How Far Do Physical Educators Drive Moral Development

As a teacher, many of us believe that we have a calling to change the lives of our students.  As teachers, we can reflect back on our time as students when we had a teacher that impacted our lives. For me as an athlete, my P.E. teachers and coaches had the largest impact on me. This is primarily why I have pursued a career as a coach. I feel that we have the responsibility to develop the character of our students; however, how far we drive a moral code into our students is up for debate. School district administrators develop an ethical code of conduct, which they want their teachers and staff to follow.  I have coached at a private Christian school where the administration voiced a strong desire to build the character of our students. This lines up directly with my personal views. I believe that they most important component of competition is character, and this needs to be taught to our students. I would rather lose the championship game and know that my athletes had character and class, over winning the game without it!