What Happened to Ropes in Gym Class?

Hey all you Wicked Iron Underground Cronies, I have a question for ya.......What the hell happened to climbing ropes in Physical Education???? Being an 8th grade teacher, I get a chance to see what my students get for a phys-ed program, and I am not impressed. Maybe it is just my school, or my state (Maine, which happens to have a HUGE obesity problem), but all I see is the phys-ed teacher teaching the kids whatever that season's sport is! Right now Basket ball is in full swing, so what are our students practicing???? Basket Ball. What happened to training our students to be strong, agile, and confident??? The only time I see our kids doing body weight exercise is when the teacher has to do the yearly physical health check. Only then are they doing sit-ups or pull ups. The rope has gone the way of the dodo. Do you remember when you were just a young'un and you were playing on the monkey bars at the playground? Did you ever have a climbing rope out there too? Wasn't it the most fun you ever had, climbing stuff, testing yourself?
The rope climb has been made to look like the most vile of gym class physical feats. What movie that is about high school, does NOT have the rope climb in it? All the popular kids who CAN climb, standing around watching all the kids who CAN'T climb, try to get up that rope. In terms of fitness, our kids need to do that stuff, without the harsh environment of the Hollywood gym class scenario. We here at the Wicked Iron Underground look at fitness as functional....That means we try to do things that have every day application. What happens if you are out and about hiking one day and you fall off the edge of a cliff? On your way down you grab on to a large root and stop yourself from plummeting to your death. Now what do you do? CAN you climb up and save yourself? Or do you hang on until your grip gives out and you die anyway, only delaying the inevitable? I know what you are thinking, that is a pretty extreme case sir, that wouldn't happen on a daily basis....Well, being prepared never hurt anyone. Besides, climbing rope builds grip strength, it helps build up your lats, your back, and your core. Try climbing rope without tightening your stomach....You can't.
All these muscles help you in your every day life, whether it be a construction worker, or a busy mom lifting groceries out of the back of an SUV.
I say, bring back strength and conditioning. Make our kids healthy and strong, just like we want for them. Take away the video games and the cell phones and the computers for a while, and make them do SOMETHING active. Something that will challenge them physically and mentally. Work out with your kids! That way you both benefit, and you get some parent-child bonding done as well. Our biggest problem is taking responsibility for our selves and our kids. If we don't do it ourselves, our kids won't do it for THEMSELVES, and then you can't help them.
BRING BACK THE OLD DAYS! STRENGTH AND FITNESS FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN!
Want your child to be better, feel better, look healthier????
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Act now, space in our gym is limited, and it WILL fill up fast.
You never know, their may be an early bird special in it for ya!
Happy Holidays!
W.I.U.