Beyond the BEEPs: The Affects of Fitnessgram® on LGBTQ+, Black, and Latinx Youth

• In Event: Social Justice, Diversity, and Activist Approaches in Physical Education

Abstract

Recent scholarship has drawn attention to the ways in which fitness testing and, more specifically, FitnessGram® is connected to social, cultural, economic, and political practices. Fitness assessments in PE can no longer be considered neutral entities that simply promote healthy behaviors. Such one-size fits all practices are not likely to meet the diverse needs of youth. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore how LGBTQ+, Black, and Latinx youth experience FitnessGram®. Drawing on affect theory, we entangle two ethnographic projects in the United States and New Zealand to examine the embodied experiences of diverse youth that participate in FitnessGram®. We conclude that our field needs to take a serious look at how these tests affect diverse youth.

Authors

• Carrie Safron, Independent Scholar

• Dillon Landi, University of Strathclyde