Presentation Description: This session examines how flag rugby creates pathways to athletic participation for all students through intentional collaboration with Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Special Education professionals. The flag-first, co-taught model supports neurodivergent learners, integrates with IEP and inclusion goals, and builds genuine leadership skills in general education students. Critically, every athlete has a real high performance pathway including recruitment by USA Rugby, World Rugby, Special Olympics, Paralympics, and Team USA, as well as collegiate and elite programs. Inclusive sport is not the end of the road. It is the beginning.
Learn how to create a successful Unified Physical Education program that brings students with and without intellectual disabilities together through meaningful participation. This session will provide practical steps for planning, gaining administrative support, scheduling, and implementing a Unified PE class. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use resources and strategies to foster inclusion, leadership, and belonging in their schools.
This presentation will discuss the importance of teaching a variety of general movement patterns early in childhood. Teaching the basics will enable the physical educator and coach to maximize the individual potential of each athlete and student utilizing the long-term athletic development model. Special attention will be paid to the transfer of practice and the weight room to performance.
Come learn some new line dances that you can take back to your students and staff! Impress your friends with your dancing moves and hit the floor at a the KAHPERD Social or your next wedding celebration!
Walk away with practical, plug-and-play activities that get students moving, collaborating, and thinking about their own wellness. Designed for PE teachers ready to go beyond exercise, this session gives you the tools to build a classroom culture where healthy habits and lifelong fitness truly stick.
Teachers will discover effective strategies to deconstruct jump rope skills, offer progressions that enhance students’ confidence, and introduce engaging games to keep students motivated throughout a successful unit! Our focus will be on single rope techniques and games that can be adapted for students of all ages and skill levels.
This presentation covers seven core tenets for life in a practical, performance-focused framework for coaches, physical educators, and health professionals. Grounded in psychological research, the session explores how emotional resilience, motivation, and personal growth directly influence athlete behavior, team culture, and overall performance. It challenges the misconception that struggle reflects weakness, emphasizing instead that emotional discomfort is a natural and necessary component of growth. Participants will examine how suppressing emotions can increase stress and negatively impact performance, while intentional emotional processing fosters resilience and well-being. The session also addresses the inconsistency of motivation, highlighting the importance of connecting effort to a deeper sense of purpose or “why.” Additional strategies include identifying effective recovery practices, managing stress in high-pressure environments, and learning to tolerate discomfort as part of development. By reframing stress and embracing intentional responses, attendees will gain practical tools to model mindset, effort, and energy, ultimately creating stronger, more confident individuals and more cohesive, high-performing teams.
PETE/HETE program coordinator's primary responsibility is to prepare the next generation of health and physical educators for P-12 landscape. Often times, however, college programs unintentionally omit local P-12 professionals from programming. In this session, students and faculty from Benedictine College seek to bring future professionals and pedagogues together to share ideas and strategies for building relationships with local schools and teachers to 1) benefit professional development of teacher candidates, 2) reinvigorate P-12 teachers, and 3) engage P-12 students in a variety of health and physical education programming. The format of this session will be 1/2 presentation and 1/2 round table discussion!
Discover how inclusive fitness and wellness practices can improve the physical, social, and emotional well-being of all students. Participants will explore Special Olympics Health and Fitness resources, adaptive activities, and evidence-based strategies that promote lifelong healthy habits while ensuring every student has meaningful opportunities to participate and succeed.
Learn the basics of Tap Dance! We will learn about rhythm, balance, weight shifts, coordination, and body awareness while dancing! A fun class for beginners to learn the amazing dance style of tap. We will provide tap shoes and/or taps that go over your tennis shoes. If you would like to take the class in tennis shoes without taps that is fine as well. We will have a short tap performance at the end of the session!
This session will introduce activities participants can use to get students active to enhance cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. Activities will get students excited about getting fit while working on teamwork, enjoying movement, and learning how to embrace movement throughout life. If time allows, this session will address brain gym activities as well.
