By Staff
As he watched his students scale the challenging 35-foot climbing tower in preparation for their field trip to the New River Gorge in West Virginia, Director of Wellness Activities Ron Gunn joked that the Southwestern Michigan Colleges physical education (P.E.) classes had reached new heights.
Gunn reorganized some of the P.E. classes approximately a year ago to add excitement and adventure to the classes. Some of the extreme sports experiences that were added include whitewater rafting, backpacking, rock climbing/rappelling, sea kayaking, snowboarding, downhill skiing, and trail running. Students' response to the program has been overwhelming as most classes fill to maximum in short order.
Gunn says that while most students are preparing themselves to earn their living with their brains, not their brawn, its important for them to be fit and healthy. Each class covers the important components of fitness and wellness, including strength training, cardiorespiratory training, flexibility, nutrition, weight management, stress management, and disease prevention. The students also learn how to develop their own personal fitness program.
The lab portion of the classes features learning a specific fitness activity and putting that skill into practice on a field trip.
Activities in current classes include field trips to West Virginia for whitewater rafting and rock climbing; Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore for sea kayaking; and the Jordan River Valley for backpacking. The snowboarding/downhill skiing class utilizes Swiss Valley Ski Area and the trail running/trekking class involves many options ranging from the Roadrunners Trails to the Grand Canyon.
"The field trips really appeal to the students and extend beyond the activity," states Gunn. "I am a frustrated tour guide at heart and I try to make the trip interesting and fun for the students. For example, in West Virginia we take side trips to some beautiful area tourist attractions. I even scout for fun places to eat and each trip features a group bonfire."
The physical education classes meet the core curriculum requirements for graduation from SMC and the classes also meet the wellness requirement for many universities and colleges. For more information, contact Ron Gunn, Director of Wellness Activities at (269) 782-1209 or (269) 687-1600 ext. 1209.