MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - There are some 40,000 students who are homeschooled in Tennessee.
While getting their academics taken care of isn't that difficult, sometimes getting physical education isn't that easy.
That's why the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department is offering those students an outlet.
During a recent session at the Patterson Community Center, physical education instructor and Middle Tennessee State University student Isaiah Phillips helped a group of eight students prepare for a workout.
The students, ages 6 to 16, usually don't see such a wide age-range in a PE class, but this was a Home School PE class.
Drew Embry is still somewhat new to home schooling, but his mother said it worked out fine.
"It's our first year of home schooling and we immediately went out in the community and tried to find out what Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation offers," said Julie Embry "It's a great break in his scholastic studies, for him to just get out and run and have a good time."
Symantha VIncent's son, 9-year-old Mark is learning more than how to run a relay.
"He's having a lot of fun right now," she said, adding that Phillips make sure the students are listening.
"(Phillips) showed them how to throw the ball correctly."
It was also an opportunity for parents.
"We do all of our work all the other times a day, and so this is an opportunity to sit down and talk and read and mingle. We do our own socialization," said one parent.
"The obesity rate in this country has gone up a whole lot so I want to keep them active and involved," Phillips said.
He said he finds the students are very courteous.
"They'll say, ‘Yes sir, no sir.' I'm not used to kids saying that because I am just a couple of years older than them," he said.
He said the goal is to make sure that he keeps the students moving.
"Keep ‘em moving, keep ‘em moving. Not sitting still for too long," he said.
For information about the program, call Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department Director Dennis Rainier at 615-890-5333.
