San Jose City College offers several wellness and athletics courses on campus to endorse healthier lifestyles through knowledge of physical fitness, but it is harder to find these classes because of the section name change.
Sports courses that were in the P.E. field now fall under the recently developed Kinesiology Department.
“There are many courses that we offer here on campus that lack students,” athletic instructor Nicolas Fraire said. “There were supposed to be two more soccer courses, but since not enough students enrolled, the classes were cut.”
This unadvertised department is not just for students majoring in kinesiology and P.E., but also for those who yearn to become and stay fit.
“Kinesiology is not just a course, but it is a lifelong commitment to stay healthy,” former head baseball coach Douglas Robb said.
Robb, a San Jose State University graduate in physical education, was hired as the head baseball coach in 1994 and now instructs many of the Kinesiology classes offered at SJCC.
Robb is currently instructing Introduction to Kinesiology, Fit for Life, Pilates Mat Workout and Aerobics with Music.
Introduction to Kinesiology is an overview of physical education and kinesiology itself. This course is now officially mandatory for students majoring in kinesiology who want to transfer to a state university.
Fit for Life focuses on cardio activities to develop flexibility, strength and cardio respiratory endurance. This cross-training course focuses on the cardio element combined with conditioning and interactive exercises.
“We utilize the bleachers in the stadium, and we do sprints and back pedaling in the football field,” Robb said.
Focusing more on the core rather than cardio, Pilates Mat Work, which follows Joseph Pilates’ principles, is a workout for all body types.
“I love this class because it motivates me to be healthier, and it’s very fun,” math major Annette Contreras, 20, said.
There are also other courses available in the Kinesiology Department such as archery, yoga, weight training and badminton.
