The lack of physical activity is an epidemic problem among American youth today. In order to combat this, many schools are incorporating youth running programs as a part of their comprehensive school physical activity programs. These youth running programs are being implemented before or after school, at school during recess at the elementary…

Track and field is a traditional instructional unit often taught in secondary physical education settings due to its history, variety of events, and potential for student interest. This article provides an approach to teaching this unit using the sport education model (SEM) of instruction, which has traditionally been presented as a model for team…

Video photography of races is now routinely used in international running events to provide automatic recording of the position within each race achieved by the athletes, as well as the time taken in order to check whether records have been broken. This article describes how several cameras provide the evidence that is collated using computers and…

There is an expectation that at each Olympic Games, and at other international events, new record performances will be achieved. This article describes some of the research that has been done to consider whether (as a result of human endeavour alone), records will always continue to be broken or whether there are limits to the shortest achievable…

Shin splints are a common but often confusing injury. Sources disagree on both the cause of the injury and the anatomical source of the pain. Some blame shin splints on foot pronation, footstrike pattern, or arch height. Regardless of what causes the condition, it affects many runners, beginning in some at a young age. Young runners often have…

With the London 2012 Olympics coming up, now is a good time for teachers to turn to track and field athletics for an application that has the potential to be intrinsically interesting to many pupils in schools new undergraduates. In this article, curves, well-known amongst former generations of pupils, are revisited by looking at the markings on…

In these challenging times of cutbacks in public funding for social services programs, parents and grass roots organizations continue to make a difference in their communities with innovative initiatives that are enhancing the lives of people with developmental and physical disabilities. In New York, a track team of speedsters with disabilities is…

In this article, the author explores common characteristics of some out-of-school learning environments for African American students, drawing on findings from several studies of cultural and community practices--the game of dominoes, high school track and field, and middle and high school basketball. The author focuses on the broader question of…

Adventure racing is a multidisciplinary endurance test completed in teams. There seem to be many benefits in using an adventure race as part of a physical education curriculum. The races can also be linked to many national physical education standards. Adventure Racing C.O.R.E. uses the basic ideas of adventure racing and can be done at any school…