Jim's 1st Day of Physical Education

"Yes, Miss Evans."

"Now, I don't want to see any books or supplies from your other classes brought into the gym or the locker room. We just don't have room for them here, and dealing with them will only slow you down when you're supposed to be changing. Make sure you drop them off in your hall locker before arriving at the gym. And you also need to take care of any business in the restroom before you line up in the gym. That means use a regular school restroom on the way to class, or the one here in the locker room. The one in here has a large group urinal, so it can accommodate most of you at once, if necessary. But once class begins, no one will be allowed to use the restroom. No exceptions. Is that understood?" I again looked out into the group of boys to see if I still had their attention.

"Once Mr. Moore or I take attendance, we will go over the activities for the day. Obviously the activities will vary from day to day. But generally, you can expect that we will start off each day with some basic warm-up and stretching exercises, followed by a much more vigorous set of calisthenics. We will play a few games such as basketball and volleyball but generally playing games isn't our focus. The purpose of High school physical education is to toughen you boys up and get you ready to serve your country in the military. We don't have time for fun and games." I paused briefly to make sure the boys were still with me.

"Of course, each of you will be required to take the President's Physical Fitness Test. The actual test will take place toward the end of the semester, but we'll start to practice those activities almost immediately. And running, you will do a lot of running in this class. Part of each and every class period will be devoted to running, either laps here inside the gym, or outside on the school track once the weather permits. The most important rule is that you must participate in the day's activity, whatever it happens to be, in order to pass this class. And that goes for all of you, even those among you that don't consider yourself athletic. Any questions so far, boys?" I saw one brave boy raise his hand with a question.

"Yes, Mark is it?" I said consulting my class roster.

"Yes, Miss Evans, I'm Mark Brown. Since this is a double period class, won't we have more time than usual for games?"

"No, Mark, but you do bring up an important point I wanted to mention," I answered. "Boys, this is a double period class, it's the only one like it that we offer all year, so it is a little different." As I was speaking, I looked up at Mr. Moore and saw that he was smiling back at me. He knew exactly what I was about to tell these boys. "But that doesn't mean that we change our focus. It's still called Physical Education and we will do the very same activities. We will still do our share of calisthenics, running and fitness testing. It just means that we have twice as much time each and every day to do them. For example, instead of 15 continuous minutes of calisthenics, you boys might do 30 minutes. Instead of a 20 minute run, you boys might go for 40 minutes or even a full hour!" I looked out at my audience and saw that this particular bit of news was not well received. But I really didn't care.

"Just remember boys that it was your choice to wait until now to take Physical Education. You all had plenty of opportunities to take it earlier, when it was a single period class. But now that you're here, I can assure you that Mr. Moore and I will work you much harder than if you had attended one of my regular P.E. classes! If you're not exhausted and dripping with sweat at the end of each and every class, we haven't done our job."

As expected, there was silence among the boys. Many of them might have thought that with the extra period, there would be more time for fun and games and generally fooling around. Now they knew the truth.

"Alright, let me finish up with the basic rules," I said to the boys, "and then I'll let Mr. Moore tell you about your P.E. uniform. Toward the end of every class, Mr. Moore or I will dismiss you from the gym. At that time, you will all jog back into this locker room in an orderly fashion. You will then get yourselves cleaned up, and redress in your normal street clothes. We will always give you at least six minutes at the end of the class period to get cleaned up and dressed - sometimes more, depending on the day's activities. That should be plenty of time as long as you stay focused and don't fool around. Once you are dressed, you will quietly wait at your locker until the bell signals the end of the sixth period. At that time you will be permitted to leave. Any questions before I turn you over to Mr. Moore?"

I paused for a brief moment to see if there were any questions. Looking at the boys, I knew they had questions that they were reluctant to ask. At this stage in the presentation, the boys were always concerned about what they would be required to wear. And as far as getting cleaned up after class, most of them already suspected that meant taking a shower, but they were probably puzzled why I never mentioned that. But having done this for almost ten years, I knew that I would cover all of that after Mr. Moore's presentation.

