PHYSICAL Education (PE) is ironically the most underrated and most taken for granted subject amidst the law stating its significance.
It is the only specific subject that has its provision in the Philippine Law (Republic Ac 5708) known as the "The Schools Physical Education and Sports Development Act of 1969."
Even PE instructors have confusions that need to be addressed as a matter of professional understanding.
PE instructors or college professors in many cases are being regarded less than their academic counterparts, falling victims of the “PE lang” mentality without realizing that physical education is constant and equally important as other subjects in the academe.
Physical Education belongs to the pedestal that pillars the foundation of not only the academe but of life.
To get a grasp of what is being cleared in this article let us look at the perspective of the Japanese sensei and a coach.
In Japanese, the term "sensei" literally means “the one who came before.”
Used as an honorary term, it is regularly applied when addressing teachers and doctors: the two professions that are dedicated to advancing the benefit of others.
In the schools back then, one teacher taught multiple subjects and multiple grade levels, and there was a good chance he spends the whole day in one classroom, learning from the one teacher.
In karate and other Japanese martial arts, the term is used to address the teacher of the school. It is a sign of respect.
The sensei views their pupils as students.
The term coach means an athletic trainer or instructor. In sports, coach is referred to someone who instructs, develops and leads a team or individual to a certain goal, typically through competition.
Recently, the term is being applied outside the sporting world. For example, it is used in holistic terms, such as “life coach” and “healing coach,” as well as in the professional world, such as “speech coach” and “acting coach.”
The sports coach sees their pupil’s views athletes.
In the world of academe, the sensei is the professor and the coach are the sports coaches.
But unlike the old days, professors now are also tapped to be coaches of certain sports, although, not all former athletes and or martial arts practitioners are gifted with the skills to become professors teaching their sports.
The big question is, do you call your professor a coach?
Let me explain this with a father and son scenario where.
Dad teaches his son in karate, making the sad the sensei. As the son gets better, he yearns to compete so his dad trains him for competition. During the competition, his dad becomes his coach.
The son turned out to be good and makes it to the national team and should now be under the watch of the national team coach.
Every competition, the dad supports his son and never forgets to motivate him through advises, which the son heart fully acknowledges by saying "yes, dad" or "yes, sensei" as the discipline and respect for his father.
In the scenario provided, the dad is the professor and the national team coach is the sports coach.
Let us reflect that our professors are like our parents who nurtured us and molded us.
The sports coaches' role enters the picture when we are a full grown with potential to be developed.
In the academe, the proper courtesy for a professor should be sir or ma’am or professor. You can call them coach in training or during competition if they allow you to but the proper and formal courtesy is sir or ma’am.