54 NORTHFIELD MOUNT HERMON
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ATHLETICS Northfield Mount Hermon is committed to excellence in athletics as part of a larger commitment to excellence in education. The athletics program functions as a core element of the holistic educational development of the “head, heart, and hand.” The guiding principle behind Northfield Mount Hermon athletics is the belief in its educational value for you. NMH athletics promotes character traits of high value to support the development of the mind and body to establish successful habits for life. As an athlete at NMH, you will embody the core values of the school itself: Excellence: To aspire to excellence in effort, preparation, and competition. Respect: For the rules, the opponents, the officials, and the pure love of sport and competition. Integrity: To compete fairly and conduct yourself with sportsmanship, grace, and humility. Persistence: The mental toughness to overcome adversity and that special quality of champions to dig deeper and deliver your very best. Teamwork: To be part of something larger than yourself. To learn to be part of a selfless, unified, and cohesive family working toward common goals. To embrace the belief that “It’s not about me.”
PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND ATHLETICS REQUIREMENT Athletic activity is defined as an interscholastic team sport or participation in the NMH Outdoor Team or Dance Companies. In addition, you may fulfill your athletic activity requirement for the year by enrolling in ATM 400 Music Concentration or in ATT 400 Theater Immersion. Please see chart on page 58 for more information. PE classes can include dance classes and managing a sport. You may meet the physical education and athletics requirement in two ways. You may participate in one athletic activity during one term and take a physical education class in each of the two other terms, or you may participate in two athletic activities over two terms with no physical education class required in the third term. Managing a sports team counts as a physical education class for one term. If you want to manage a second team in the same year, you must also take a physical education course that term.
In addition, you may fulfill your athletic activity requirement for the year by enrolling in ATM 400 Music Concentration or in ATT 400 Theater Immersion. SWIMMING REQUIREMENT NMH believes that the ability to manage an unintentional water entry is a critical life skill. In order to ensure that you possess basic watersurvival techniques, the following swimming requirement is mandated for all students. You are required to either successfully complete the swim test or complete the Intro to Swim class. The swim test requires you to swim approximately 100 yards without the assistance of the pool walls or bottom and then don a life jacket while immersed in the water.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION The purpose of the physical education program is:
1. To develop the skills and habits of wellness and fitness; 2. To refine the love of physical activity and motion through intramural competition, fitness classes, and necessary life skills; and 3. To introduce you to a variety of wellness activities that you can enjoy throughout your life. Some physical education classes are offered every term, whereas others are offered “in season” or based on facilities, staffing, and student interest. The list of specific courses to be offered each term will be provided to students at the outset of the term, along with instructions on how to register. This process will be completed with the student’s advisor. Recent PE course offerings have included general fitness, sports performance (strength training for out-of-season varsity athletes), introduction to weightlifting, swimming, pickleball, ultimate Frisbee, tennis, soccer, flag football, winter running, yoga, instructional skiing and snowboarding, and fencing. Course offerings will vary by term and also year-to-year. PEC 940 PE Independent Study Prerequisite: Application process. While the opportunities are limited and subject to the approval of the Director of Athletics, you may design a PE independent study in order to pursue a special interest in an activity that is not offered in the NMH curriculum or to continue work in a pursuit in which your achievement and experience place you above the level that is offered within the curriculum. Forms for requesting an independent study in PE are available in the gym office and are due in the PE office a week prior to the end of the preceding term. This option is not available if you are in your first term at NMH or while you are participating in an international studies program.