Go 360° with the Sycamore Skateboarding Club

In Avon Schools, our students get an education that stretches far beyond the four walls of their classrooms. At Sycamore Elementary School — thanks to Gym Teacher Ethan Ogle — learning has four wheels. He recently started the Sycamore Skateboarding Club (SCC), and the students who participate are loving it.

The following is an e-mail interview with Mr. Ogle, lightly edited to fit this format. Read the interview and scroll all the way down so you don't miss the photos and video at the end!

Tell us about the SSC.

The purpose of our skateboarding club (in technical terms, a Coordinated School Physical Activity Program or CSPAP) is to give students an opportunity to try something that they have always been interested in, but maybe were missing the means, the community, or the confidence to try on their own. Our overall objective is to create an environment for students to express themselves through physical activity and embracing the creativity that comes with it.

The sky is the limit! Ethan Ogle

What inspired you to start a skateboarding club?

I began skateboarding in 3rd or 4th grade on and off due to other sport commitments I had, but when I graduated high school and sports were done, my skateboarding picked back up. Fast forward to college. We were learning about what a CSPAP was and how we could implement one when we graduated and began teaching. My first thought was SKATEBOARDING — first, because it is a major hobby and past time of mine, and, second, because I knew that the perseverance, the creativity, the friendships, the opportunities, and community that skateboarding has afforded me was something that I felt everyone should experience even if it is just in a four-week club.

How are the kids responding?

The kids are absolutely LOVING IT!. We just finished our second meeting, and the progression that the students were able to accomplish in just one week completely blew my socks off!

What's next?

I enjoy looking forward to what our future scope could be. Ideally, we'd get more boards, helmets, and wrist guards so that we can scale the program and invite more students to join. I would love to add grades like 3rd and 5th as we move into next year. Right now, we are just focusing on fundamentals, but I would love to have a beginner, intermediate, and expert level clubs for students who have prior skateboarding experience from home or from previously attending SSC. In a perfect world, I'd enjoy spreading the love of skateboarding to students and staff all over the district. Who knows; the sky is the limit!