Marlborough’s Athletic Department has been working on including modifications to the physical education (PE) requirement that takes into consideration various students’ commitment to extracurricular activities. Students who participate in activities such as theater and debate are offered a reduction in the total PE hours that they are expected to complete by the end of each semester.
Since the pandemic, the PE department has made numerous changes to the graduation requirement to alleviate student stress, while still encouraging physical activity and responsibility. Currently, the requirement is 20 hours for all students, but there are some caveats granted to students who participate in time-consuming activities.
For students who are involved in activities that typically don’t require much physical activity, such as theater, robotics and debate, Varsity Water Polo Coach Adam Roth said the PE department tries to accommodate the time they spend on those activities in their free time. Because members of the debate team dedicate a substantial amount of time during the week and weekends preparing for and participating in debate competitions, the PE department reduced their number of required hours to 12, four of which must be completed on campus. The same can be said for those participating in a theater production.
“We understand that practices are typically after school and traveling for competitions also adds time constraints,” said the PE Department on their MyMarlborough page. “We hope we can help accommodate those extra demands with a unique approach that also develops team bonding and community spirit.”
Though four of these hours must be completed at school through workouts in the fitness center, the pool or the yoga studio, the remainder can be completed independently outside of school. Therefore, the PE Department has allowed members of the debate team to track the number of steps they complete while competing and walking around tournament venues, where they can be rewarded hours that count towards their individual PE requirement.
Many students that are included in this policy are in favor of it, saying that it makes it easier to balance schoolwork and extracurricular activities with their reduced PE commitment.
Pippa Tarses ’27 who participates in Marlborough’s all school theater production has shown her gratitude towards the PE department for implementing this change.
“I am grateful for the PE Department’s decision to provide students who do theatre with a fewer hour requirement since theatre is such a huge time commitment and the accommodation helps me and others feel less stress,” Tarses said.
