7x recognizable things during gym class in high school

Gym in high school: it was either your favorite subject or you found it utterly pointless. For me, the latter was true; I really hated gym. I just didn't see the point of it. It felt more like a kind of recess for the overly energetic boys in my class than a subject where I actually learned something about sports. The first time I got sent out of class in high school was during gym. The reason? Apparently, I wasn't moving enough during dodgeball. Well, that says more than enough about my love for this subject.

Did you also always find gym so miserable? Then you undoubtedly recognize the points below.

1. Those terribly enthusiastic classmates
The people who actually loved gym were, of course, incredibly annoying. They were the overzealous types who went way too hard and aggressively during a game of dodgeball or ran the beep test as if their lives depended on it. I sometimes even got annoyed with my own friends who all played hockey and genuinely loved sports and gym. I naturally understood very little of this.

2. You stopped at level 5.5 during the beep test
Every now and then, you would get a grade for the infamous beep test. Randomly, you suddenly had to run back and forth across the gym without having trained for it, all for a grade. Every beep you heard meant a level higher and thus a higher grade. As a true athlete, I always stopped immediately as soon as ‘level 5.5’ was called out. Well, enough is enough, and especially in gym, that was my motto.

3. Excuses to avoid participating
In high school, unfortunately, you couldn't get away with the excuse that your gym clothes were still at home. You would just be marked ‘absent’ straight away. That's why I almost always had issues during gym class because of my monthly period, which meant I really couldn't participate. Often, I had male gym teachers who didn't dare to challenge that. So, a super excuse indeed.

4. You were the first out in dodgeball
I found dodgeball pure horror, and somehow I had to play this game almost every gym class. I still don't see the fun in smashing each other with a ball like a bunch of idiots. Therefore, I always made sure to get hit immediately so I could sit on the sidelines. Not for me.

5. Box jumping and ring swinging
Every now and then, your gym teacher felt the need to include a gymnastics lesson. You would arrive at the gym and suddenly there would be a box jump set up or rings hanging from the ceiling. Then you knew for sure: this is going to be pure misery and especially life-threatening. Once it was your turn, it became a party because you got to watch your classmates fly over the box jump. And then that weird ring swinging. I will never forget that there was a boy in my class who somehow couldn't swing on the rings. He would always let go of his hands in mid-air, causing him to fall down. I still feel a bit guilty that I found this hilarious back then. Luckily, there were mats underneath.

6. You didn't consider gym a ‘real’ subject
If you weren't a gym lover, you certainly didn't consider it a subject. I always proclaimed this at home whenever I got a mediocre six for gym on my report card. My parents even sometimes wrote notes for me when I said I could leave a few hours early if I missed gym. Now that's what I call the best support you can give your child. I often mentioned that I could spend that time on other subjects. Of course, this was never the case.

7. Those way too popular gym teachers
The gym teacher was always one of the most popular teachers. Often young, muscular, and not too serious. In our class, everyone had a crush on the gym teacher, who you stalked every day on Hyves. By the way, you often ran into these gym teachers at hockey parties on the weekends. It always seemed like they were nicer to the extremely sporty students. But hey, I also understand that my presence during those lessons wasn't exactly appreciated.