The Author

My name is Anthony Vekich, creator of the P.E. Gang.  As a P.E. Teacher, I believe elementary physical education can enhance all areas of development. The P.E. Gang was created to teach my physical education students the importance of teamwork, playing fair, being honest, being respectful, and trying to do their best in anything they choose to do. The stories I have written are based on true events that happened growing up and the experiences I have had while teaching P.E. for the last 30 years.

I was the boy growing up that loved sports and being with my friends. Some of my favorite memories are things that happened while playing sports. My family and I moved to a new neighborhood when I was 11 years old. I was a very shy person and found it difficult to make friends at my new school. My father spent a lot of time with my brother and me, teaching us sports skills and the importance of showing sportsmanship. It was easy for me to make friends with the kids at my new school through sports. Everyone wanted me on their team in P.E. class and that made me feel great. However, I felt bad for kids who were chosen last and who weren’t very good at sports. 

When I decided to become a P.E. teacher, my first goal was to teach every student the physical skills they need for playing sports. I never have captains choose teams and I rarely keep score. I want my students to leave the gym with a smile on their faces rather than spend time fighting over who won the game. 

Many people believe that P.E. class is just a time for kids to play games but it is much more than that. I teach the kids how to work together. play fair, stay healthy, treat one another with respect, lose without complaining, and win without rubbing it in. I also teach my students how to work hard at something they love to do. The important values I learned when I was growing up playing sports have carried over into my career as a teacher and as a father. I have two boys of my own and when I am not teaching my students, I am coaching and teaching my boys the importance of staying active and more importantly, being a good person. I will continue to write stories about the P.E. Gang to educate people of the importance of physical education.