Before- and After-School Physical Activity: Programs and Best Practices

Abstract

Before- and after-school programs can be excellent opportunities for schools to provide supplemental physical activity (PA) and reinforce the knowledge, skills, and dispositions taught in physical education, particularly when some schools may perceive PA during the school day as competing with academic learning time. Before- and after-school PA programs can be offered directly by school staff, or in partnership with community organizations, and can include offerings like intramural sports, mileage clubs, active childcare programs, interscholastic sports, active transport initiatives, and PA clubs. Research findings suggest that before- and after-school programming can contribute meaningfully to children and adolescents’ daily PA accrual and offer additional benefits related to cognitive health and social-emotional wellbeing. Careful attention should be paid by program leaders and staff to the structure of these programs to maximize potential benefits for youth. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief summary of the research conducted to date on before- and after-school PA programs with a specific intention to extend the content reviewed since the last special issue of JOPERD on CSPAP nearly a decade ago (Beighle & Moore, 2012). In this article, we endeavor to translate the literature on before- and after-school PA programming and evidence of its impact into tangible strategies that school stakeholders can use to deliver these programs effectively in schools.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brian Dauenhauer

Brian Dauenhauer (([email protected]) is an associate professor in the School of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO.

Pamela Kulinna

Pamela Kulinna is a professor in Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University in Mesa, AZ.

Risto Marttinen

Risto Marttinen is an associate professor of Physical Education in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

Megan Babkes Stellino

Megan Babkes Stellino is a professor in the School of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO.