Indoor Rowers for Your School

The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) in Long Beach, California, embraced rowing with the help of a federal PEP Grant. Here is an excerpt from a recent press release:

Students and teachers have quickly begun using a recent shipment of 171 state-of-the-art rowing machines delivered as part of a one million dollar grant to create innovative fitness centers at local high schools. The Long Beach Unified School District is the first school district in the nation to obtain such quantities of these high-tech machines that improve aerobic capacity, muscle strength, endurance and flexibility.

“This is cutting edge physical education,” said Joan Van Blom, physical education curriculum leader for the school district. “It’s a big step toward increasing student participation in vigorous physical activity.” Van Blom is an Olympic medalist in rowing and holds the indoor rowing world record for her age and weight category.

...The grant also pays for training to help physical education teachers incorporate the machines into their instruction. The machines include computer screens that allow students to monitor their performance so they can meet fitness goals as specified by state standards.

Several middle and K-8 schools also have incorporated the machines into their instruction using school-site funds…

Congratulations to LBUSD for leading the way in physical education programming!

Interested in Bringing Indoor Rowing to your School?

Our schools-related web pages contain a wealth of information that will be helpful including:

  • Package pricing for schools.
  • Standards-based indoor rowing curriculum. Kids’ Team Challenge details.

To help get rowing off the ground at your school explore applying for a PEP grant: pe4life.org/UserFiles/File/PEP_Grant_handbook.pdf. These are federal grants specifically aimed at helping schools expand and improve their physical education programs.

Kiona Roberts, a senior in the LBUSD, gets ready to take the next stroke

The 2007-08 Kids’ Team Rowing Challenge

April 30, 2008, saw the end of the second year of the Kids’ Team Rowing Challenge. There are two challenges—the Fall challenge is a twenty minute relay row, and the Spring challenge is a 2000 meter row. We were pleased to have 170 teams from schools and fitness facilities across the U.S. and Canada. Be sure to look for the Kids’ Team Challenge again this fall. Visit concept2cts.com/schools today!

pe4life.org