Gym class is supposed to be a place where kids can relax, play sports with friends, and take a break from the endless stresses of high school. This year, however, Langley freshmen and sophomores have had to participate in a new gym SOL.

In academic classes, students take the SOL to demonstrate what they have learned.. A gym SOL seems extremely unnecessary because students are not learning in the same way as they do in other classes. They are learning about various sports by participating in them, and there is no way to make a test that can capture everything they have learned by taking gym.

The purpose of gym class is to try to get students active in a fun, carefree environment. A gym SOL would defeat the purpose of gym. Students would begin to view gym as they did their other rigorous courses.

A gym SOL means that the gym teachers would have to teach their students about all the rules of the games and other concepts. This would take time out of the gym period, and the students will not have a good time if they are forced to sit on a hard floor and learn rules.

A gym SOL would also mean that gym teachers would need additional training. While they may be experts in a few sports, they may not have all the knowledge needed to teach their students the contents of the test.

A gym SOL only adds more stress to already stressed out teenagers. Stress is a big part of high school, especially at Langley. The courses offered are very challenging and require a lot of attention to succeed in the class. A gym SOL would take time away from the students’ other courses.

Gym is a place to have fun and forget all about the stresses of high school. If a gym SOL is made mandatory, the whole purpose of gym will have been defeated.