{*Part Three: Uniforms*}

"Alright then, Mr. Moore, can you please show the boys what they'll be wearing?"

John now walked down the aisle, between the two rows of boys and stood next to me. John had with him a sample set of gym clothes that we keep in the office for demonstrations like this. I stood to one side to allow John to have everyone's undivided attention.

"Boys, as Miss Evans said, my name is John Moore and I will be assisting her every day in class. Right now, I want to go over the P.E. uniform that you'll all be wearing, I have a sample of it right here. No street clothes whatsoever are permitted in class - you must wear the P.E. uniform that I'm about to show you. For starters, you'll all wear a dark green cotton T-shirt like this one."

I watched as John held up the T-shirt imprinted with "St. Bartholomew's Physical Education" on the chest.

"Secondly, you'll wear a pair of white cotton gym shorts like this."

John now held up the shorts and showed them to the boys. The shorts were plain white, but they had the St. Bart's school emblem and cross on the lower left side. The boys at St. Bart's have worn the same P.E. uniform for years now. I know many of the boys didn't like wearing these shorts because the cotton material was very thin. And being white, they didn't leave much to the imagination, especially after they were soaked with sweat. But I never felt the need to change them, even though I had control over the P.E. department and could have any time I wanted. Being so thin, it actually simplified my job since I could easily see when a boy wasn't wearing the required kind of underwear. And one group that never complained about them was the girls. On some occasions, we would have mixed co-ed activities with the girls and boys P.E. classes all together. I know the girls enjoyed seeing the boys in their thin, almost see-thru white shorts, and I was happy to oblige them.

"Now, the shorts and T-shirt can both be purchased at McCalisters Sporting Goods, just down the street. Just tell them you need the standard St. Bart's P.E. uniform and they'll make sure you get the right thing. You have to wear the official P.E. shorts and T-shirt. If you wear something else, it won't count and you won't get credit for dressing out that day. In addition, you'll need some white cotton tube socks and some gym shoes with non-marking soles. If the socks have strips on them, that's ok, it really doesn't matter. And the shoes really need to be a second pair that you don't wear to school. We don't want our nice gym floor scratched up with dirt and debris from the street. Clear so far?" John waited to see if any of the boys had a question. After a few seconds, one boy raised his hand.

"Yes, what's your question?" John said.

"Are we allowed to wear a sweat shirt and pants on colder days?" asked the boy.

"Good question. The answer is no. We will be going outside when the weather permits, but we only do so when the temperature is warm enough for you boys to wear your T-shirt and shorts. Any time it's colder than around 50 degrees, we stay inside. So there's no need for sweats, you'll always be wearing your T-shirt and shorts."

"Allow me to elaborate, Mr. Moore," I interrupted. "Boys, what Mr. Moore means is that you will always change into your T-shirt and shorts when you are getting ready for class. But there will be times in class when you will wear less than the full uniform. For example, when you play basketball, we typically divide you into two teams, shirts and skins, where one group of boys removes their shirts. And most of the time when you're running laps, that will also be shirtless. And there might be other times where you won't wear your complete outfit because we need to observe your muscle movement and see your development. The wrestling unit is a good example - your shorts just get in the way for that. But when you report to class and get changed, you will always wear the full uniform. Please continue Mr. Moore."

"Yes, that's right, thank you for clarifying that Miss Evans. Now, underneath your shorts you will all wear an athletic supporter, no exceptions. In just a few minutes, you'll all be issued one of those in your size. But I'd suggest you buy a couple more at McCalisters and swap them out so you don't wear the same one each day. As Miss Evans already said, you boys will be working up quite a sweat." John held up a supporter and showed the boys what one looks like. Immediately, two boys raised their hands with questions.

"Yes, you over there, what's your question?" John said.

"I heard that we had to wear a jockstrap. Are you saying we don't have to do that?" the boy asked.

