High school athletics are undeniably important. They can impact your student scholarships, college acceptance rates, and the legacy of your school. However, ensuring your school gym is set up to benefit both athletes and students can be a challenge. Let’s take a look at how you can design a high school fitness space for both students and athletes.
Why All Students Need Physical Education
When a high school gym is filled primarily with turf and heavy weights, you may find your football team thriving while still needing space for the rest of the school for PE exercises. Physical education is proven to provide these vital wellness benefits for all students:
Improved cognitive performance: The CDC suggests that regular physical activity is linked to improved memory, concentration, and other cognitive performance markers in students.
Mental health benefits: High school is undeniably stressful for students, but physical activity can help provide some relief. Research shows that the beta-endorphins released during physical activity can help lower the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Physical Health: PE helps students improve or maintain their physical health, including bone strength, muscle strength, cardiorespiratory wellness, and weight control. This activity can reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other health concerns.
Teamwork and social connections: PE classes provide a valuable opportunity for high school students to work together, interact socially, develop interpersonal relationships, and build a sense of community among classmates.
Gross motor skills: Physical education classes can support the ongoing development of high school students’ gross motor skills — like coordination, agility, and reaction time.
Collectively, PE is vital in supporting the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive well-being of students making it so important that your space can support the athletes and general student body.
Why High School Athletics Attract Funding
Despite the widespread importance of PE, it is easy to see why high school athletics attract so much attention:
School funding: The ticket and concession sales from high school athletic events can produce vital funding that schools need. The better a high school athletic program performs, the more likely community members and other students are to attend — generating more revenue for the school.
Community support and student morale: On the surface, successful athletics programs can be a source of school pride, community connection, student entertainment, and even bragging rights against rivals.
Boosting school culture: Student-athletes who value their sports will work hard to maintain a healthy school environment — keeping positive behaviors and grades high to avoid athletic restrictions. Additionally, sports can reinforce good time management, responsibility, teamwork, perseverance, and a wide variety of positive character attributes.
Increased college opportunities: Naturally, every high school wants to see its students succeed. Successful student-athletes can catch the attention of college recruiters and earn scholarships for noteworthy athletic performances.
Finding the Balance in High School Gym Equipment
There is a wide range of equipment options that can serve the needs of both student-athletes and high school students. Let’s explore three potential solutions for achieving a balanced high school gym:
Solution 1: Multifunctional fitness equipment
Prioritize multifunctional equipment that can support the needs of students and athletes alike.
While heavy weight sets are perfect for a football team, they will not serve the needs of your average high school student. However, functional training equipment, for example, can benefit athletes and students alike.
Multifunctional fitness should be considered in every aspect of your design — down to the floor beneath your feet. Athletic teams may benefit from an indoor turf lane, and you can easily incorporate a mix of flooring substrates throughout your space through our partnership with Ecore.
Solution 2: Balancing your budget
Balance your budget between athletic-focused equipment and standard PE accommodations.
Budgeting can be challenging, but an expert can help you find savings without compromising value. Additionally, a professional can help you balance your finances equitably. Making it easier to design and customize a space that will benefit your entire student body.
Solution 3: Maximizing your fitness space
A high school gym design professional can help you choose your gym’s equipment with your space in mind.
Portable, dual-purpose, and compact equipment, for example, may be helpful for smaller gyms. Additionally, a gym planning and design expert can help you find storage solutions that make the most of your space. Even if you have excess fitness space available, you will want to ensure your layout accommodates both athletic training exercises and the complex wellness needs of your students.
Choose ASF for High School Gym Design
The professionals at ASF specialize in high school gym planning, design, equipment installation, repairs, and preventative maintenance solutions. Our experts proudly serve the gym design needs of high schools across North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Northern Florida, and the Mid-Atlantic region. Contact our high school gym planning experts for a free consultation today!