The Department of Physical Education (also known by its initials DPE) is the academic department that oversees the physical development program at the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

West Point, New York West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in America during the Ame ...

. DPE is headquartered in the Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center. DPE has 24 Military faculty and 25 civilian instructors and professors. The head of the department holds the ceremonial title of

Master of the Sword The Master of the Sword, or MOSH, is the title of the head of the Department of Physical Education and the director of the program of physical instruction at the United States Military Academy at West Point. This position is unique in that the ph ...

, known within the department as the MOS. This title dates back to when the Cadets at West Point were taught swordsmanship as part of their military and physical training. The current Master of the Sword is COL Nicholas Gist, who has held the position since 2015. The department's stated mission is:

Duties of instructors

Instructors and professors in DPE have a wide range of duties and responsibilities. In addition to evaluating one of the core physical program courses, instructors teach an elective lifetime sport and/or a cognitive exercise science or applied fitness course. Instructors also serve on additional committees such as the Competitive Sports, Testing, & Assessment committees, or may work with the department's operations & plans, or personnel sections.

Academic courses

DPE is responsible for teaching several core courses. To meet this requirement, the department is organized into four "committees". All 49 instructors are a member of one of the four committees. The current DPE committees are:

Kinesiology major

In 2006, the USMA Academic Board approved DPE to begin offering an academic major for USMA Cadets. The Kinesiology major is taught by professors from DPE's Human Performance Laboratory in conjunction with the Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences. The first cohort of USMA cadets to declare as Kinesiology majors was the class of 2010. Demand for the major is strong and applicants must pass a screening board to be admitted to the program.

Other activity courses

DPE offers a wide range of elective athletic instructional courses, known to the department as "lifetime physical activities" (LPA), that are taken as electives by the upper class cadets, primarily 3rd (Yearling) and 1st Class (Firstie) Cadets. Because of the strong seasonal changes at West Point, many courses are only offered at certain times of the year. Additionally, team sports that are strongly associated with a certain time of the year (i.e.: Basketball in the winter/spring) are taught at those corresponding times. Current DPE elective courses include: advanced close quarters combat (with striking weapons), advanced grappling (with ground striking), aerobic fitness, basketball, cycling (road & mountain), lifeguard training, golf,

ice skating Ice skating is the self-propulsion and gliding of a person across an ice surface, using metal-bladed ice skates. People skate for various reasons, including recreation (fun), exercise, competitive sports, and commuting. Ice skating may be per ...

, judo, badminton,

racquetball Racquetball is a racquet sport and a team sport played with a hollow rubber ball on an indoor or outdoor court. Joseph Sobek invented the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velo ...

rock climbing Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically a ...

scuba diving Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for " Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chr ...

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

(x-country & downhill),

snowboarding Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic ...

, soccer, strength development, tennis, & volleyball.

Cognitive courses

In lieu of teaching the course formerly called Master Fitness Trainer by the Army, DPE now teaches two separate lifetime fitness courses to Cadets. The Yearlings (Sophomores) receive PE215, The Fundamentals of Physical Fitness. This course is a 19 lesson course in the basics of health and wellness. Cadets learn basic exercise physiology such as the differences in skeletal muscle fiber types, the effects of low and high-intensity training, nutrition, and healthy lifestyle choices. The course is very much geared towards teaching an ''individual'' how to achieve personal lifelong fitness. All Firsties (Seniors) take PE450, Army Fitness Development, which is also 19 lessons. This course briefly reviews the physiology principles taught in PE215 and then applies them to training small units such as

squads In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army doc ...

and

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

s. The course is more focused on planning and assessing fitness goals at the small unit level.

Testing

DPE is responsible for administering the

Indoor Obstacle Course Test The Indoor Obstacle Course Test (IOCT) is a test of full-body functional physical fitness administered by the Department of Physical Education (DPE) at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. DPE considers the IOCT to be one of ...

(IOCT). This fitness test is mandatory for all Cadets and must be passed in order to graduate from the academy.

IOCT

The IOCT is a test of all-around functional

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-vigorous physical ...

administered by DPE in the historic

Hayes Gymnasium Hayes Gymnasium, completed in 1910, is the oldest section of the current Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center at the United States Military Academy. Originally built as an independent structure to replace the academy's previous Richard Mor ...

