When most people think of kayaking, an adventurous trip down the white water rapids comes to mind. However, when students at Arrowhead think of kayaking, most think of a somewhat lame experience they had in gym class.

“When I told my mom we were kayaking in the school’s pool, she laughed,” said junior Jen.
Rather than boring students to death by paddling three or four times across the pool, gym teachers should think of more fun activities to do. If students really wanted to go kayaking, there are local rivers available. In the winter, there could be a unit of ice skating on an actual frozen lake.

If gym teachers wanted to kayak, they could take a field trip to a nearby lake or river. Kayaking in the school pool is cheaper, but the experience makes students unappreciative of such an exciting activity of adventure, thrills, and the outdoors. The fee of renting a bus could be included in the registration fee if the student plans on taking gym.

Kayaking in the AHS pool is nowhere near as much fun as kayaking in a river or lake. Students paddle three or four times and they’re already on the other side of the pool. What’s the point in this? Students would rather pay a few extra bucks than be bored to death in a class that’s supposed to be fun.

Gym teachers should remove kayaking in the pool from the curriculum. There are many possible alternate solutions: taking a field trip or creating a new unit (field hockey, lacrosse, or even ultimate frisbee). By considering these two simple solutions, gym class can be made fun for everyone.