Currently student athletes within the state of Illinois are still required to take Physical Education courses in school. This is unnecessary and student athletes with a signed waiver from their coach should be able to choose another class to take during their PE class, such as study hall or a different elective. 

There are multiple reasons why requiring student athletes to take a PE class is simply a waste of time. First of all student athletes practice around 1-3 hours 5 days a week with extra practices or competitions on weekdays. They need as much time as possible to complete schoolwork with their busy schedules. Exempting student athletes from a PE class would allow them to have a study hall where they would have extra time to complete schoolwork or ask teachers for help. Less homework outside of school would also reap other benefits like more time to sleep. With school, sports, and homework, student athletes rarely get the sleep they need in order to be successful in the classroom and on the court/field. With this extra time freed up during the school day they can have less homework after school which will lead them to have more time to sleep. 

Additionally student athletes already exercise for more than an hour a day, so why would they need extra exercise? Not to mention more than 60,000 students get injured every year in a PE class, so there is a risk that student athletes could injure themselves and miss time from their own sport. 

In conclusion all student athletes should be able to have the choice of whether to participate in PE class or a study hall/other elective.