Teachers will discover effective methods to introduce partner jumping, long rope, and double Dutch through engaging games and progressive activities that promote success and movement, creating an outstanding jump rope unit. These activities are excellent cooperative skills designed to enhance your students' ability to collaborate more effectively.
An introduction to the National Academy of Health and Physical Literacy (The Academy). Who is a diverse, inclusive, member-driven organization advancing the dimensions of health and physical literacy through professional development, advocacy, mentoring, and applied research.
As a Physical Education & Health Teacher at Harmon High School, I strive to promote the importance of our cultural pride and ownership of our own diversity and celebrate our social justice changes through sports. My current research focuses on the challenges that students from diverse cultural communities face while enrolled in higher education. My passion is leading through action rather than words, which I believe speaks louder than words. "Don't feel so sorry for my social and racial limitations that you enable my educational progress by providing me with the right educational tools to use to learn to overcome bumps in my future."
This presentation highlights the implementation of the Ready Bodies, Learning Minds (RBLM) Motor Lab Program during the 2025–2026 academic year through a collaborative partnership between Coach Kara Roland’s preschool physical education program and Baker University’s Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) program. The purpose of this project is to strengthen preschool students’ school readiness by intentionally developing foundational motor skills, sensory integration, and movement competence that support early learning. Baker students actively teach motor skill stations, facilitate movement exploration, and support individualized learning through intentional instruction. They also implement RBLM assessments, collect observational data, and apply motor development and pedagogy concepts in a real-world setting. Conference attendees will learn practical strategies for implementing an RBLM circuit in their own settings, including how to design, organize, and facilitate developmentally appropriate movement stations that support balance, coordination, and motor skill development. Attendees will leave with adaptable activities and tools to integrate RBLM principles into existing physical education programs.
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing education, but what does that mean for physical education and health teachers? In this session, participants will explore practical ways AI can support lesson planning, assessment, communication, differentiation, and student engagement in both PE and Health classrooms—without replacing the relationships and human connection that make great teaching possible. Attendees will leave with ready-to-use prompts, practical examples, and a framework for using AI responsibly to enhance instruction while supporting lifelong movement, wellness, and health literacy.
Professor/ Program Coordinator, Kansas State University
Dr. Mark Ellner is the Coordinator of the Physical Education and Health program at Kansas State University, where he leads curriculum development, student mentorship, and innovative teaching practices in teacher education. As the College of Education’s Distance Supervision Specialist, he has... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am CDT Room 215
Gain confidence in understanding and implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in the physical education setting. This session will break down key components of an IEP, discuss accommodations and modifications, and provide practical strategies for collaborating with special education teams to create meaningful and inclusive learning experiences for every student.
Come learn the basics of swing dance! Swing dance is a lot of fun and a great way to practice coordination, balance, and rhythm while working with other people.
Discover the excitement of 9 Square in the Air in this engaging, hands-on session! Learn how to teach the original game, explore creative variations, and discover new ways to keep students active, engaged, and having fun. Combining elements of volleyball and 4 Square, 9 Square in the Air is a fast-paced, inclusive activity that encourages teamwork, communication, and friendly competition. Throughout the session, you'll experience a variety of game progressions and adaptable activities that can be modified for different ages, abilities, and class sizes. You'll also see how the versatile 9 Square in the Air game structure can be used for much more than the traditional game, providing fresh ideas to increase participation and maximize movement in your physical education program. Whether you're new to 9 Square in the Air or looking for innovative ways to expand its use, you'll leave with practical strategies, engaging activities, and ready-to-use ideas that you can implement immediately in your classes. Come ready to play, collaborate, and have fun!
Participants will learn about RUFTA5 and leave with a practical timeline and tools to implement a similar event in their own district. Are You Faster Than a Fifth Grader? (RUFTA5) is a district-wide experience where 15 fifth graders from each elementary school race against the superintendent in a two-mile run, while the remaining students participate in a one-mile walk, all culminating together at a shared finish. KCKPS believes students benefit from meaningful connections with district leaders, and RUFTA5 provides that opportunity in a powerful, visible way. This event serves as a culminating elementary experience that celebrates the whole child while promoting perseverance, school pride, and healthy lifestyles. Participants will also explore how cross-department collaboration and community partnerships can support successful implementation and long-term impact.
