Reinforcing SEL in Physical Education Classes

At the elementary school level, social and emotional learning (SEL) and physical education go hand-in-hand. Students are naturally inclined toward play and all the social lessons that come with it. But as students move into middle and high school, it’s tougher to incorporate SEL skills into physical education classes. Those classes sometimes become graduation requirements to knock out or, worse, a dreaded part of the school day.

It doesn’t have to be that way, though. As a youth basketball coach, I’m often thinking about how to get the most out of the limited time I have with my team. I endeavor to build a cohesive culture and promote social and emotional skills. Many of the lessons and practices in team sports translate nicely to physical education classes of all ages. Below are three tips for PE teachers who want to easily incorporate SEL skills into their classes.

Establish Rituals

Transitions are important to us all. I definitely need a few minutes moving between work and home so that I can change my mindset and get ready for family time. These transitions have become ritual; I don’t even have to think about them, they just automatically happen on my commute home.

PE teachers can tap into the same idea to help their students. PE classes work best when they start with some type of warm-up, whether it’s free play or activity-specific. Not only are warm-ups considered to be best practice, but also they give students time to transition from the rest of their day. The warm-ups aren’t buffer time or an activity before the “real class” starts—they’re supposed to be done as a community.

I recommend introducing the “ritual” concept—and the importance of transitions—at the start of a term or unit. Call it out while you’re teaching a warm-up routine: “Let’s begin shifting our focus from all of the distractions today. Tests, homework, and friends, or maybe what your parents might say when you get home. Let’s be present with our classmates.”

Teachers give the warm-up more meaning and structure by framing it with intention. Eventually, the warm-up becomes a ritual that does all the work, so that when class starts, students’ mindsets automatically shift, even if they don’t realize it.

Create a Refuge

I want my practices to be a refuge—a place where all of my athletes feel safe. That doesn’t mean they won’t be challenged, or that they won’t have to work hard. After all, development as a human and athlete often comes with adversity. But it does mean that kids are coming to an environment where they’re safe to grow through mistakes and healthy expectations.

My basketball teams contain a wide range of experience levels, from early beginner to advanced. I often include drills in practice that require students to work on their individual skills and push themselves out of their comfort zones. I’ve found that this provides an opportunity for success.

It’s natural for adults and kids alike to be risk-averse, so I try to be very direct, stating things like “I want you to make mistakes” and “Perfection here is not the expectation.” If we’re doing a dribbling drill, I will make a point of praising students when they lose control of the basketball. I explain that these small errors mean they are pushing themselves, and by pushing, they’re getting better.

PE teachers can incorporate the same concepts through mindful praise. Try quick affirmations when a student attempts to correctly perform a skill, even if the result falls short. This real-time feedback helps students feel they are making progress, regardless of their abilities in a sport, game, or competition. When we celebrate the act and not just the outcome, we reinforce the idea that mistakes can be a part of growth.

Embrace Respiration

Sports often cause emotions to run high, and many kids, whether visibly or not, can have trouble managing their emotions in the heat of the moment. Maybe it’s a ball slammed in frustration, or complaining about perceived unfairness. Maybe it’s something as subtle as disappointed body language. Students often need a reset, but they aren’t mentally in a place to recognize it. For teachers and coaches, one of our most important tasks is helping kids manage themselves.

To facilitate a mental reset, I like to teach a simple box breathing exercise, where you visualize tracing a box with your breath. If you’re a PE teacher, you can explain box breathing to your students in 10 minutes at the end of a class: Using four counts per side, inhale up, hold across, exhale down, hold again. As you explain, make sure to also note the importance of slowing down and allowing yourself a healthy pause. You want students to really understand the point of the exercise, as well as its benefits.

From then on, you’re equipped with an invaluable tool that you can activate when you see a student in need of a reset between plays or activities, or when they’re frustrated with a classmate, or if they’re stressing about an upcoming test. Box breathing is additionally useful as a predetermined cue for the whole class—it’s an encouraging way to “get your mind right,” as I like to say. Just make sure to continue bringing it back up, so the practice sticks throughout the school year.