Schooling in sports

Gym class for students taught at home covers rules of the game — and don’t forget dodgeball

By Ryan Haggerty

Kathleen Heitmann said the common misconception that homeschooled students miss out on social interaction doesn’t apply to her 7-year-old daughter Sabrina — or any of the other students at Evanston’s homeschool physical education class.

“There are so many people homeschooled now,” Heitmann said. “We get too much socialization. We’d like to keep our kids home so they could do their work.”

The gym at Evanston’s Chandler-Newberger Center, 1028 Central St., is a lively place every Friday afternoon, filled with screaming, sweaty children and ricocheting dodgeballs.

The program, which began in the late 1990s, allows five- to 12-year-old homeschooled students to enroll in 10-week physical education classes.

The class is divided into three sections to accommodate the needs of all participants, said Michele Leaven, youth program manager at the Chandler-Newberger Center. “Spring Sports Classes” concentrate on teaching the basic skills of sports such as basketball and soccer, while “Gym Games Galore” offers a more relaxed atmosphere that mirrors a standard elementary school gym class.

The last section is devoted entirely to the students’ favorite game — dodgeball.

“We’ll sit them all down and say, ‘What do you want to play?'” said Andy Freeberg, a Communication junior who works as an instructor at the homeschool program. “They all say, ‘Dodgeball!'”

The children’s parents are just as enthusiastic about the program.

“One reason people come to this class is so the mothers can hang out,” said Evanston resident Henrietta Saunders. “We’re much more interesting than PTA mothers.”

The parents were quick to say that they did not view the program merely as a means for their children to socialize, but as a way for the children to get a good workout while having fun.

“My guys play baseball, soccer, and hockey,” Saunders said of her sons Charlie and Richard. “They go to another homeschool gym class in addition to this. They just want more sports.”

Evanston resident Lilian Holm-Drumgole said that the program was perfect for her 6-year-old son, Vincent “Buzz.”

“He does other stuff Monday and Wednesday, and then he comes here on Friday, ” she said. “It nicely complements his other activities.

“Even though it’s games and fun, it’s a cardiovascular workout,” Holm-Drumgole said. “From participating in this, my son is in much better shape.”

The three-person instructing team currently is composed of NU students and recent graduates of the university. Freeberg is joined by Suraj Trivedi, a Weinberg senior who graduated in March, and Weinberg sophomore Elizabeth Olson.

Evanston resident Paula Sjogerman said that the trio of instructors had won the approval of a particularly tough critic — her 10-year-old son Quinn.

“He’s left many a thing because teachers were too condescending or treated him like a baby, but he loves it here,” Sjogerman said.

And Evanston resident Rachel Rosner said her son appreciates the special attention given to him by the college-aged instructors, who go out of their way to serve their clients.

“I like the teachers,” said Rosner, mother of 7-year-old Eli Hubbard. “They know the kids by name. At least my son, he appreciates people of that age group.”

Even losing a game was not enough to ruin her son’s good time participating in the program, Rosner said.

“(Eli) came out and said, ‘We lost,’ with a big smile on his face,” she said.