The Physical Development Program strives to provide an opportunity for each student to develop optimum health and physical fitness for his or her age and developmental level. The department assists each student in gaining knowledge, confidence and self-esteem through physical fitness activities. The department promotes the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play. Each course is designed to respect the individual differences and skill levels for all students.
Students are required to take two semesters of Physical Development. The first semester is PD 1 or PD 1: Sports Performance: Football and is taken during the freshman year. The second semester (PD 2, or Sports Performance courses) is to be taken in subsequent years. Students are not restricted to two semesters of Physical Development and are encouraged to take as many classes as they desire. All PD2 electives may be repeated.
All courses are non-academic and do not count toward the total number of academic courses required in a semester.
PD I class is a mandatory course for all freshman students. It is designed to promote health and fitness concepts. PD 1 stresses cardio vascular training with different modalities such as dynamic range of motion warm-ups, aerobic workouts, and circuits. The course encompasses instruction in nutrition, physical fitness, and basic skills in various team sports and activities. Every freshman goes through a 4-week swim program highlighting swim fundamentals especially body alignment and hydrodynamic orientation in the water.
This course is designed to help students develop physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. The experiences presented in the course are intended to develop knowledge, self-confidence, positive self-image, good sportsmanship, cooperation and ideals necessary to maintain both physical and mental health. Concepts of fitness, training, and nutrition are covered.
Physical Development I: Football is the introductory football conditioning course combined with the Physical Development 1 curriculum designed to improve the core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility, and flexibility and basic skills and concepts of students playing football and meet the requirements of the 9th grade physical education standards. This course will focus on development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific movements as well as speed and agility development. The students will learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, Olympic lifting, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed, and agility work as well as sports nutrition and use of ergogenic aids. This is a first semester course open to freshmen playing interscholastic football. Fulfills Physical Development requirement.
Prerequisite: Interscholastic Freshman Football or Head Football Coach and Department Chair approval
This course emphasizes individual personal fitness and attitudes to keep students involved in the learning process and to promote ongoing health and physical fitness. Core Fusion is a total body fitness course designed to improve individual fitness levels. This is a medium to high intensity workout designed to increase muscle endurance and strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and body composition. The students will learn the authentic Pilates mat program; different styles of yoga, including: vinyasa, power and yin; breathing and relaxation techniques; the mind-body connection; and how basic anatomy connects to each exercise or posture. Students will also be exposed to power walking, where they will build stamina and walk with proper posture and core engagement. The students will evaluate their flexibility, strength, and core connection in movements throughout this class. Students will acquire the necessary tools needed to design and implement their own wellness program. Fulfills Physical Development II requirement.
Prerequisite: Physical Development I
This course emphasizes individual personal fitness and attitudes to keep students involved in the learning process and to promote ongoing health and physical fitness. Non-Traditional Games is a total body fitness course designed to improve individual fitness levels. This is a medium to high intensity work out designed to increase muscle endurance and strength, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and body composition. The students will learn to use free weights, jump ropes, and body weight as forms of resistance. Students will also be exposed to non-traditional games such as kinball, quidditch, speedball, ringo, cricket as well as yoga, aerobic workouts, and weight training to improve their overall conditioning. The students will evaluate their body-type and what can be done to achieve a desired fitness level. Students will acquire the necessary tools needed to design and implement their own wellness program. Fulfills Physical Development II requirement.
Prerequisite: Physical Development I
Team Sports is is designed to improve individual fitness levels through traditional team sports. In addition to team play, the students will learn about themselves and their body through yoga postures, fundamental biomechanics, and whole-body breathing techniques that connect the mind and the body. This is a medium to high intensity workout designed to increase muscle endurance and strength, flexibility, cardio-vascular endurance and body composition. Students will experience the following psychosocial concepts in sports; emotional self-control, teamwork, poise, and cooperation. Students will actively engage in the essentials of wellness, nutrition, movement, authentic social consciousness, and rest. Fulfills Physical Development II requirement.
Prerequisite: Physical Development I
Sports Performance I is a course designed to improve the core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility, and flexibility of students playing interscholastic sports. This course will focus on development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific movements as well as speed and agility development. The students will learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, Olympic lifting, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed and agility work, as well as, sports nutrition and use of ergogenic aids. Fulfills Physical Development 2 requirement.
Prerequisite: Physical Development 1 and Department Chair approval.
Sports Performance II is a high-level athletic performance class building on the principals learned in Sports Performance I. Designed to improve on the techniques and performance levels of each athlete, the course will focus on core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility, and flexibility as well as the development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific movements and speed and agility development. Students will learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, compound lifts, Olympic variations, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed and agility work, as well as, sports psychology.
Fulfills Physical Development II requirement.
Prerequisite: Sports Performance I or Physical Development I: Sports Performance: Football and Department Chair Approval.
Sports Performance: Football is a course for AMHS interscholastic football players and is designed to take sports training to the next level. It will build on the Physical Development 1: Football fundamentals, utilizing advanced core strength and cardio-vascular fitness, agility and flexibility, and basic skills of students playing football. This course will focus increased volume and time under tension to development of the major muscle groups through free weight training as related to sport specific football movements as well as speed and agility development. The students will continue to learn about training intensity and volume, training zones, Olympic lifting, kettle bells, plyometric training, basic speed, and agility work. Sports nutrition and appropriate body regeneration will be stressed. This is a second semester course open to freshmen through juniors. Fulfills Physical Development 2 requirement.
Prerequisite: Physical Development I: Football and Head Football Coach approval.
Seniors who are enrolled in two semesters of English, Social Studies, and Religious Studies and two semesters of three additional academic courses (usually math, science, and world languages or concurrent enrollment in Math, Science, World Language, Social Studies, or English) for a total of six academic courses, may apply for a one-semester waiver for Physical Development.
Please note that (with the exception of AP Music Theory and AP Studio Art) a yearlong art course does not qualify as one of the six classes required for a waiver.
Counselors must approve all PD waiver requests.
Sophomores who anticipate a full academic load of classes their senior year are encouraged to take PD in the sophomore year. Participation in an extra-curricular sport does not meet Physical Development requirements for graduation.
Department Chair
Brian Yocke