In these past couple of weeks, there have been rumors that the Pacer Test was unhealthy and no longer an adequate way to measure endurance. An article, written by the Neo-Mongolian News Network, reported that the Pacer Test had been banned in schools all over Neo Mongolia. The article claimed that the Pacer Test was deemed “too cruel for children” and that it “damaged their psyche, giving them PTSD.”
Besides the fact that Neo Mongolia is not a real place, nor is their President (President Chinkus) a real person, the website also featured a variety of different stories, from Cruz and Bush share Room in Psychiatric Hospital to Furry Confused for Sick Dog, Euthanized by Parents.
However, is the Pacer Test really bad for you? Did this fake news network, in its quest to be clickbait, actually stumble on a good point?
What Is the Fitnessgram Pacer Test?
As any high schooler and middle schooler can tell you, the Fitnessgram Pacer Test is an endurance test that requires you to run 20 meters over a period of 20 minutes at a faster and faster pace.The actual creator of the Pacer Test, Luc Léger, published it in order to estimate an athlete’s maximum oxygen intake. The infamous starting lines, “The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues.” is used as memes as well as Instagram captions all over the world.
What Does It Do?
The Pacer Test is meant to measure your endurance. “You have to…pace yourself. You have to use your stamina. ” said Rachel Gehret, physical education teacher here at Leesville. It is also used to measure an athlete’s maximum oxygen intake. It is extremely helpful in sports such as rugby, tennis, and football, as there is a lot of stopping and going.
Is it Effective?
Jack Rogers, the athletic director and a physical education teacher, believes that the Pacer Test is an accurate way to measure a student’s endurance. “I think that [the Pacer] is an excellent way to measure physical fitness. There is a lot of starting and stopping. A lot of sports depend on these skills, like soccer and football. You go hard for a little bit, than rest.” said Rogers.
How Do Leesville Students Feel?
“If I could describe the Pacer Test in one word it would be…Intense,” said Meghan Ford, junior. Since high schoolers are so competitive, there is a lot of rivalry in activities like the Pacer Test and the mile. “I didn’t especially like them, but I didn’t hate them either,” said Ford.
Cecilia Marks, sophomore, said “The Pacer Test is exhausting. I wish I was one of the people who could continue to run and run. To be honest, the voice was the only reason that I kept going. I got so encouraged and it made me laugh so hard. But I feel that I improved overall,” said Marks.
Overall Takeaway
The Pacer Test, while it may be difficult at the time, actually increases your stamina and helps your endurance level. Because the severity of it is stressed over the internet and other social media platforms, it has caused an unnecessary fear. No matter what the Neo-Mongolian news network says, the Pacer Test is here to stay.
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