Is Trump's revival of fitness test 'bold effort' or 'one more thing' to add to students stress levels?

President Donald Trump is the latest occupant of the Oval Office to be dismayed by the physical fitness of American youth.

Trump’s approach to the issue is to hearken back to the Cold War and revive the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and the Presidential Fitness Award. He has enlisted the help of supporters that include NFL star Saquon Barkley.

The revival was greeted with approval and excitement by some, including the leader of the National Fitness Foundation and a Kiski Area School District physical education teacher.

The National Fitness Foundation was established in 2010 by Congress, as requested by President Barack Obama, to replace the council that Trump is reviving.

“This bold effort promotes lifelong well-being and national readiness as we look ahead to the 2028 Olympics/Paralympics and beyond,” said Judith Brown Clarke, the foundation’s director. “The return of the Presidential Fitness Test and creation of a new Fitness Award — led by (Health and Human Services) Secretary (Robert F.) Kennedy (Jr.) — are timely steps to combat rising obesity and inactivity.”

Brown Clarke is 1984 Olympic medalist in track and a 1987 Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year. Today, she serves as vice president for equity and inclusion, chief health equity officer and chief diversity officer for Stony Brook University in New York.

Not everyone applauded the move.

Retired physical education teacher Bev Martin, 67, of Eau Claire, Butler County, is advocacy chair for ShapePA, a group that includes current and former physical education teachers that promote wellness for youth in the state.

Using a test that pits students against each other and ranks them is a step backward, Martin told TribLive.

Those who don’t perform well could be crushed emotionally, she said.

“With the mental state of our students, I don’t know that we need one more thing about how they stack up,” Martin said.

The council and president’s test was started in the 1950s by President Dwight Eisenhower after he saw a study that showed American youth weren’t as fit as those from other countries.

President John F. Kennedy also feared American youth were becoming soft, and the program continued, with periodic changes, until 2010.

Students were tasked with doing sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, a sit-and-reach, a shuttle run and a 1-mile run. Those who ranked in the 85th percentile or better received top honors.

Here’s an example of the standards from 1985.

The program evolved to focus less on competition and offer students a more individualized approach to overall wellness, Martin said.

Instead of comparing students to each other, the idea was to give students an idea of what they needed to do to be physically fit. Some needed to work on flexibility, others strength and others endurance, she said.

Kiski Area physical education teacher Larry Enciso, 45, remembers the program from his youth — he’s a 1999 graduate of Valley High School.

On Thursday night, a colleague texted him the news that Trump was bringing back the program. Enciso said he’s excited about it.

“When we were in elementary school, getting that ribbon was a big deal. We were competitive for it, so we worked really hard. … We competed against each, and we all wanted to have the best times and the best scores,” Enciso said.

He said he struggled with flexibility.

“Sit-and-reach was my nemesis,” Enciso said.

Making students aware that their physical health is as important as testing their smarts is critical, he said.

“I think it will be a good thing because it will get kids to think about their overall fitness more,” Enciso said. “I think if the teachers promote it the right way, it can be something positive.”

Details of what the new fitness program will look like haven’t been released.

Barkley, a Philadelphia Eagles running back who starred at Penn State, will be joined in promoting the program by a host of star athletes including:

• Professional golfers Bryson DeChambeau, Nelly Korda, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Annika Sörenstam.
• NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; current NFL players Harrison Butker of Kansas City, Nick Bosa of San Francisco and Tua Tagovailoa of Miami; and retired players Tony Romo and Lawrence Taylor.
• Former Texas Tech football player Cody Campbell.
• NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, NHL player Mathew Tkachuk of Florida and retired great Wayne Gretzky.
• Former pro wrestler Paul Levesque, also known by his ring name, “Triple H.”
• Retired New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.
• Catherine Granito, a former standout lacrosse player for the University of Michigan who was named executive director of the council in addition to her duties as senior adviser to the health secretary.