At Ukiah High, regular PE students spend their class periods doing things like badminton, jogging up to the City View at Low Gap, pickleball, and other basic activities that meet state standards — but usually don’t go far beyond them. In Athletic PE and BFS, though, students get the chance to go further: setting new personal records on the mile, building muscle in the gym, and improving both their physical and mental strength.
There are three main PE options at UHS — Regular PE, Athletic PE, and BFS — but what’s the difference between them? What actually happens in each class? And why does PE even matter?
Starting in the 2023–24 school year, Ukiah High introduced a new third option: Athletic PE. Coach Ford explains, “When we see our freshman coming in we’re not seeing them actually learn how to lift weights until their sophomore year, you’re behind.” He added, “We felt that if we were gonna be in the best leagues, we had to get our athletes prepared.” The goal of the class is to let freshmen and sophomores train at a higher level during school so they can be ready for their sports seasons and stay ahead instead of falling behind.
Coach Huff said the new class has benefited all of UHS’s sports teams, explaining that it lets student-athletes “feed off each other,” giving them “a sense of pride in their program.”
Athletic PE students spend their time doing dynamic warmups, yoga, plyometrics, and weight training while still meeting state requirements for PE. They also get time to practice skills specific to their own sport. Sophomore Logan Elmore is a fan of the class: “I would recommend this class to people because it helps a lot with physical and mental strength, it helps to challenge yourself,” he said. “The energy in the class is very positive, everyone works hard, gets all their work done, it’s a good environment to be in especially for a PE class.”
To join Athletic PE, students must play a high school sport and pass their 9th grade PE class with a C or better.
Ukiah High has also offered a PE elective called Bigger Faster Stronger (BFS) since the late ’90s. This class is open to juniors and seniors and focuses on weight training, learning how the body works, and applying that knowledge to get — just like the name says — bigger, faster, and stronger. When Coach Ford took over the class in 2005 (the same year he joined UHS), there was only one section. Now the class is so popular that it’s offered during multiple periods.
Coach Ford says BFS has helped students prepare for all kinds of futures, including joining the military: it builds not just physical fitness but also mental toughness. “Being around peers leaves you exposed and makes you want to improve on the areas you are weakest,” he said.
Still, Ford thinks there’s one big thing that could make the program even better. “If there’s one thing you can put in that article it’s that we need a bigger weight room. Could we get a bigger room for our athletes?”
Even with the space limitations, Coach Ford says he loves teaching BFS: “I love this class, I’d teach this class eight periods a day, during my preps and not get paid for it because I love what it does for the kids. There has to be some self-discipline, and that’s what we’re trying to promote. I’m proud of where we’re going because student-athletes deserve the very best and that is what we’re trying to promote.”
PE is a requirement at every public high school in California, and UHS is no different. It may be the class most students love to hate, but Coach Huff sees it as vital: “In my opinion PE is the most important subject, you’re investing in yourself, you’re investing in your health.”
Huff, who has been teaching PE for 19 years, says he does it because he knows it can make a difference. “It gives students the opportunity to be outside, not stuck in the classroom,” he said. “I’ve had kids that have lost up to 85 to 100 pounds from PE because they bought in, they appreciated it.”
He also stresses that the value of PE goes far beyond just high school. “Seventy-four percent of our population is overweight or obese — much of it is controllable, choices we make as people, what we put into our bodies and do we decide to live an active lifestyle,” Huff said. “We need to wake up as a country and be more physically engaged and invest in ourselves. When we do, we see the difference.”
Salvio Senerchia was born in Santa Rosa and has lived in Mendocino County his whole life. He is a Freshman and in his first year of Journalism. He has a deep care for the world, its imperfections and inequalities. Salvio loves all things soccer, and is interested in law. He is an avid Liverpool F.C. fan and hopes to visit the city and attend a match! He loves learning, especially History, Math, and any and all reading and writing. He enjoys writing about current and past events and conflicts. Salvio loves traveling, exploring the world and learning about the places he visits.