Fitness program Trump reverted to only rewards the most athletic students, instead of promoting lifelong healthy habits

[bigtree]

“From the late 1950s until 2013, graduate scholars all across our country competed against each other in the Presidential Fitness Test, and it was a big deal. This was a wonderful tradition, and we’re bringing it back,” Trump said Thursday.

___The Presidential Physical Fitness Award was discontinued after the 2012–2013 school year and replaced by the Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP). This major change shifted the focus from competitive, percentile-based testing to personalized, health-focused assessments for students in the United States.

... it reflect(ed) a national move toward encouraging lifelong healthy habits instead of rewarding only the most athletic students. The key reasons for the change included inclusivity, student well-being, and alignment with current health standards. Today, U.S. schools use updated assessments that prioritize health and individual progress.

Criticism and Concerns

Lack of Inclusivity: Only the most athletic children received awards, leaving many students feeling discouraged.
Public Embarrassment: Students often had to perform physical tasks in front of peers, sometimes resulting in humiliation or anxiety.
Emphasis on Performance Over Health: The program focused on outperforming peers rather than promoting overall well-being and fitness habits.

https://wellfitinsider.com/blog/what-happened-to-the-presidential-physical-fitness-award/


...the Presidential Fitness Award is a throwback to the Cold War when then-president Johnson devised a way to make it look like America was physically superior, or some other regressive propaganda he had in mind at the time.

Trump obviously admires it because it pits Americans against each other in an effort that serves to demean the majority of the participants by elevating an advantaged few.

Before this goes into effect, Trump should be made to do at least one pull-up, and not just his dirty diaper.

[ret5hd]

1. celebrating the ubermensch

[Bettie]

3. I hated that fucking test

for those of us who weren't athletic, it was just our annual torture day, where the kids who were good at it got to sit and laugh as we did the best we could.

And the athletic kids were nasty about it, they yelled at us, they called us names and teachers sometimes joined in the fun with them.

This is a lot of the reason I hated gym and group physical activity so very, very much.

Give me something I can do on my own and I'm fine, but not running. Never running.

[Bettie]

5. I could never climb the rope more than a few feet

and always got laughed at.

I've never been able to do a pull up. Even now, I'm lifting and I can move plenty of weight with over head and bench presses, but can't do a single pullup.

[customerserviceguy]

8. If we really want to boost PE

then eliminate bullying. The reason I despised PE classes was because the jocks and the hoods would always torture the fatter guys like me, who did better than them in academic subjects. Often, they were cheered on by a PE teacher who was himself a failed jock, and looked to take out his frustration on the not-so-athletic kids.

[sakabatou]

6. I hated doing the mile run due to bad knees

The test is so damned flawed, and it'll be even worse now.

[newdeal2]

7. Trump should be the first one subjected to this new test

Let's see if he can complete a single sit-up or jog from one end of a basketball court to the other.