Making the grade: PASS debunks the no pass, no play theory - Promoting Achievement in School through Sports

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 1994 by Dan Rogoff

School has always been a struggle for many capable kids who aren't Stupid. For example, there is "Jeff," who was never highly successful with grades and had no academic dreams of college. However, Jeff reads the sports section of the newspaper religiously, poring through all box scores - no matter the sport. He plays with the numbers in his head so adeptly, his friends call him "Stat Man." After reading the paper, Jeff plays ball - every day, whatever sport is in season. He is truly absorbed. Jeff would go out for the high school teams, but his grades aren't good enough.

The state of California was concerned, rightfully so, about academically underachieving high school athletes. The state passed a law saying no high school student may participate in extracurricular activities, including sports, unless a 2.0 or higher grade point average is maintained. Now for a test in logic. Does this credo motivate students to apply themselves in school or deprive students of something they love, decreasing opportunity for change and improvement?

One inspired resolution to this challenge is a program called Promoting Achievement in School through Sports (PASS), originated by Joel Kirsch, Ph.D., president of the American Sports Institute (ASI) and his wife Susan, executive director of ASI. The home base for the program is Mt. Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California.

PASS was created in direct response to the "no pass, no play" legislation. It is a daily, year-long class for high school students who love sports and want to improve their academic and athletic performance. It is based on the concept that principles and skills which lead to success in athletics are the same as those for success in academics.

"With |no pass, no play,' once a student is ineligible to participate in sports, the hook, the elusive opportunity educators seek with students, is gone," remarks Joel. "The power and potential available by validating students' enthusiasm for sports is lost."

Three years ago, there was one PASS class in one San Francisco high school. This fall, 14 classes are scheduled for 280 kids in Marin, Oakland, Alameda, Richmond, Chicago and San Diego, in addition to San Francisco.

Joel taught the original high school class and has trained most of the other teachers. The teacher training is intense, eight hours a day, five days a week for three weeks. "At first, the training seems overwhelming," says one teacher; "But when you have the time to sit down and digest the material, you realize everything is all laid out and logical. It's a great way to become familiar and comfortable with the program."

"We all had fun and grew together," adds another teacher, who doubles as girls' basketball coach.

The bond that emerges among teachers after the summer training carries over to PASS classes. Another teacher and coach remarks, "I become closer to the students in the PASS class than in any of my other classes - it begins to feel like a family. We develop an esprit de corps."

The nucleus of the PASS class is Fundamentals of Athletic Mastery (FAM) These include concentration, balance, relaxation, power, rhythm, flexibility, instinct and attitude. At the beginning of the school year, students identify, experience and discuss FAM. Then, they apply these skills to year-long personalized projects aimed at improving grades and athletic performance.

Students complete reading, writing and speaking assignments related to the FAM, and in the process develop lifelong skills in critical thinking, planning, problem solving, working in teams and time management. The curriculum is comprehensive. "It's a challenging and fun class for students," says one Marin County teacher. "It combines practice and theory. Not many classes are capable of doing that."

Each PASS teacher has a manual which provides the curriculum material for the year. Lessons include a healthy selection of readings focusing on the FAM, motivational passages and quotes, photographs and worksheets for defining goals and creating achievement strategies.

Students marvel at the range of materials available and are pleasantly surprised by the engaging work. Teachers love how easy the manual seems to make their job. "If you cannot follow or teach this course, you can't teach any course," comments one San Francisco instructor.

"The PASS manual is fantastic," says another long-time teacher. "I use it diligently. It is the bible for our class. The students think I'm ad-libbing all the time when I'm really going through the manual word for word."

But does PASS work? Early empirical data answers with a resounding "yes." A three-year study of 89 PASS students conducted by ASI shows more than five times as many PASS students improved their grades by more than a full grade point than did non-PASS students. Among students who had lost their athletic eligibility, PASS students were more likely to regain it.

The Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports awarded PASS for outstanding leadership in the promotion of health and fitness for California's youth, and teachers are anxious to speak of the program's triumphs. They say students' behavior and academics increase because of PASS, and confidence builds as they start to feel better about themselves. "The best thing about PASS is that it works," says one teacher.