This session will introduce participants to the pathology of obesity. We will expand upon the etiology of energy balance and discuss how hunger, metabolism, and hormone dysregulation can be improved through exercise, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals.
Get your students involved in outdoor adventures with this fun session featuring fishing, hiking, and outdoor cooking! Outdoor adventures promote health, well-being, and a lifelong connection to nature — for all grade levels. Explore powerful research, discover their many benefits, and learn how Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation can help bring your own outdoor ADVENTURE to life and be a GAME CHANGER for your class, school, and community
Review the basic rules and scoring for LiteTennis and demonstrate several games and activities that support and improve the student's overall performance. Provide an outline for a curriculum to start a LiteTennis unit.
Strong collaboration between physical educators and paraprofessionals creates better outcomes for students with diverse learning needs. This session will explore effective communication, clearly defined roles, and collaborative strategies that maximize student independence, engagement, and success during physical education. Participants will leave with practical tools to strengthen their instructional team.
Are you ready to take your love of learning and movement beyond the gym? Join me to see how we built an outdoor learning classroom at our elementary school. I’ll show how we turned almost nothing into an inspiring space by writing grants, securing donations, and involving our school community. You’ll leave with practical ideas for activities that help students learn, move, create, and connect with nature—and with steps to start your own outdoor classroom.
"Unconventional Fun: A Session of Non-Traditional Games" invites participants to step outside the box and engage in a variety of exciting, offbeat games that break the mold of typical team-building exercises. Whether it's a quirky twist on classic sports or completely new creations, this session encourages creativity, collaboration, and a lot of laughs. Designed to get everyone moving, thinking, and bonding, these games provide a refreshing and fun way to energize teams, spark connections, and build trust in a lively, relaxed environment. Get ready for a playful and memorable experience!
During this session, attendees with leave with strategies to address some of the tougher to teach topics such as mental health, stigmas and positive outlooks. Many of these topics 6-8 and 9-12 graders struggle with. Leave with lessons ready to teach on Monday.
In this SHAPE America-endorsed session, meet with a SHAPE America National Physical Best trainer who will present on health-related fitness in PE and share actionable items that you can use to incorporate best practices in health-related fitness in your PE class. You will leave this session with activities from the Physical Best, 5th Edition text that you can use in your class right away, a deeper understanding of how to approach health-related fitness in a way that meets the needs of all students, and new resources to use when teaching health-related fitness and goal-setting in your class.
Experience a fun, interactive session featuring movement activities and IHT's NEW SPIRIT Heart Rate Monitor, demonstrating how heart rate technology can increase student engagement, personalize learning, and provide meaningful assessment data. Participants will explore practical strategies for maximizing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), motivating learners of all abilities, and using real-time feedback to support fitness and lifelong wellness. Learn how educators can use heart rate data to monitor student progress, measure effort toward individual goals, differentiate instruction, document student growth, and make data-informed decisions that enhance teaching and learning. You'll also discover how IHT's innovative platform provides real-time physical and emotional feedback, empowering students to take ownership of their health while strengthening communication between students, teachers, and families through meaningful reporting.
Effective classroom management creates an environment where every student can learn, participate, and thrive. Explore practical routines, proactive behavior strategies, and inclusive instructional techniques designed to support students with a wide range of abilities. Participants will gain tools to build positive relationships, increase engagement, and create a culture of belonging in physical education.
Discover practical mindfulness strategies that can be used in the classroom to help students strengthen focus and manage anxiety. This session also introduces audio described yoga as an accessible movement practice that supports whole body learning. Educators will gain tools for helping students build flexibility, increase body awareness, and develop muscle strength. These simple & purposeful activities can be woven into daily routines and can support students’ well-being throughout their lives.
