Colorado Health and Physical Education Summit 2026

Through this session you will find strategies to engage students through disc golf.

Part 1:
This session begins by addressing the growing responsibility placed on PE teachers
and youth coaches to lead resistance and strength training programs—often without
formal training. Participants will explore why strength and conditioning must be educational, student centered, and developmentally appropriate, rather than exclusively performance focused.
Emphasis is placed on grounding instruction in scientific principles, student interests, and long-term physical development and enjoyment. Key topics include effective class management and organization, establishing a safe training environment, embedding technique instruction into lessons, and promoting physical literacy through clear routines, progressions, and expectations. Structured resistance training is framed as a tool for learning, confidence building, and engagement—not just physical outcomes.

The sports officiating shortage is a major issue impacting education-based athletics nationwide. By working with schools like yours, we at RefReps are on a mission to create a more sustainable future for all sports at all levels!

RefReps (www.refreps.com) is an education technology company that provides curriculum, coursework, and support materials to equip high schools to teach Intro to Sports Officiating as an elective class to students during their curricular day. To date, over 1,025 high schools across 47 states have already started teaching with us!

The primary focus of this presentation is to share how schools can achieve the necessary approvals and then properly implement RefReps' Intro to Sports Officiating Education classes into their curricular offerings. We will share strategies for implementation, composition of the curriculum, results that have been achieved, and details related to the academic rigor involved in the class.

Join Austin Olson (Pacific Trails Middle School, San Dieguito Union High School District) was recognized by the Society for Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) America as the 2024 SHAPE America Western District Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year. Previously honored as the 2023 California Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by CAHPERD, he was a finalist for 2024 SHAPE America National Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

In this session:
What if your students did most of the thinking, leading, and learning? In this session, you’ll discover how to transform your middle school classroom into a student-led environment where engagement and ownership thrive. Through purposeful, interactive strategies, you’ll learn how to shift from being the center of instruction to a facilitator of meaningful learning experiences.
Walk away with practical tools to empower students to think critically, collaborate effectively, take on leadership roles, and reflect on both their own growth and the work of their peers. When students take the lead, the energy, creativity, and accountability in your classroom will rise.

Part 2 focuses on practical strategies for implementation within PE and youth sport
settings. Participants will examine how to individualize programming, manage diverse
ability levels, and integrate S&C into a physical literacy pathway and developmental
framework that supports competence, motivation, and lifelong physical activity. The
session will highlight how poorly structured or age-inappropriate training contributes to
injury and student disengagement—and how intentional organization and inclusive
practices can counter these risks. Time will be dedicated to self-program evaluation,
allowing participants to reflect on their current practices, identify strengths and gaps,
and develop actionable next steps to improve instruction, safety, and meaningful
participation for all students.
 

Join Austin Olson (Pacific Trails Middle School, San Dieguito Union High School District) was recognized by the Society for Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) America as the 2024 SHAPE America Western District Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year. Previously honored as the 2023 California Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by CAHPERD, he was a finalist for 2024 SHAPE America National Middle School Physical Education Teacher of the Year.

In this session:
Tired of the same routines? So were we. This session introduces themed WODs (Workouts of the Day)—short, high-energy workouts (8–12 minutes) designed to maximize engagement and effort. The twist? Students help create them.
Learn how to implement a system where students track progress, challenge themselves, and stay motivated through variety and purpose. We’ll also showcase our “Fitness Lab,” an engaging, challenge-based environment where students explore movement, build confidence, and celebrate progress.
If you’re looking to increase participation, effort, and excitement in your program, this session will give you practical, ready-to-use ideas that students genuinely buy into.