Physical Education Program

The undergraduate physical education major is designed to prepare individuals to teach physical education and provides certification to coach at the middle and high school levels.

Preparing individuals to teach and coach

The program poses an integrated concentration of courses in motor development, health-related fitness and wellness, biological sciences, rhythms, individual and dual sport methods courses, elementary and secondary methods, physical education for exceptional children, adventure education, and two aquatics certifications, all with an emphasis on learning how to teach.

The physical education degree will put you in schools

Students begin studying physical education foundations and their application to human development and learning as early as the freshman year. This is accompanied by more than 20 contact hours of supervised field experience with an on-campus preschool motor development program involving preschool children with and without disabilities.

During the first two years of study, each activity course is designed to prepare pre-service teachers to learn and apply teaching applications. Ten contact hours in the schools is experienced during the sophomore year. The physical education program combined with the Clare College liberal arts requirements of the University provide physical education majors with a well-rounded undergraduate experience.

Early assurance program

Qualified high school seniors who enroll in an undergraduate teacher-preparation program have a reserved seat in one of our master's degree programs upon completion of their undergraduate studies. Learn more.

Upon successful completion of the Physical Education program at St. Bonaventure University, graduates:

will know and apply discipline-specific scientific and theoretical concepts critical to the development of physically educated individuals;
will be physically educated individuals with knowledge and skills necessary to demonstrate competent movement performance and health-enhancing fitness as delineated in the NASPE K-12 standards;
will be able to plan and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences aligned with local, state and national standards to address the diverse needs of all students;
will be able to use effective communication and pedagogical skills and strategies to enhance student engagement and learning;
be able to use assessments and reflection to foster student learning and inform decisions about instruction;
demonstrate dispositions that are essential to becoming effective professionals.

National Girls & Women in Sports Day

Established by the Women's Sports Foundation in 1987 as a day in the nation's capitol to recognize women's sports, National Girls & Women in Sports Day has evolved into an annual event to acknowledge the accomplishments of female athletes, the positive influence of sports participation and the continuing struggle for equality for women in sports.

St. Bonaventure University is an active participant each year, hosting some 500 middle school and high school girls for daylong activities on campus.

St. Bonaventure's annual Girls & Women in Sports Day activities are organized by Dr. Paula Scraba, associate professor of physical education.

The day typically begins at 9 a.m. and runs through 2 p.m. Following a talk by a keynote speaker, participants choose to attend various sports clinics conducted by St. Bonaventure coaches and student-athletes. Clinics include such sports as softball, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, tennis, swimming, cross country/track and volleyball.

Lunch is provided free of charge, courtesy of SBU students who donate a meal from their university Aramark meal plans to sponsor a participating student for the day.

Other activities include a question-and-answer session with a panel of St. Bonaventure student/athletes, a ROTC rock-climbing wall, a visit to the St. Bonaventure Bookstore (and a 20 percent discount). Groups may also sign up for campus tours provided by the Office of Admissions.

There is no charge to schools or students who attend NGWSD at St. Bonaventure, but registration is required.

SBU's Girls & Women in Sports Day 2024

While NGWSD is recognized nationally during the first week of February each year, St. Bonaventure delays its celebration until April, when warmer weather allows for outdoor activities.

A Date for NGSWD 2024 at St. Bonaventure will be announced early in 2024. Details of the event including how to register will be available at that time. Please return to this site to check for updates.

For information or assistance, email Dr. Paula Scraba.

Physical Activity Club presents at state conference

Dec 12, 2019

St. Bonaventure University students presented with Special Olympics New York at the 82^nd Annual New York State AHPERD Conference (New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance), held Nov. 20-22 in Verona, New York.

The presentation, “Live it: Embracing Inclusive Physical Education through a Sport,” was given by Physical Activity Club (PAC) officers Charity Hammond, Jennifer Landow, Brianna Burgess, Jessica Farkas, Elizabeth Burke, PAC adviser Dr. Paula Scraba and Bill Collins, director of sports training for Special Olympics New York.

Special Olympics New York is the largest Special Olympics, Inc. in North America and the sixth largest in the world. All programs are free to participants.

The conference presentation provided strategies to support educators with inclusive school environments aligned to state and national physical education standards with Special Olympics coaches' guides. St. Bonaventure students illustrated how inclusive instructional sport guides build community, improve skills for positive social interaction and create acceptance in physical education and sporting arenas. The Bonaventure students demonstrated how college students in teacher preparation programs and school districts can transform an existing physical education program for students to connect and grow through inclusive assessment guides for physical activities.

For its efforts to advocate for Special Olympics, the Physical Activity Club is a recognized Special Olympics College Club. It functions as an official club on campus and connects college students and individuals with intellectual disabilities through sport to build friendships and help lead the social justice movement of Special Olympics.

Most recently, PAC sponsored a major event with the SBU Polar Crew Team for the Polar Plunge into Lake Erie on Dec. 7 at Orchard Park by members of the men’s and women’s cross country/track team. Upcoming is a Special Olympics unified exhibition basketball game at halftime of the Feb. 6, 2020, women’s basketball game vs. George Washington. And St. Bonaventure will host the Annual Unified Basketball Competition with area school districts in the spring on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. Throughout the year, PAC continues to raise funds for Special Olympics programs in the area with the community through its bottle redemption program by partnering with Allegany Beverage and Redemption.

Dr. Paul Brawdy

Director of the Physical Education & Sport Studies Programs

Associate Professor, Physical Education

(716) 375-2248

Send an email

Butler Hall 2E