Every year, all PE and health students are provided the option to participate in a roller skating unit full of fun and excitement as the semester approaches its end. Between the awesome tunes, amazing laughs, and energetic exercising, roller skating is a memorable experience for the dubs.
For many freshmen, PE is an inevitable class, and after powering through the beginning, their hard work is rewarded. While roller skating is an exciting activity to do in PE, it also comes with athletic benefits. Roller skating builds strength throughout the whole body. It requires a lot of balance and strengthens one’s core and coordination. Along with an increase in core strength, roller skating helps build stronger leg and hip muscles. Besides the strength benefits, roller skating can also increase cardiovascular health, due to an increase in heart rate and improvement in blood circulation. While the health benefits are great, roller skating is also fun for students who get to listen to music, skate around the gym with friends, and enjoy exercise. “I enjoyed getting to try something new and share many laughs with my friends and classmates,” said sophomore Carmer Anderson.
While roller skating has its perks, it does not come without safety concerns. Over the years, students have gotten a variety of injuries resulting from this unit. Breaking bones and spraining joints can happen while roller skating. These injuries not only impact a student’s mental and physical health, but they can impact students academically. Absences and missed lessons can accumulate very quickly for those with injuries and illnesses. Breaks and sprains require numerous doctor appointments and can require medical procedures which not only impacts a student’s ability to go to school, but it can also be a large financial burden. Sophomore, Bailey Lynch, broke her fibula in the skating unit during the 2022-23 school year. She had to go through surgery and have six screws and a metal rod inserted in her leg, missing almost a month and a half of classes at the end of the first semester. “It definitely affected me both mentally and academically due to missed opportunities and missed classes,” she said. “But it also taught me patience and appreciation as I recovered.”
Whether it be fun and laughs, helping students gain coordination and strength, or struggling with injuries, Roller skating is a consistent tradition in the North Atlanta PE department that teaches students valuable life skills and lessons.
