Upon first arriving in their new physical education classes, Aragon’s sophomores learned that they would be starting their year with a synchronized swimming unit.
“Synchronized swimming was not expected whatsoever because a lot of people barely know how to swim let alone perform a dance in the water,” said sophomore Nishka Hari, a member of the swim team. “So it was a little bit confusing [to me] as to why they would pick that.”
Aragon’s sophomore PE program, which includes archery, tumbling and disc golf, hasn’t involved swimming for the past few years since the removal of the water polo unit, but that changed during an intradistrict PE meeting.
“We brought [swimming in sophomore year] back partly because at a professional development [meeting] with other PE teachers throughout the district,” said PE teacher John Abrams. “It was presented to us as a unit that they do at San Mateo High School.”
However, the coaches modified a few things before bringing the unit to Aragon. For their synchronized swimming final, Aragon’s students had to do a one minute routine, with three to five people, consisting of a sequence on the deck, a swimming stroke, a tuck, a float, sculling and a boost, where a swimmer is lifted up by teammates.
Students had differing thoughts entering the unit.
“I was surprised, but I was also kind of excited,” Hari said. “I thought it would be kind of fun to not have to run in the fall semester.”
After the unit finished, the majority of reviews given were positive.
“In the end, almost everybody gave me a thumbs up that they really liked the unit,” said sophomore PE teacher Linda Brown.
Swimmers were split up into two levels: the four-foot-deep small pool, and the seven-foot-deep big pool. Students at more proficient swimming levels were grouped together in the larger pool, with students who were still developing skills in the small pool.
“I think it’s difficult for kids that aren’t as comfortable in the deep end [as] they [were] in the shallow end, and there wasn’t a lot of space,” Brown said.
Some students were doubtful of the unit’s importance.
“It was just like a fun mini unit,” Hari said. “I don’t think it really had any value towards swimming.”
This PE unit will also undergo major renovations to create a more friendly and more positive environment for the future.
“Through the first year of doing it, we already know how we want to change it,” Abrams said. “We’re going to revise the requirements a little bit. It will only get better [from here].”
After observing the unit, the teachers have planned several additions for next year.
“We [want] to add some extra credit elements,” Brown said. “In watching their routines this year, [we found] they did a really great job, so we could challenge them more … One of the things we’d also want to tie in is to have transitions.”
The students also had a few opinions to voice when it comes to improvements.
“[An improvement would be] giving more time for people to learn their movements, and more time in the group,” Nolasco said.
After one year of synchronized swimming, Aragon PE received positive reviews and suggestions alike from students, and they hope to refine it even more for future years.