"A jockstrap is an athletic supporter," John answered with a laugh. Some of the other boys also chuckled with laughter as soon as the boy asked his question. "You see, an athletic supporter is the proper name, and jockstrap is the slang term. You can call it by either name, but it's the same thing. Whenever we're in mixed company with females present, we call it an athletic supporter. What did you think a jockstrap was?"

"Um, never mind, I guess I was confused," the boy replied with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Alright, then did you still have a question," John said to the second boy. While the boy prepared to ask his question, I checked my class roster and saw that it was Jim Johnson again.

"Yes, Mr. Moore, does the athletic supporter just go on top of our briefs, or does it have to be underneath them?"

"Good question. The answer is neither. I guess I didn't make myself clear earlier," John answered. "When I said that no street clothes are permitted in class that includes every bit of clothing that you wore to school that day. When you're changing for class, you will first remove all of your clothing, including your underwear, then you will put on your P.E. uniform. The athletic supporter - the jockstrap - is in place of your briefs, not over or under them. It is the only acceptable type of underwear that you are allowed to wear in class. Is that clear?" The boys reluctantly nodded.

"I said is that clear?" John repeated.

"Yes, Mr. Moore," the group answered.

"Alright, so while we're on the subject of changing and clothing let's go over a couple of additional things," John continued. "As you probably noticed, there are two sizes of lockers. All of you have been assigned a small locker. That is where you will keep your gym clothes locked up when you are not wearing them. The larger locker is where you put your street clothes when you are changing for class. And speaking of lockers, you will all need to buy yourself a combination lock. Don't buy a keyed lock, since you won't have anywhere to keep the key during class."

"And boys, normally this is a boys-only class. But on some occasions, we will have a combined co-ed class along with the girls. When that happens, you especially need to make sure you wear your complete P.E. uniform, otherwise it might be embarrassing for you. And finally, washing your gym clothes. Everyone needs to take their P.E. uniform home each Friday, wash it, and then bring it back the following Monday. We don't want any of you wearing a bunch of stinky gym clothes week after week." John paused again to see if there were any questions.

"You all need to have your full uniform and combination lock by this Wednesday at the latest. If you don't have it by tomorrow, that's OK. But if you don't have it by Wednesday, then you won't be receiving credit for that day. Understood?" John waited to make sure that all of the boys understood the situation.

I looked at the group of boys as John finished with his part of the presentation. I could see that this was exactly what many of them had feared, that they would have to completely undress when getting changed for class. But there was no time to address their concerns or fears. I still had more rules to cover with them.

{*Part Four: Even More Rules*}

"Alright, then, thank you Mr. Moore, let me take it from here," I said to the group. John now moved to one side and allowed me to take center stage in front of the boys. "Now boys, one other thing we need to cover is the shower policy. I said earlier that after class you will all head into the locker room and get cleaned up. What I meant is that you will all take a cleansing soap shower after class. No exceptions - the entire class will shower each and every day, regardless of how strenuous the workout was that day. You boys don't have to worry about bringing a towel, since we provide a clean one each day. There is a $2.50 towel fee for the semester which your parents have already paid along with the other mandatory fees. And we also provide the soap, so you won't have to worry about that. Of course, you all do need to bring in your own deodorant to put on after your shower." Now the boys really began to look scared. I know that most of them have never had to take a public shower before, much less with a group of 16 other boys looking on. "Any questions about that?" I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but none of the boys were brave enough to ask a question. No matter, I knew that we would cover showering in much more detail later - this was merely the overview.

"OK, then now that we've covered the class rules, we need to cover how you earn your grade, and the penalties for breaking the rules. You will be graded each day on several things, but it really comes down to this: Dressing out for class, participating during class and showering after class. If you do all of that each and every day, you will pass this class."

