Starting this fall, students at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School in Port Jefferson will have the chance to enroll in a new physical education course that shifts focus from traditional sports to weightlifting and nutrition.
The high school will offer two sections of this new course in the fall and two in the spring. These will be in addition to 16 standard gym classes that follow the usual curriculum.
The program aims to help students understand how nutrition affects their health and athletic performance, while also teaching proper weight training techniques. Many of these lessons mirror what students might encounter at private fitness centers.
“We had a conversation about offering something different from the usual gym options,” said Athletic Director Adam Sherrard.
Track and field coach and physical education teacher Andrew Cosci, who will lead the course, was a key advocate for the program. Sherrard noted that Cosci “expressed the importance of having a program like this.”
Students can take the new course either in place of their required gym class or as an additional elective.
Freshman athlete Sam Fabian plans to take both the traditional gym and the new class. Fabian, who plays lacrosse and football and also wrestles, sees this as a chance to improve both his diet and strength.
“I eat a lot of food I probably shouldn’t,” Fabian admitted. “I’m trying to crack down on that and become the best athlete I can be.”
The course immediately caught his attention for its focus on healthy eating and training.
Classmate Leana Tisham, also a ninth grader, plans to join the class as well. She hopes to make better food choices—especially by eating more organic food—and use weight training for body sculpting.
Emphasizing Nutrition
Cosci said many young athletes underestimate the role of nutrition in sports and health.
“The nutrition aspect is the most important, and often the most overlooked,” he explained.
In the course, Cosci will help students create individualized food and workout plans. He stresses the importance of structure when it comes to weight training.
“You need a plan,” he said. “You can’t just wing it. That doesn’t work. You won’t meet your goals that way.”
Like other physical education classes, students will be evaluated based on their effort, participation, and behavior. They’ll also be expected to bring a notebook or journal to document their progress, just like they would in academic classes.
“They’re going to get out of it what they put into it,” Cosci said.
As part of the curriculum, students will explore fitness apps to help track their workouts and nutrition. Cosci will guide them in choosing useful ones.
“Some are good, others are junk,” he noted.
Building Long-Term Habits
Cosci hopes the class helps students develop healthy habits that last beyond high school. He wants them to avoid the common cycle where people start strong with a New Year’s fitness resolution but drop off quickly.
“January is always peak time at the gym,” Cosci said. “By February, many have already stopped going.”
He plans to teach students how to stick with their fitness plans, and eventually bring in guest speakers—such as nutritionists and fitness professionals—to add more depth to the course.
The school’s schedule gives students a window between the end of the academic day and the start of extracurricular activities, making it easier for them to use the gym.
Sherrard added that this course will give students tools to set and work toward personal goals.
For now, the course is limited to high school students, since middle schoolers don’t have elective choices built into their schedules.
Students enrolled in the course will also present their plans to the class, giving them a chance to share what they’ve learned.
“They’re going to teach each other,” said Cosci. “That’s how we’ll know they truly understand this new approach.”
