SHAPE MT 2026

Physical education and health teachers play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of educators. This session highlights the unique impact of mentoring and hosting student teachers in PE and health settings. Learn best practices for creating meaningful experiences, fostering professional growth, and navigating the responsibilities of being a cooperating teacher. Whether you're a veteran mentor or considering taking on a student teacher for the first time, this session will provide practical strategies, shared stories, and inspiration to support future professionals in our field. Come learn and share ideas on ways to mentor Preservice Teachers!

We live in a world obsessed with appearance.  With the advent of social media we are seeing children at younger and younger ages impacted by the false idea of ideal body size.  Kids as young as three show preference for thin bodies over larger bodies. Weight is the number one reason for bullying in schools, and more adolescents and young adults report body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behavior than ever before.  BeReal is a non-profit dedicated to spreading body confidence around the world.  They are developing resources to support communities tin changing the culture around food and bodies. In this session, you will be provided with evidence-based tools and strategies to change body culture in your school. You will leave with practical tools and strategies to address body and food concerns in the classroom and provided with additional resources to support you in creating a body inclusive culture within your school system. 

Teen female athletes are not just “smaller versions” of adult athletes—they are navigating rapid physical, hormonal, and emotional changes that directly impact how they move, train, and perform. During puberty, girls experience shifts in strength, coordination, body composition, and the introduction of the menstrual cycle, all of which can influence energy levels, recovery, and injury risk.

This presentation explores why training female athletes requires a more intentional and informed approach during these critical years. We’ll break down how puberty affects movement patterns, why injury risk (especially knee injuries like ACL tears) increases, and how coaches can better support their athletes through these changes.

More importantly, we’ll focus on solutions. Attendees will learn practical strategies to:

Build strength, stability, and proper movement mechanics
Support athletes through their menstrual cycle with awareness and flexibility
Create a training environment that fosters confidence, body awareness, and long-term athletic development

By shifting the focus from performance alone to education, empowerment, and sustainability, we can help female athletes not only perform better—but feel stronger, more confident, and more in control of their bodies.

Educators play a critical role in shaping how young people understand their bodies, relationships, and health.

This session provides a practical, foundational guide to teaching sex education for middle and high school students. Participants will learn how to approach reproductive health education through a medically accurate, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, values-neutral, and evidence-based lens.

We’ll cover key content areas including anatomy, puberty, reproduction, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and birth control, along with strategies for creating a safe and respectful classroom environment. Special emphasis will be placed on one of the most challenging aspects of sex ed: responding to student questions with confidence, clarity, and professionalism.

Participants will leave with concrete tools, language strategies, and increased confidence to deliver sex education that is informative, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of today’s youth.

Whether you're working in a small gym, a classroom, or anywhere in between, this session is packed with engaging, adaptable, high-impact games no matter your constraints. Limited space, limited to no equipment, or both? No problem. Walk away unstoppable — with ready-to-use activities for any teaching environment and any circumstance. 

For coaches, PE teachers, and youth leaders committed to developing the whole athlete -not just performance, but resilience, focus, recovery, and leadership. Learn how brain function, nervous system regulation, breath, and movement directly impact response time, decision-making, choice, emotional balance, confidence, and athletic performance. Explore the science behind brain chemistry and peak performance, including dopamine for motivation and drive, serotonin for well-being and composure, adrenaline for quick response under pressure, and acetylcholine for learning, coordination, and muscle memory. Equip your athletes with tools that strengthen the brain–body connection to support success in sports, school, and life.

Come learn how to implement the Sports Education Model in your gym!