Physical Education

This course is designed to help students have a better understanding of the value of regular physical activity and its effect on the quality of life, both on a short term and long term basis. Students will be exposed to a variety of fitness programs in the hope that the individual would continue in an autonomous manner in his/her own physical conditioning programs. This course will have a theory component covering relevant information about basic principles of exercise, nutrition and wellness as a way of life. The practical work will include fitness testing as well as the individual workouts.

This course is for students who want to improve their fitness and develop skills that will help them enjoy this life long sport activity. Students will learn the fundamental skills of serve, clear, drop, and smash. Through various drills and exercises the students will learn the strategies of playing badminton. The students will play in class ladder matches and round robins as well as in an out of class elimination tournament. Students will be expected to do fifteen hours of homework related to physical training, personal skill development and out of class match play to develop a better understanding of game strategies.

In this intensive course, emphasis is placed on boat control and teaching the participants the necessary skills and knowledge to be safe and have fun while on the water. Upon completion, the student will be considered a beginner tandem lake canoeist, capable of performing basic land and water-based rescues. Rescue techniques at this level teach self, as well as assisted rescues. The skills and knowledge gained at this level form the foundation necessary for confident and safe travel in calm water. More details and official dates and times (for the outside of class schedule) will be given in the first class.

This course will introduce students to the skills of golf and badminton. In golf the students will learn the rules and basic swing patterns of the woods, middle irons and long irons. Putting will also be introduced. The students will get to play on their own on the golf course. In badminton students will learn the fundamental strokes of: serve, clear, drop, and smash. Through a variety of drills the student will develop these skills. Singles and doubles strategy will also be taught.

Emphasis in this course will be on the individual development of skating, passing and shooting skills. Students will play in scrimmages in order to better understand different team concepts of 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2. Power-plays will be taught, as well as penalty-killing formations.

This class is designed to bring out the eternal child in all of us. The aim is to expose you to potential activities you could continue to play for years to come. Many cities offer these activities in organized leagues or tournaments, which is a nice alternative for those of us who would rather play games to stay active. This class incorporates a variety of sports which may include: Disc golf, Handball, Netball, Broomball, Capture the flag, Dodgeball, Flag Football, Indoor Soccer and Beach Volleyball (depending on weather, facility, equipment, and interest).

For the Winter 2021 semester Multi-Sport will take place once a week for the entire semester and will always be outside.  The instructor of the course will plan activities according to what the weather dictates that day.  Some examples could be Snowshoeing, x-country skiing, skating/hockey at an outdoor rink, sliding, broomball, touch football and some warmer weather activities in the spring such as beach volleyball, jogging, biking, etc.   

This intensive course will usually be offered in January before the winter semester begins. This course and the evaluation are designed to meet all levels of skiers and snowboarders (beginner/intermediate/elite). The course will be offered at beautiful Mount Orford. During morning sessions, students will have the opportunity to choose between: general ski/snowboarding improvement, racing, glades, moguls, and parks. In the afternoon students will participate in various organized activities such as relay races, mountain discovery (scavenger hunt) and time to work on personal objectives. Students are responsible for their own transportation. Car pooling options can be arranged. Lift ticket and rental of equipment (if necessary) is the responsibility of the student.

This 4-day intensive cross-country class is accessible to anyone who is willing to spend time outside during winter season. Participants will learn and practice basic locomotion skills on flat and hilly terrains, including controlling speed and turns. Most classes will be taught on the BU cross-country trail (on golf course). Other knowledge covered will include: ethical and safety rules in ski trails, equipment maintenance and appropriate clothing. In the event that snow conditions is inappropriate for skiing many days, cross-training (off ski workout) will be used.  

In this course, students will learn and practice all swimming strokes. They will also be introduced to different water game and activities such as water polo, underwater hockey and aqua fitness. Class time is devoted on enhancing student’s efficiency in all swimming strokes, water-polo and underwater hockey skills.

This course is for students who want to learn the basic skills of tennis that will make them enjoy this lifelong game. The students will learn the basic strokes of serve, forehand, backhand, volley and overhead. Three different grips will be taught. The use of topspin versus slice will be discussed and practiced. Singles and doubles strategies will be taught. The students will play in class ladder matches and round robins as well as in an out of class elimination tournament. Students will be expected to do fifteen hours of homework related to personal skill development and match play analysis to develop a better understanding of game strategies.