. Hayes Gym, built in 1910, is the oldest part of the newly renovated Arvin Cadet Physical Development Center. Many current and past graduates and faculty consider the IOCT to be one of the best evaluations of total body fitness given in the

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

. Cadets who earn an A− (2:38 or less for Males and 3:11 or less for Females) are authorized to wear the IOCT Badge on their athletic shorts. The IOCT is similar to the obstacle course seen on the TV show American Gladiators, with a quarter-mile sprint at the conclusion of the course. The IOCT is administered throughout the academic year based on dates published by DPE. There are primary testing dates in both Fall and Spring semesters; generally, the dates are dependent upon class year and regiment. Cadets take the IOCT at different time throughout the year because of participation in semester abroad, in-season Club or Corps Squad teams, or injury. Large crowds of cadets, tactical officers, and other onlookers gather for the running of the IOCT. The IOCT is often referenced in articles concerning high intensity human performance, especially involving obstacle courses. This is due to the large amount of available data due to the lengthy history of the course. It has been administered, almost without changes, since 1944.

Test sequence

The Test consists of 11 events performed sequentially: low crawl under barrier, tire footwork, two-handed

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

, 8' horizontal shelf, horizontal bar navigation, hanging tire, balance beam, 8' horizontal wall, 20' horizontal ladder, 16' vertical rope, and 350m sprint carrying a 9 lb medicine ball for the first 120m. Because of the unique level of athletic skill needed to pass the test and the tremendous level of effort needed to excel at it, the IOCT holds a special place in the hearts of all West Point Cadets and Graduates. A simple search of YouTube or Google video will return many videos about it, both serious and comical. The IOCT is both feared and revered by the Members of the Long Gray Line and is seen as a link between Graduates of long ago and Cadets of today as the test has not changed much since 1948.

Competitive sports

DPE is also responsible for the administration of a robust competitive sports program at the academy. All Cadets must participate in one of three athletic categories: an NCAA Intercollegiate Sports Team (called "Corps Squad"), an authorized Club Sport Team (called "Club Squad"), or an intramural sport team – known at West Point as "Company Athletics". About 20% of all Cadets are Corps Squad, about 15% are Club Squad, and about 65% are Company Athletes. DPE's Competitive Sports Committee, headed by Dr. Ralph Pim, has been national recognized as one of the 15 Most Influential Sports Education Teams in the country by the Institute for International Sport. Dr. Pim's Committee oversees the Club and Company Athletic programs, while the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) oversees the NCAA sports program.

Club sports

West Point currently fields 24 club teams in the following sports:

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

crew A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard. The word has nautical resonances: the tasks involved ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

, in-line hockey,

judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensiv ...

(W),

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

(MMA),

mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, ...

orienteering Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a ...

, rifle & pistol,

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

(M&W),

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' ( land yacht) over a chose ...

, skiing (

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

& Nordic),

team handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

(M&W),

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

(M), and

water polo Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with th ...

. Since 2000, academy club teams have won 22 national championships, making West Point's club program one of the premier competitive club programs in the nation. In 2008, West Point had four national championship teams: cycling, orienteering, men's team handball, and boxing. A list of recent Club Team National Championships: *2011 – Cycling *2010 – Triathlon *2008 – Orienteering *2008 – Women's Pistol *2008 – Men's Team Handball *2008, 2009 – Boxing *2008 – Combat Weapons *2007 – Women's Team Handball *2007 – Cycling *2006 – Pistol

Company athletics

Every cadet who does not compete on a Varsity or Club sport must participate in a Company-level athletic sport. About 65% of all cadets compete in Company Athletics. The Department of Physical Education's (DPE) Competitive Sports Committee, headed by Dr. Ralph Pim, runs the Club and Company Athletics sports program and was named one of the 15 Most Influential Sports Education Teams in America by the Institute for International Sport. Each Company in the Corps of Cadets (total of 32) fields a team in the following sports: Each company fields a team entry into the annual Sandhurst Competition, a military skills event conducted by the Department of Military Instruction in late Spring each year. Participation in Sandhurst counts as spring Company Athletic credit. Many companies train year-round for this prestigious event. The championship game of CA football and other outdoor events are held each year on Daly Field.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Department of Physical Education United States Military Academy 1948 establishments in New York (state)