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Home › Expert Q&A › Appearance and Body Image › My 11-year-old hates gym class. How can I help her?

Expert Q&A

 

By Zac Robinson
certified fitness trainer, certified youth fitness trainer and physical education teacher

My 11-year-old hates gym class. She isn't the most athletic girl. She says that the other girls make fun of the way she runs. How can I help her?

This is a tough one to hear, especially for a PE teacher. Without knowing all the details I might have a few points that will help!

  • At her age, she may be beginning puberty. This period of rapid growth can affect coordination and movement, so if she is self-conscious about how she runs. She might take solace in the fact that it is possibly just a temporary state, and all other kids will experience these difficulties sooner or later.
  • Talk to her PE teacher. The PE teacher may not be aware of the issue and may have some ideas to help your daughter improve athleticism as well as encourage others to stop making fun. Of course, this is always a touchy subject as kids feel that sometimes letting Mom or Dad take care of a situation in this manner will lead to more ridicule from their peers, so be careful about how you go about it and ensure that you are satisfied that the PE teacher will handle it appropriately.
  • Talk to her classroom teacher. What is happening is a form of bullying and the teacher needs to be aware that it is taking place in the gym. He/she will also be able to then closely observe interactions in the classroom to determine if the 'bullying' is taking place elsewhere. She may also be able to provide valuable ideas and feedback.
  • I seriously doubt that your daughter has any really significant flaws in her running form. It is just more of a case of kids being mean. However, if there is a real concern with how she moves then realize that running is a skill and technique can be improved through coaching and practice. You can even go as far as hiring a coach in your area to work with your daughter on various movement skills including running. That may seem over the top so here are a few links to proper sprinting/running technique that offer some pointers. (They are pretty technical, but you may be able to glean some information that you can relay to your daughter.):

    http://www.prairienet.org/running/WomensRunning/FormBiomechanicsRunning.pdf

    http://www.ifpa-fitness.com/Resources_Articles_SprintingForm.aspx

    http://www.brianmac.co.uk/sprints/

I appreciate that this is a very difficult situation. I hope the above information helps, and last but not least, remember that your daughter should not have to be an athlete to enjoy gym class and physical activity!

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