Think your students “don’t dance”? Challenge accepted. Join former PE and Dance Teacher of the Year Scotty Williams for a high-energy, laugh-filled session designed to make dance approachable, relevant, and FUN—even for your most reluctant movers. Experience simple dances, hilarious dance games, creative challenges, current music, sports connections, student choice, and proven strategies for creating authentic buy-in across grade levels. You don't need to be a dancer to teach dance successfully—you need the right environment, the right activities, and permission to have some FUN. Come ready to move, laugh, and leave with dance ideas your students will actually WANT to do!
Teachers will learn effective ways to break down jump rope skills, provide progressions that boost students’ confidence, and introduce games to keep students motivated for a successful unit!
When given multiple tools to assess health, people tend to choose the one that is most familiar, fastest, or easiest to interpret. Relying solely on weight can overshadow other important indicators of health, such as body composition, cardiovascular function, and muscular development. Understanding this preference, even when other tools are available, matters for both educators and fitness professionals. This study used naturalistic observation to assess gym-goers' usage of health and anthropometric assessment tools. Results indicated that while gym-goers initially showed interest in less commonly used assessment tools, they overwhelmingly used the scale. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Discover how Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools and Unified Sports can transform school culture by promoting inclusion, leadership, and meaningful participation for all students. Learn how to start or strengthen a Unified program, engage students as leaders, and access free Special Olympics resources that support inclusive opportunities beyond the physical education classroom.
As a professional, no matter what role you are serving (ie: teacher, coach, administrator, supervisor, team member, board member, etc.) or what environment (classroom, gym, court, field, mat, office, Zoom, etc.) you are working in, you can always be a leader. Leadership takes many forms and is dynamic. The purpose of the this session is to discussion concepts of leadership within our profession.
This activity-based presentation and workout is designed to take participants through an organized mat Pilates class, demonstrating basic movement patterns along with modifications to increase levels of difficulty to meet the needs of all individuals with different fitness levels. Learn the history of Pilates, from the founder, Joseph Pilates, and learn new fun exercises to implement into your high school PE class as we learn how to bring the physical, social and emotional power into our group fitness classes.
Ready to energize your teaching, engage your students, and experience the power of rhythm in motion? Join Teri, Regan, and Jackie for an action-packed session filled with movement, music, creativity, and fun! Discover how Drums Alive transforms rhythm and movement into meaningful learning experiences. Rooted in research and brain based educational concepts, this evidence based program goes beyond simply drumming to music by intentionally incorporating cognitive engagement, social emotional learning, creativity, teamwork, and physical activity into every lesson. We’ll share some of our favorite routines, activities, and teaching strategies that can be immediately implemented in physical education, wellness, recreation, and community settings. Using stability ball drum sets, scarves, Boomwhackers, and other engaging props, you’ll experience firsthand how rhythm can ignite the brain, activate the body, and inspire a lifelong love of movement. Come ready to move, laugh, learn, and leave with fresh ideas that will keep your participants energized, engaged, and wanting more. This is one session you won’t want to miss
Transform recess into a high-energy, structured experience using the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s World’s Game Recess Guide. This session shows how to organize engaging soccer-based activities that build teamwork, confidence, and connection for all students. Learn how to create activity zones, implement small-sided games, and empower student leaders to drive participation. Walk away with ready-to-use games, simple setups, and strategies to maximize movement and minimize downtime. Whether you have a field or a blacktop, you’ll leave with practical tools to turn recess into a meaningful extension of your physical education program.
Many students can perform basketball skills during drills but struggle to apply those skills during game situations. This active session will introduce basketball learning games that promote decision-making, tactical awareness, and skill execution under game-like conditions. Participants will experience a variety of small-sided games designed to increase the transfer of learning from practice to authentic game play. Activities emphasize creating space, maintaining possession, offensive movement, defensive pressure, and shooting decisions while maximizing student engagement and participation. Participants will: Explain why traditional drills often fail to transfer to game situations. Identify characteristics of activities that promote transfer of learning. Experience basketball games that develop both skill execution and tactical decision-making. Learn modifications that increase participation and success for students of varying ability levels. Leave with ready-to-use activities for elementary, middle, and secondary PE classes.
