Building the Pathway: What We Learned in Year One

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗢𝗻𝗲

When we launched Performance Pathways, we knew what we wanted to build: a platform that empowered PE teachers to deliver high-quality, high-performance sport education.

But like any new project, year one was less about polishing a finished product and more about listening, testing, adapting, and evolving.

𝗪𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳: that PE should be a place where students grow, not just play. Where sport is the vehicle, but the goal is long-term development—physically, personally, and even socially. That belief remains our compass.

But how do we get there? That’s been shaped every step of the way by the people using the platform.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲—𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆.

The most common feedback we received was, "This is exactly what we needed—but can we tweak it to fit our setting?"

That’s a win. Performance Pathways was always meant to offer clarity, not control.

The curriculum gives teachers a roadmap—but leaves room to drive.

𝟮. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱.

We expected some pushback. The word 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 can feel exclusive or elitist. But when we explained our definition—𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲—𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝘁.

Many even told us this is what their PE program had been missing: a focus on progress, not just participation.

𝟯. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆—𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

Some of the most exciting moments this year didn’t come from the lesson plans. They came from the workshops, the conversations, and the teacher breakthroughs.

One teacher told us, “I’ve taught for 15 years, but this is the first time I’ve felt I had a clear purpose for every lesson.” That stuck with us.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁?

We’re building 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺, and 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀.

But we’ll keep the same approach: listen, build, refine. Just like the pathway our students take—progress happens when you commit to it.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿—𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

You’ve helped shape Performance Pathways into something meaningful. If you’re new here, consider this your invitation to join a growing community of educators redefining what PE can be.