History of Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Sport Wuest, D. A., & Fisette, J. L. (2015). Physical Education, Exercise Science, and Sport (18th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

By DelaneyTaylor

  • Free Public Education Began

    Although public education only began during the 1800s, it wouldn't be roughly twenty years later when physical education was introduced with traditional academic classes. Secondary and college education was still highly limited.

  • Organized Physical Education Began

    With greater recognition of the importance of physical education, it began to appear in curriculums in elementary and secondary schools. California ranked as the first state to mandate physical education, followed by Ohio. Eventually, the National Education Association recognized physical education as a curricular area.

  • First Intercollegiate Competition

    With the growth in the mid 1800s of colleges, increasing sports participation occurred and allowed for the first intercollegiate competition to take place. This event was a crew race between Harvard and Yale, with Harvard as the victor.

  • Sanatory Gymnasium Founded

    Sargent, director of Hemenway Gymnasium at Harvard University, founded the Sanatory Gymnasium which was a place of education to prepare PE teachers. This school emphasized use of scientific and comprehensive approaches to physical education.

  • Founding of the Association for the Advancement of Physical Education

    Led by William Anderson and Edward Hitchcock, the goal of the formation of this association was to learn more about how physical educators were structuring their programs and teaching. AAPE was the forerunner to the current American Alliance for Health Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERP).

  • Formation of the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives

    With seven Midwestern institutions (later the Big Ten) represented by faculty, this committee established eligibility requirements, put limits on athletic financial aid, and synthesized guidelines for the employment and retention of coaches. This initial conference set a precedent for governing intercollegiate athletics in university life.

  • First Modern Olympics

    Although still comparatively small in nature, the Olympics was first reconizable as a modern establishment of athletic prowess in 1896. While held in Athens, a small number of American athletes attended under the organization of history professor William Sloane with only four sports being participated in by only males.

  • "New Physical Education"

    Spearheaded by Clark Heatherington, a new movement considered "new physical education" began with an emphasis on aspects not entirely focused on the physical aspects of an individual. These aspects included the four objectives of physical education being organic development, psychomotor development, character development, and intellectual development.

  • First Doctoral Degrees in Physical Education

    The Teachers College of Columbia University and New York University were the first to offer doctoral degrees in physical education. The growth of these programs also stimulated an interest in research.

  • ACSM and NATA Founded

    Spearheaded by 11 physicians, in 1954, the Federation of Sports Medicine was founded which would become ACSM. In 1950, the need for qualified individuals to treat and prevent sport injury arose and led to the creation of the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

  • "Muscular Fitness and Health" Article Published

    The Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation published an article called "Muscular Fitness and Health" that compared fitness testing between European and American children. 60% of American children failed compared to the 9% of European children, which began a cause for concern for American health.

  • Special Olympics Founded

    With the growth of physical activity participation opportunities with disabilities came the creation of the Special Olympics. This event provides competitive sport opportunities for individuals with mental retardation.

  • Physical Education Public Information Project Began

    This project was initiated to inform the public, educators, and policy makers on the value of physical education. PEPI placed a large emphasis on the idea that "physical education was insurance".

  • Title IX

    Participation for women and girls in sport dramatically increased under the legal action of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. This law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.

  • Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975

    Widely known for its contribution to education for people with disabilities, this law provided a free and appropriate education for children ages 3 to 21. Regardless of disability, physical education was mandated to be available to every child.

  • NCAA and NAIA Assume all Governance

    Although initially in 1972 the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women governed the women's intercollegiate sports, authorization eventually was overturned due to greater financial resources being offered in the NCAA. By 1982, the NCAA and NAIA covered the entirety of governance for both male and female intercollegiate sport.

  • Americans with Disabilities Act

    Passed in 1990, this law sought to end discrimination against all ages with disabilities and help break down barriers for their integration into mainstream American life. The five areas addressed by this law were as follows: employment, public accommodations, public services, transportation, and telecommunications.

  • Moving into the Future: National Standards for Physical Education-A guide to Content and Assessment

    Beginning in 1995 and once again in 2004, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education set standards for physical education content. In the first time in the history of the United States, a document offered a nationwide framework to physical educators to guide the development of curriculum.

  • Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General

    This report, as well as the one that followed in 2010, affirmed that physical activity was imperative for maintenance of good health. Emphasis was placed on the fact that inclusion of moderate to vigorous daily activity would substantially improve health and quality of life.

  • Olympic and Amateur Sports Act

    Amending the original Amateur Sports Act of 1978, the Olympic and Amateur Sports Act of 1998 was a vast improvement. It served to strengthen the rights of athletes to compete, encourage disabled sports to continue in growth, and provide the Paralympics and affiliation with the USOC.