Physical Education

Everyone wants to feel well. Health and wellness are basic aspects of the lifelong enrichment that physical education affords individuals and their communities. As a scholar-athlete, you’ve likely benefited from experienced coaches who know how to help their athletes obtain their best performances. Our coach/mentors embrace differences and draw diverse communities together through sport and physical activity. If you want to gain a deeper understanding of the psychological and sociological concepts underlying athletic performance, and improve your personal performance in the process, you’ll thrive in the inclusive and welcoming environment of our physical education program. Learn about the components for running an athletic department. Get certified for coaching and lifeguarding. Explore athletic theory and research. Your experiences here will help you excel in many careers and responsibly contribute to the well-being of your community.

Featured Course

Comprehensive Coaching

If you’ve participated in sports at any level, you’ve likely encountered a coach who inspired you to be a better athlete, a better team player, or a better student. “How,” you may have wondered, “did they know the right things to do?”

Students wanting to coach individual and team youth sports will find a comprehensive approach in PHE 202 Coaching Methods. It combines sports and science with elements of the social sciences to provide a solid foundation for the coaching and administration of youth programs from prekindergarten through high school.
Alumni Story

Leading with Purpose

When Maddy Pesch ’16 stepped out of the Russell K. Osgood Pool for the final time, the 16-time medalist and swim team captain had earned seven Midwest Conference titles, several school and conference relay records, the 2016 Honor G Scholastic Award, and a nomination for NCAA Woman of the Year. She was already an all-American triathlete.

Even with all that, she didn’t envision a career in professional sports.

Diverse Community

Learn in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

At Grinnell, you’ll find coaches and mentors who embrace differences and draw diverse communities together through sport and physical activity. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the psychological and sociological concepts underlying athletic performance, and improve your personal performance in the process, all within the inclusive and welcoming environment of our program.
Experiential Learning

Gain skills that will equip you for a future in athletics, personal health, or recreation.

Through the physical education and recreation curriculum, you’ll learn about the many components of running a successful athletic program. You’ll get specific training for athletic coaching and training, outdoor recreation, and lifeguarding, while exploring athletic theory and research. Your experiences here will help you excel in many careers and responsibly contribute to the well-being of your community.
Myriad Opportunities

Get credit for playing, and play for credit.

You’ll take advantage of many noncredit opportunities in intramural, indoor, and outdoor recreation. And you can receive practicum credit — which counts toward graduation — for instructional courses and intercollegiate sports as you explore the lifelong enrichment that physical education affords individuals and their communities.