides the minimum number of teaching stations that
are needed. More will be needed if specialized teaching stations such as fencing room, and
gymnastic areas are not used for all class periods during the week. Scheduling flexibility also
necessitates more than the absolute minimum number of teaching stations. Outdoor teaching
stations should not be included in the calculations unless the school is located in a geographical
area where outdoor stations can be used the year around. In a majority of schools in the country
the total number of teaching stations required must be provided in the indoor facilities because the
outdoor teaching stations required must be provided in the indoor facilities because the outdoor
teaching stations cannot be used during the winter months.

The Purchase and Care of Equipment

Importance
The purchase and care of equipment was not an important responsibility of those in charge
of the first physical education programs as very little equipment was used with mass calisthenic
programs. As programs became more extensive and diversified and many companies started
promoting the sale of all kinds and grades of physical education equipment, the equipment
responsibilities of the physical education director became more and more important. Equipment
was not a major problem for interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics during developmental
years either, since the athletes furnished most of the equipment that was used. Relatively little
equipment was needed since the athletic program was limited to a few sports, the squads are small,
and the players were not equipped as elaborately and completely as they are now. Furthermore,
the cost of physical education and athletic equipment was considerably less than it is today.
 Today, the purchase and care of equipment constitutes one of the director’s most important
responsibilities. It is the responsibility of physical education and athletic departments to provide
quality equipment for every aspect of their programs. Desired educational outcomes will not be
attained when insufficient or inadequate equipment is provided. Safety of the participants is of
prime consideration for classes and intramurals as well as for interschool athletics. Appropriate
safety standards must be used as a basis for determining then kind and quality of equipment that
will be purchased. In addition to protecting the student, good equipment contributes to a better
learning climate and increased pride in performance. Well-equipped, well-dressed athletic teams
have the added advantage of appealing more to the public than unattractive teams do. Equipment
expense has become one of the largest items in the physical education and athletic budgets and a
great deal of money may be wasted unless equipment is purchased carefully and cared for properly.
Many of the expense items in the budget do not lend themselves readily to reductions, but directors
have found numerous ways by which they can reduce the expense of equipment without
appreciably impairing its effectiveness and appearance. It is essential that every director know
equipment thoroughly and be acquainted with the policies, methods, and techniques by which
equipment might be bought and cared for most economically.
Purchasing Equipment
Physical Education. The physical education teachers should be consulted about the
equipment that will be purchased for their teaching specialties. They will be conversant with the
different kinds of equipment and know what material and type of construction has been found to
hold up the best and the most effective and safest for teaching purposes. The physical education
director will use the information obtained from the teachers as a guide whom purchasing
equipment. Individual requests must be weighted in light of the budget and needs of all area of the
physical education program.
The director should be permitted to make purchases without approval of other
administrators as long as the budget is adhered to and the school’s purchasing procedures are
followed. The director is expected to be qualified to know what equipment is best for the program
and to be able to purchase the kind and amount of equipment that will contribute to a quality
physical education program.
Interschool athletics. The coach and athletic director must work cooperatively when
making athletic purchases. The coaches should be best able to make equipment purchases for their
squads as they have the practical experience and know what materials and product specifications
ate needed. The athletic director is responsible for seeing that the equipment requests are in line
with the budget and that the amount and type of equipment ordered can be justified.
In some high schools the principal, business manager, and/or the superintendent have the
responsibility for approving athletic purchases. This should not be necessary if the athletic program
operates within a budget that has been approved by the board of education.
The inventory. Before equipment is purchased the need for it should be carefully
considered. This will necessitate an itemized inventory of the equipment room covering both the
amount and the condition of the materials on hand. Some directors can be rightly criticized for
being unable to justify amounts of equipment purchased. The inventory is the best insurance
against overbuying on some items and underbuying on others. Firsthand information concerning
the amount and condition of the stock on hand should always be available and accurate information
about equipment requirements for physical education activities and athletic teams should be
provided by the directors, teachers, and coaches.

Legal Liability for Injury

Physical educators have become increasingly concerned about the legal implications
resulting from injuries which occur while students are participating in the physical education
program. It has been estimated that between 350,000 and 400,000 pupil injury accidents occur in
physical education and athletics per year, many of which leads to litigation. The possibility of a
public school teacher being involved in legal action resulting from a school-related injury is greater
now than at any time in educational history.
The frequency of pupil injury accidents has several implications for physical educators. It
is imperative that physical educators, coaches, and administrators know the legal parameters
within which they function as determined by statutory enactments and judicial decisions in their
respective states. Each is individually responsible for personal acts of negligence and state laws
may vary considerably with regard to immunity and subsequent legal attachment to the school
district employer. Therefore, the physical education must be familiar with all facts of the law as it
applies to his or her specific position: legal liability, insurance, travel regulations, legal aspects of
administration and supervision, curriculum development, segregation of pupils, and design,
installation and repair of equipment and facilities.
A further consideration is the moral obligation physical educators have to develop and
administer programs which have as their primary concern the total welfare of all students involved.
When physical educators understand the legal implications of their work, they should become
more sensitive to their responsibilities and, eventually should develop policies and procedures
which would minimize the frequency of student injury.

Administrative Responsibility
It is the physical education department administrator’s responsibility to conduct the
program in such a way that there will never be a cause for legal action against staff members,
administration, or the school district. This can be accomplished by eliminating the common basis
for legal action, namely, negligent behavior. It is a difficult assignment for the administrator,
nevertheless this is the objective.
Once the administrator knows the legal framework within which the program functions,
the entire faculty and staff must be informed of their duties and responsibilities and the department
must develop policies, procedures and guidelines designed to prevent negligently inflicted student
injury and subsequent possible litigation. Such policies and procedures would include legal
considerations in (1) supervision, (2) curriculum development, (3) methodology, (4)
environmental safeguards, (5) segregation of pupils, (6) transportation, and (7) first aid and
accident reporting.

First Aid and Medical Assistance

Since it is quite obvious that numerous injuries occur in physical education and
interscholastic athletics it follows that substantial legal activity is generated when improper
procedures are followed in treating and caring for the injured party. Physical educators and coaches
should pay special attention to existing statutory provisions which, in several states, prohibit
persons unlicensed to do so from practicing acts which could be construed as physical therapy,
hydrotherapy or nursing.
Initial misdiagnosis could lead to mistreatment. Unwarranted or improper movement of an
injured student could further complicate an existing condition. The program administrator,
together with staff and guidance from the medical profession, should carefully prepare procedures
to be followed in emergency situations. Since most physical educators and coaches have received
professional preparation in first aid and/or care and prevention of athletic injuries, they will be
held to a greater standard of care in rendering first aid than would a classroom teacher with no
training in first aid procedures. Teachers and coaches should use extreme caution lest they, in the
confusion of the moment, treat a non-emergency situation as though it were an emergency or, in
the case of a real emergency fail to act or act improperly.