Western Colorado University Exercise and Sport Science

10/16/2026

💪 Exploring Careers in Exercise and Sport Science!

Students in ESS 181 learned about a career in personal training from one of our ESS graduate students! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience and helping our students explore exciting career opportunities in the field of exercise and sport science! 🎓🏋️

10/15/2026

🏃‍♀️🎉 Real-World Learning in Action!

Students in ESS 290 visited Gunnison Community School Elementary School to observe a third-grade PE lesson—and they didn’t just watch; they jumped right into the fun! ⚽🙌 They participated in a variety of activities, including tag games, running games, and Battleship!

A big THANK YOU to Coach Starman and Coach Harris for providing our students with this valuable, hands-on learning experience! 👏

It was also exciting to see our ESS student teacher, Trevor, leading warm-up activities and making a positive impact on younger students. What a great example of future physical educators putting their knowledge into practice! 💙

10/15/2026

🏃‍♀️⚽ Western Homeschool PE — Fall 2026 is off to a FUN start! 🎉

Students kicked off the semester with an exciting Speedball lesson! Adah and Calvin applied the Game-Based Approach, adapting games to meet students’ needs and creating a fun, engaging, and inclusive learning environment. 🙌

Great work, Adah and Calvin, for making physical education meaningful, active, and FUN for everyone! 👏🎉

10/05/2026

Check out the ESS September highlights newsletter!

ESS Newsletter

10/02/2026

ESS 411 Wellness Elevated is in full swing! The students are gaining real, hands-on experience guiding community members toward their training and fitness goals.

10/02/2026

🫁🏃‍♀️ Experiential Learning in ESS 181!

A huge thank you to Professor Bryant Byrd for leading our VO₂ max and submaximal exercise testing session in ESS 181: Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science!

Our students had the opportunity to experience firsthand the different ways we can assess cardiorespiratory fitness, including a VO₂ max test, submaximal exercise testing (one-mile walking test). They learned how to use the results from the one-mile walking test to estimate their own VO₂ max.

This type of hands-on, experiential learning provides our students with valuable experience connecting classroom concepts to real-world exercise science practice.

Thank you, Professor Byrd, for sharing your expertise and creating such a valuable learning experience for our students! 🙌

10/02/2026

🧠⚽️ Mental Skills Lab in ESS 181!

Professor and Coach Donovan McMahill from Western Colorado University Wrestling recently visited ESS 181: Foundations of Exercise and Sport Science to introduce our students to the important role of mental performance in exercise and sport.

The session was interactive and experiential, giving students the opportunity to experience and practice different mental training skills, including imagery, self-talk, and attentional orientation.

A huge thank you to Professor and Coach Donovan McMahill for taking the time to share your knowledge, experience, and expertise with our students! We truly appreciate the opportunity to learn from you. 🙌

09/28/2026

09/25/2026

A big thank you to our Western Colorado University librarian, Tiffanie Wick, for providing a very useful and informative library session for our ESS 181: Foundations of Exercise & Sport Science students!

Students learned the basics of research, how to search for peer-reviewed articles, and about the many support services available through the library. This was a great opportunity for our students to build essential research skills that will support their academic success. 📚🔎🎓

09/25/2026

Students in ESS 353: Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community recently visited Gunnison Community School Elementary School and met with Ms. Parker, the coordinator for the Wednesday Workshop.

In a few weeks, some of these students will have the opportunity to work with the Wednesday Workshop and gain valuable real-world experience applying the WSCC (Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community) and CSPAP (Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program) models within a school setting.

We are grateful for this partnership and the opportunity for our students to connect classroom learning with meaningful, hands-on experiences in the community!