The Need for Quality Physical Education in Our Schools is Greater Than Ever

In this episode we chat with SHAPE America board member Clayton Ellis.  Clayton is a former national physical education teacher of the year.  He's one of our nation's leading advocates for getting our young people to be more physically active so they can enjoy the physical, mental, behavioral and academic benefits.  Clayton and I talk about the physical inactivity epidemic plaguing our youth and how the problem has worsened since the onset of Covid-19.  Over 75% of our young people aren't active for even 20 minutes a day.  Physical education isn't just about physical wellness, it's also about mental wellness.  Fit kids perform better academically and have fewer behavioral problems.  We talk about Phil Lawler, the "Father of the New PE" and how he created a model physical education program in Naperville, IL.  Clayton ends with some comments about how the pandemic represents a great opportunity to modify education in general and physical education in particular.