Why the Start of Term is the Biggest Opportunity for Your PE Program

The start of the school year is more than just a calendar date — it’s the 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 every PE teacher gets handed once a year.

In sport, 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 is where everything is built: 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, and the 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻. Miss that window, and the season becomes a game of catch-up. The same is true for your PE program.

In those first few weeks, students are deciding — often subconsciously — what your lessons will feel like, how much effort is “normal,” and what’s worth striving for. This is the perfect moment to 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗿, and 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆-𝗶𝗻 for the year ahead.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 don’t waste pre-season running the same sessions they could do mid-year. They deliberately plan for:

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲 – athletes know exactly what’s expected of them.

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 – so there’s no slow build-up.

𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 – so discipline and focus become automatic.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗘, that means using those early lessons to:

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 your vision for the year and why it matters.

𝗦𝗲𝘁 clear expectations for effort, behaviour, and progress.

𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗻 – an activity, skill, or game that makes them feel capable and excited to return.

Opportunities like this don’t come around every week. Once the term is in full swing, momentum takes over — for better or worse. Starting well doesn’t just make your life easier, it 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 for everything that follows.

𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: treat your first week back like an elite coach treats pre-season. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲. 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁. And watch how it transforms the rest of your year.