Trusting God Through Physical Education
At Yokohama Christian School, students from preschool to fifth grade participate in Physical Education twice a week. We emphasize the importance of physical activity for children’s development. Our lessons range from basic skills, such as jumping, hopping, skipping, and ball-throwing, to more advanced activities like teamwork in sports, jump rope, and dance exercises.
As a PE teacher, it’s rewarding to observe the progress of each class. For example, it’s wonderful to see a two-year-old go from barely bouncing while learning to jump, to jumping confidently in just a few weeks. Similarly, students who initially struggle with jump rope often improve significantly after a month of practice. While mastering these skills is fulfilling, the learning process can be challenging.
Beyond teaching sportsmanship and teamwork, I aim to encourage students to persevere. Whether in preschool or elementary school, I often hear phrases like “This is hard,” “I can’t do it,” or “I quit,” or even see students stop participating when they struggle. I use these moments to teach perseverance—the ability to push through challenges and keep trying. This lesson extends far beyond PE and is a valuable life skill. It’s reflected in our school’s theme verse, Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
In this blog, I’d like to share how the value of perseverance is integrated in PE across preschool, kindergarten, and elementary levels—and how, through physical activity, children can learn to trust God in the process.
Preschool: The Beginning of Perseverance
For our youngest students, preschool, the concept of perseverance might not always be named explicitly. However, the foundation for perseverance is laid every day through movement activities that challenge their developing motor skills. In our PE classes, preschoolers engage in simple activities like running, jumping, throwing, and balancing, all of which require them to try and try again. I remember in one of my previous classes, a child asked “Ms _____, why do we have to do this over and over and over again?” He was asking that while learning how to hop. Eventually this child learned hopping and is now playing soccer in Elementary. 🙂
Kindergarten: Trusting God’s Strength to Keep Going
As children move into Kindergarten, they begin to take on more structured activities and learn new skills that require increased focus and effort. At this stage, perseverance starts to look like working through challenges and not giving up after a few attempts. Activities like jumping rope, dribbling, or participating in relay races require kids to push themselves even when they are feeling tired. I had to emphasize that failure is not the end but an opportunity to try again and keep going.
Elementary: Persevering Through Setbacks/Difficulties
By elementary school, children are more familiar with competition, teamwork, and goal-setting. Perseverance is tested as they work to improve in sports and face more complex challenges. Activities like team sports, learning difficult skills, and overcoming setbacks (such as missing a shot, tripping or overcoming fear) require them to trust that God is guiding them through the process. We focus on Proverbs 3:5-6, reminding students that perseverance is about effort, not perfection. Each setback is an opportunity to trust God and keep going.
Ultimately, we celebrate effort and progress, not just success. I remind students that perseverance is about doing their best and trusting that God will help them succeed in His perfect timing.
