Two of the most misused, avoided, and at times, neglected terms in physical education are assessment and fitness.  Both play a pivotal role in the PE setting.  However, if we want to provide high quality educational experiences, we need to truly understand each of them and the importance of them being used together.

Understanding that fitness assessments in the school setting is a hot topic, we cannot deny the importance of fitness for our youth.  Lynne M. Boddy and Gareth Stratton state, “exercise scientists unequivocally recognize that a sufficient level of physical fitness is important for children’s health, well-being and optimal growth and development.  Moreover, physical fitness can be viewed as an ‘enabling factor’ that helps children achieve physical activity goals.” Using assessment appropriate to monitor these critical components is not only possible, but of extreme importance.

In this course we will dig deep into both fitness and assessment.  We will learn why we should be assessing fitness and how to appropriately select and administer these assessments.  Participants in this course will leave with a set of complete fitness assessment protocols and the ability to create their own.

In this course learners will:

• Develop a firm understanding of assessments, the reasons to assess, and the various types.
• Identify ways assessment can be used to benefit all stakeholders.
• Develop of firm understanding of fitness, its subcategories, and corresponding components.
• Identify multiple assessments specific to chosen components of fitness.
• Create their own assessment protocol for chosen components of fitness.