This year we do not have access to tennis courts on campus. We are hoping to have courts for fall 2022.  Therefore this year's tennis class will be in the gym using nerf balls instead of outdoors.  The technique and tactics are all the same and we will hopefully go outside to play a one-day tournament on real courts with real balls with the location still to be determined.

Ultimate mixes the best features of sports such as soccer, basketball, American football and netball into an elegantly simple yet fascinating and demanding game played with a Frisbee®. To compete at the top level, Ultimate players require an unmatched degree of speed, stamina, agility and determiniation. Yet the simplicity of the rules means it's easy and fun for newcomers to pick up.

This course is for the student who wants to learn and practice a team game that can be enjoyed throughout life. The student will learn and practice the fundamental skills of serve, volley, bump, spike, roll and dive. The student will also learn different team strategies and apply these in a supervised league play where games are played and refereed by the students themselves. Constant evaluation of the students’ progress both in game situations as well as individual skill development will take place.

This is a four day intensive course that will take place four weekdays previous to the start of the fall semester. It will be four full days beginning at 9 a.m. and finishing at 4 p.m. Students will learn and practice a team game that can be enjoyed throughout life. The students will learn and practice the fundamental skills of serve, volley, bump, spike, roll and dive. They will also learn different team strategies and apply these in a supervised league play where games are played and refereed by the students themselves. Constant evaluation of the students’ progress both in game situations as well as individual skill development will take place.

This course is for students who want to get into shape while learning basic boxing techniques and strategies. The fitness aspect of the course will involve different types of training including interval training, circuit training, plyometrics, weight lifting, muscular endurance and muscular strength training. The technical aspect of the course will focus on foot work, rhythm, timing and the proper technique required to throw every punch efficiently and effectively. Jabs, hooks, straights, uppercuts and crosses will be taught. The main focus of this class is to get people into outstanding physical condition and there will be no physical contact between students who do not wish to spar. Sparring will only occur at the end of the course and only for students who wish to do so. The proper protective equipment for sparring and supervision will be supplied.

This part-time intensive course will teach the basics skills to plan and execute a safe hiking trip. Throughout the semester, students will participate in 3 hiking trips in different settings of our beautiful region. In the winter semester, one trip will be on snowshoes. Students will learn about gear, nutrition, cartography and safety regarding hiking. This outdoor course is not designed for people having knee problems. There will be five classes given during the regular time slot and 2 hiking trips on a Saturday. More details and official dates will be given on the first class.

This course is designed to introduce the student to the International and North American squash games. The students will learn the fundamental skills of: serve, drives, volleys, boasts, drop shots and lobs. Through various drills and exercises the students will learn the strategies of playing squash. The students will play in class ladder matches and round robins as well as in an out of class elimination tournament. Students will be expected to do fifteen hours of homework related to physical training, personal skill development and out of class match play to develop a better understanding of game strategies.

This course will introduce students to the skills of golf and squash. In golf, the students will learn the rules and basic swing patterns of the woods, middle irons and long irons. Putting will also be introduced. The students will get to play on their own on the golf course. In the squash section of the course, students will learn the fundamental strokes of serve, return of serve, forehand, backhand, boast, drops and smash. A variety of drills will help develop these skills. The students will apply what they have learned when they play games against each other. 

Strength Training will be a course that is equally valuable for both men and women to take. The purpose is to improve one’s strength, power, explosiveness, and speed. Whether your goal is to improve your performance in sports, get in better shape, start or maintain a healthy way of living or even just to look good on the beach, this course is for you!!! There will be a variety of methods used to enhance strength such as: weight training, circuit training, power lifting and speed training. Students will learn the multitude of ways to improve strength along with the nutritional aspect of gaining and maintaining muscle.

This intensive course, usually offered in the spring or summer, will teach the basics and more about windsurfing and sailing. The course is designed for the total beginner or the intermediate sailor. On beautiful Lake Memphremagog the students will learn sailing and sail boarding using windsurfing boards, Laser sailboats, and other craft. Please check with the professor for more details regarding dates, location and cost.

This course will introduce students to Yoga and Relaxation Techniques. Students will experiment different style of Yoga (Kripalu, Ashtaga, Iyenghar, etc.) and Relaxation Techniques (Jacobson Progressive Relaxation, Shultz relaxation, Awareness, etc). Students will also learn how to design their own physical activity program and integrate it into their daily living.