Guest: Patrick Whalen, Founder of Iliad Athletics — former Marine infantry officer, founding headmaster of St. Martin’s Academy, and father

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why a serious physical encounter with reality is a necessary prerequisite for almost any other educational work and what schools are losing when they neglect the body

- Why parents are the most decisive factor in a child’s physical formation and what basic stewardship of the body actually looks like at home

- The two-pronged approach to physical formation: everyday habit-building routines and big anchor experiences and the role schools can play in supporting both

- Why sports alone does not mean your school has figured out physical education and who gets left behind when PE is an afterthought

- How physical excellence for boys and girls should look different and why both extremes on that question miss the mark

Questions Addressed in the Q&A Segment:

- “I live in Illinois - where nature can be very flat and unvaried terrain. We lived for many years in the city of Chicago and didn’t have grass in our yard. We would make concerted efforts to visit nearby forest preserves for hiking trips, but wondering about your recommendations for schools and families to incorporate nature when they don’t have as direct access in the daily routines.”

- “If a leader realizes this is an area to grow in, what is the place to start that will be the most fruitful?”

- “If you are looking ahead to next year’s budget and want to allocate additional resources to fitness, apart from the Iliad curriculum, what would be your recommendation for investment?”

- “Parents on the sidelines can be a major liability for schools. What are your recommendations for instilling a charitable and partnership-oriented ethos among fans while still maintaining a commitment to excellence and competition?”

- “What about kids who are not naturally gifted in athletics? Isn’t PE just going to make them feel bad?”

- “How can PE contribute to overall school culture including spirituality, discipline, and even advancement?”

Resources:

- Iliad Athletics

- Educator Course Registration

- Summer Camp Registration

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

- Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

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Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

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