Todd Junker ’02 gets more than a fair share of razzing about his job. After all, not many folks are paid to teach skateboarding all day. “It’s just totally awesome,” says the Wichita State graduate and physical education teacher at Wichita’s McLean Science Technology Magnet School.
Junker, a longtime skater himself, spearheaded the development of the program to teach skateboarding as part of the PE curriculum at McLean. Despite the lighthearted ribbing about the program, he is serious about the goals of the class: reducing childhood obesity rates and creating a culture in which they’re active for life.
Junker explains that the class, which is taught to students from kindergarten to fifth grade, promotes strength, balance and coordination, while providing cardiovascular exercise. Plus, it makes PE fun, especially for students who shy away from traditional fitness undertakings. The kids wear protective gear, and special wheels are used on the skateboards so the gym floor is not marked.
Junker says he’s looking forward to watching today’s McLean kindergarten students develop their skateboarding moves. “It’s going to be really cool to see where they are in five years.”
