A Survey of Freshmen at Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College to Determine Their Skill Levels in Physical Education Prior to Entering School

This study is to survey freshmen at Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in an effort to determine their skill levels in physical education prior to entering school. The survey proposes to show the extent to which these students should be familiar with skills in team sports, individual and dual sports, rhythms and dancing activities, formal activities, water activities and gymnastics. For years, physical educators have been guilty of throwing the ball out for play without making the students aware of the many needed skills involved in an activity to bring about the greatest amount of satisfaction. It is a known fact that students enjoy activities better, and do them more often when the skills involved are known and understood. This survey is important for many reasons. First, to point out activities in which students seem to be more skillful and to show to what degree they possess these skills. Second, to point out activities in which students are less skillful. Third, to see if physical education programs are covering the whole range of activities that are included in total physical education curriculum. Fourth, to aid in planning activities to reach student needs for a greater carry-over value in later years. Fifth, this survey will be of value to the Department of Physical Education at Prairie View Agricultural and Mechanical College. It will assist in the placement of students according to the degree of exposure they have had prior to entering as a freshman in this institution. This study is limited to two hundred freshmen presently enrolled at Prairie View A & M College, Prairie View, Texas. It is felt, that the random sampling of the selected categories will reflect to a large extent, how students feel about their high school physical education program, and to what degree they were exposed and taught skills