ROWING TIME
Students learn about activity
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Physical education lessons in Saratoga Springs usually vary quite a bit.
Students at Maple Avenue Middle School meet for 40 minutes every other day. Sometimes the focus will be team-orientated sports, such as floor hockey or handball. Other days, it’s about individual sports like rock climbing or fitness testing units.
For the past week, students received a lesson in rowing.
On Wednesday, Saratoga Rowing middle school coach Manny Valentine instructed students throughout the day. Valentine said teams throughout the country began connecting with middle schools in the area.
“Big cities, like Boston, Seattle, Detroit, Chicago, and we thought we don’t need to be a big city to do that,” said Valentine.
Programs in larger cities sometimes apply for grants that brings rowing clubs to various middle schools to teach a curriculum. Valentine, however, explained Saratoga Rowing had the equipment, so they took advantage of the opportunity to teach the kids themselves.
Laura Cuthbertson, an eighth grade PE teacher, and Ann Testa, a seventh grade PE teacher, watched as Valentine taught dozens of students.
“It’s great for these girls and the boys to see what this can offer for them,” said Cuthbertson. “The
"It’s great for these girls and the boys to see what this can offer for them. The rowing program is tremendous. They offer exercising, but also a lot of life skills, which I think are very important." — Laura Cuthbertson, eighth grade PE teacher
rowing program is tremendous. They offer exercising, but also a lot of life skills, which I think are very important.”
Valentine said the row machines require participants to use 86 percent of muscle groups, which makes it a great way to cross train.
Even if students decide not to pursue rowing, the lessons learned should help.
“There are so many athletes that have injuries that can use a rowing machine because they can’t run. The rowing machine is a great way to keep their cardio up without putting impact on any joints,” said Valentine. “It works best if they know how to do it correctly; so in line with physical education, this is an awesome way to teach them out to do it, to use the machine properly without injuring themselves.”