"However, there are penalties if you don't follow the rules. If you don't dress out for class, that's a zero for the day. If you dress out, but you're not wearing the proper P.E. uniform, or you're not wearing the complete uniform, that's a zero for the day. If you fail to participate, or fail to shower after class, that's a zero for the day. If you receive three zeroes during the semester, you fail the class!" I saw the shocked look on some of the boys faces. Only now were they beginning to realize that they'll actually have to do everything that we just discussed, including wearing the full uniform and showering. They might have thought that these were just arbitrary rules that we gave lip service to but didn't really enforce. But now they realized that they don't have a choice in the matter - if they want to pass this class. And I was about to give them even more bad news.

"And boys, in addition to possibly failing the class, there are other consequences to breaking the rules. The first time you receive a zero, it's just a mark against your grade and that's it. The second time you receive a zero for any reason, you will also receive a paddling, done publically in front of the other boys. You will also receive some form of punishment if you are late getting changed and lined up for attendance. On the first offense, you will do additional, very strenuous exercise, such as running additional laps. On the second offense, in addition to that you will also be paddled. And on the third offense, you will also receive a zero for the day. I will not stand for you being chronically late to class. And while we're on the subject of punishment, there are a couple of additional things to mention. Not following our instructions, engaging in unsafe activities and generally fooling around in class are all punishable offenses that could result in paddling, additional exercise or even a zero for the day at our discretion. Furthermore, fighting is never permitted for any reason. If you are part of an altercation, you will receive the most severe punishment, which will be a combination of all forms of punishment, or even complete expulsion from class." I paused and looked over at John to see if I was missing anything.

"Any questions, boys?" One boy in the back of the group raised his hand.

"Yes, what is your question, Tim is it?" I said as I checked my class roster. As I pointed toward him, all of the other boys turned in his direction.

"Yes, Miss Evans, I'm Tim Meyers. I wanted to know, are you actually our teacher, or is that Mr. Moore?" the boy asked. "I mean, since you're a lady, I was thinking that he would be the one to come in the locker room and, you know, stuff like that."

"Yes, Tim, as I said earlier, I am your instructor and Mr. Moore is my assistant. That means both of us will be working with you in the gym during class, and yes, both of us will also be here in the locker room and showers to monitor you." There were a few audible gasps from the boys when that bit of news sunk in. "I know that having a female in your locker room might be a bit of a shock for some of you, but in all honestly, you boys just need to get over the feeling that you need privacy. You're all seniors, and many of you may be called upon to serve your country in the military in the coming months. When that happens, I can assure you that the military won't go out of its way to afford you any privacy." After a brief pause, another boy raised his hand with a question.

"Yes, David is it - your question please?"

"Miss Evans, since this is the last period of the day, can't we just skip the shower and take one when we get home?"

"Good question, David. The answer is no. You will all take a shower here after class without exception. Taking a shower serves two purposes. First, you get clean. Second, it helps you to grow and mature as a person by teaching you how to deal with what might be a difficult or embarrassing situation. That's an important lesson that all of you boys will learn this semester in physical education. Any other questions?" I scanned the group of boys for a few seconds.

"In summary, I'd like to say is that physical education is actually a very easy class to pass. All you have to do is obey the rules and do exactly as you are told. I'd like to remind all of you that since you are all seniors, this is your last possible change to pass P.E. And it is a requirement for graduation. I really want to pass each and every one of you so that you can graduate. Whether that happens or not, well, that's really up to you." I paused and looked at my watch and saw that we were pretty much on schedule. Since this was the first day of class and none of them had their uniforms, I'm sure the boys now thought that the rest of the class period would be free time for them to fool around. If those were their plans, they were about to change.

{*Part Five: Stripped*}

"Alright then, for the remainder of our time today, we will walk through the steps that we just covered together," I said to the boys. "This will allow you boys to see first-hand just what a normal class period will be like." I looked over at John to see that he was now smiling. Even though this was only the second time he's assisted me with this particular class, he knew what was about to happen. "So to start things off, we need all of you to get out of those street clothes just as if you were getting ready for class. Stand at attention in front of your locker once you're ready. Mr. Moore and I will be back in about three minutes."