Physical Education Requirement

Physical education, once a joyless affair, has blossomed into a world of adventure at Trinity.

The subject was made a mandatory part of the Trinity experience in 1911, when the University’s Board of Trustees first established a Physical Education department. In addition to hiring a full-time director, incoming students were also subjected to a universal physical examination.

After Trinity’s arrival in San Antonio and eventual move to the Skyline campus in the 1950s, Physical Education remained a bleak prospect for students: For a number of years, the entire physical education department shared one small office in Northrup Hall, and conducted all activities on a single outdoor concrete slab on lower campus.

But today, physical education at Trinity looks much different. A greater variety of course offerings spans subjects such as yoga, aerobic fitness, self-defense, and even a sport officiating laboratory to dancing in styles of country western, jazz and tap.

And the University has grown beyond a concrete slab: students complete these classes in the state-of-the-art Bell Athletic Center, James Potter IM Field, and a host of tennis courts, scenic outdoor trails, and a multi-use outdoor pool.