Anonymous wrote:My DD just came home and told me that they will be learning Parkour in gym class tomorrow. I think that's a little odd. Is it just me? Why would they teach kids how to run up the side of buildings and do backflips off walls in gym class? What happened to track & field or basketball?

Thoughts?

(Middle school)

Anonymous wrote:I watched 20:41's second video, and you can't imagine how much I wish we could have done that in PE, instead of endless kickball, dodgeball, and flag football.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop coddling your kid. She might get hurt. So? Risk-taking mad evaluation of risk is an essential skill.

I'm not exactly coddling my kid. (OP here). I mentioned earlier she plays a travel sport--it's hockey, which she plays on a boys team--that's with checking. So I'm not exactly rolling her up in bubble wra[ waiting for her 21st birthday.

For the record, they do intend to teach the back flip off the wall. It's not mandatory, but they will teach it.

OK, I'm off to lecture her about what can happen if she starts doing this on random walls.

Thanks again.

Safe, supervised activity with someone enforcing rules. Not the same as evaluating a risk, taking it, and finding out whether or not your evaluation was correct. Not at all comparable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop coddling your kid. She might get hurt. So? Risk-taking mad evaluation of risk is an essential skill.

I'm not exactly coddling my kid. (OP here). I mentioned earlier she plays a travel sport--it's hockey, which she plays on a boys team--that's with checking. So I'm not exactly rolling her up in bubble wra[ waiting for her 21st birthday.

For the record, they do intend to teach the back flip off the wall. It's not mandatory, but they will teach it.

OK, I'm off to lecture her about what can happen if she starts doing this on random walls.

Thanks again.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would love it if one of the gymnastics center or even a Parkour center would offer this type of class to younger kids and even better if offered at the school too. I'd sign my kid up in a heartbeat. Dynamite Gymnastics. Take note. This is what your ability center should look like.

Is that not what it looks like? My teen has taken some parkour classes at Urban Evolution in Alexandria. They've got more grungy colors and they're smaller, but the activities pictures are pretty much what the younger kids are doing there. I've been thinking of moving him to Dynamite because it's way more convenient, but you just gave me pause.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well if they will only be learning it "tomorrow" then one day is not enough to 'learn' a sport like this so they will probably only be learning about it -- that it exists as a sport/activity -- and not actually learning to do it.

If she means that they are starting a longer unit on it tomorrow, then I agree with your initial assessment that it is odd but honestly I think it is a rather great idea. Unfortunately, many kids do not seem to get enough physical activity or incorporate it into their lifestyle. Gym class at school is seen as 'boring' or 'stupid' by a lot of kids who dislike the traditional type of gym activities.

Parkour is probably different enough, interesting enough and enough like 'getting away with something the kids didn't think they would actually be allowed to try' that it might grab these kids' interest and get them involved in a more physically active lifestyle.

If you have concerns about safety or something definitely inquire at the school out of curiosity what will be taught, how, and what will be done to emphasize safety. That is your right and obligation as a parent if something concerns you. But, I think schools are concerned enough about liability that they will be very safety conscious and teach a pretty toned-down version.

I would be very pleased if my child had the opportunity to learn this in school gym class.

Thank you, appreciate you taking the time to respond. It's the beginning of a longer unit, I should have been more clear. DD plays travel sports, so I have no concerns about getting enough exercise in general--and ym class is normally taken rather seriously at this (private) school. I am somewhat concerned about safety, since they have a fairly Laissez-faire attitude towards that. I think I will speak with the teacher and ask exactly what's planned. I really just don't need DD, who is a bit of a daredevil, deciding to 'practice' these types of things outside of school. Not like I can watch her 24/7, not do I want to.

I totally agree with other PPs that the unit sounds awesome and I would've loved it as a middle schooler. As a middle school teacher I agree you should talk to the gym teacher and find out their risk mitigation strategy, especially for kids who may attempt to try it in an unsupervised/unsafe manner. Then reinforce the safety aspect with your DD. you can't protect them from everything and middle schoolers are prone to experimenting and doing stupid things. But we had a couple of lunchtime parkour experiments gone awry a few years ago resulting in broken bones that required surgery...so despite loving the idea in theory, I would also feel a little hesitant like you.

Anonymous wrote:Stop coddling your kid. She might get hurt. So? Risk-taking mad evaluation of risk is an essential skill.

Anonymous wrote:I would love it if one of the gymnastics center or even a Parkour center would offer this type of class to younger kids and even better if offered at the school too. I'd sign my kid up in a heartbeat. Dynamite Gymnastics. Take note. This is what your ability center should look like.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A backflip off the floor is a considerable achievement. I highly doubt a roomful of middle schoolers will be doing back flips off the wall.

They likely have mats and protective padding. before you go overboard why not find out what is actually going to happen.

My reaction would be that it sounds like a lot of fun. Then reinforce that landing on your head isn't so fun.

Here is a class learning parkour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On0_PpQwDZI

Parkour in gym class https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7rzutIs_L8

LMAO at this visual.

Anonymous wrote:A backflip off the floor is a considerable achievement. I highly doubt a roomful of middle schoolers will be doing back flips off the wall.

They likely have mats and protective padding. before you go overboard why not find out what is actually going to happen.

My reaction would be that it sounds like a lot of fun. Then reinforce that landing on your head isn't so fun.

Here is a class learning parkour. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On0_PpQwDZI

Parkour in gym class https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7rzutIs_L8

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well if they will only be learning it "tomorrow" then one day is not enough to 'learn' a sport like this so they will probably only be learning about it -- that it exists as a sport/activity -- and not actually learning to do it.

If she means that they are starting a longer unit on it tomorrow, then I agree with your initial assessment that it is odd but honestly I think it is a rather great idea. Unfortunately, many kids do not seem to get enough physical activity or incorporate it into their lifestyle. Gym class at school is seen as 'boring' or 'stupid' by a lot of kids who dislike the traditional type of gym activities.

Parkour is probably different enough, interesting enough and enough like 'getting away with something the kids didn't think they would actually be allowed to try' that it might grab these kids' interest and get them involved in a more physically active lifestyle.

If you have concerns about safety or something definitely inquire at the school out of curiosity what will be taught, how, and what will be done to emphasize safety. That is your right and obligation as a parent if something concerns you. But, I think schools are concerned enough about liability that they will be very safety conscious and teach a pretty toned-down version.

I would be very pleased if my child had the opportunity to learn this in school gym class.

Thank you, appreciate you taking the time to respond. It's the beginning of a longer unit, I should have been more clear. DD plays travel sports, so I have no concerns about getting enough exercise in general--and ym class is normally taken rather seriously at this (private) school. I am somewhat concerned about safety, since they have a fairly Laissez-faire attitude towards that. I think I will speak with the teacher and ask exactly what's planned. I really just don't need DD, who is a bit of a daredevil, deciding to 'practice' these types of things outside of school. Not like I can watch her 24/7, not do I want to.