School Name:Seacrest Country Day School - Upper School
Grant Request Grade:6-8
Grant Request Subject:Health/P.E.
Additional Details
To provide Middle and Upper School students at Seacrest Country Day School with the equipment necessary to maximize the physical, social, and emotional benefits of Flex Time, a dedicated period for unstructured physical play that supports the whole-child development of adolescents.
Students in the Middle and Upper Schools will use a wide variety of equipment during Flex Time to engage in self-directed, unstructured physical play and games on campus. Rather than a supervised, adult-led activity, Flex Time gives students the autonomy to choose how they move, compete, and connect with peers — whether that's organizing a pickup volleyball or soccer game, tossing a frisbee, running a flag football scrimmage, navigating an obstacle course, or playing a lower-intensity game like cornhole or yard golf. Equipment will be stored in a weather-resistant, lockable container on campus, allowing students to access and return gear independently each day. Students will play a role in maintaining the equipment and storage system, reinforcing a sense of ownership over the program.
Physical activity that adolescents are losing: National data show a sharp decline in physical activity as children reach adolescence — one study using accelerometers found that while 9-year-olds averaged three hours of moderate-to-vigorous activity a day, that number dropped to just 49 minutes on weekdays and 35 minutes on weekends by age 15. Flex Time directly counters this trend during the school day.
Unstructured play is developmentally distinct from PE or sports: Research suggests children benefit from experiencing roughly twice as much unstructured play time as structured activity, with unstructured play fostering social competence, self-discipline, conflict resolution, leadership development, and problem-solving skills that organized sports and PE classes don't fully replicate.
Middle and Upper Schoolers need it just as much as younger students: Educators and researchers note that unstructured time is just as essential for middle schoolers as for younger children, offering a rare opportunity for adolescents to bond with friends and build soft skills that carry into high school, college, and beyond — even as most schools phase out recess-style time after elementary school.
Improved focus and classroom behavior: Research on recess and play breaks shows they promote optimal learning of academic tasks and improved classroom behavior, giving Flex Time value that extends into the academic periods that follow it.
Emotional regulation and stress relief: Active, unstructured play helps build healthy bodies, increase energy, and reduce tension and anxiety — a meaningful benefit for adolescents navigating the academic and social pressures of Middle and Upper School.
Equity of access: A shared, well-stocked equipment supply ensures that every student — regardless of what gear they may or may not own personally — has full access to the same quality play experience during Flex Time.
Funding will provide a diverse, durable set of equipment to support a wide range of student-chosen activities during Flex Time, along with secure on-campus storage. Requested items include:
Volleyballs, soccer balls, and footballs – core equipment for the most popular student-organized games
Flag football equipment (flags/belts) – enables organized, lower-contact game play
Frisbees – supports low-barrier, easy-to-organize games like ultimate frisbee or disc golf
Obstacle course materials (cones, agility ladders, hurdles, portable markers) – allows students to build and customize their own physical challenges
Cornhole/bag toss sets – offers a lower-intensity, highly social option for students who prefer less vigorous play
Kid-safe lawn darts – provides a skill-based lawn game alternative
Yard golf sets – expands the variety of low-impact game options available
Additional suggested items:
Basketballs and a portable/adjustable hoop – one of the most consistently popular options for pickup games
Jump ropes (single and long/double-dutch) – low-cost, high-activity option that supports large groups
Spikeball/roundnet sets – a fast-growing, highly social game well-suited to small groups
Hula hoops and bocce ball sets – broaden appeal to students who prefer less competitive activities
Air pump and repair kit – ensures balls and inflatable equipment stay usable long-term
Storage bins/mesh bags for sub-sorting equipment – keeps gear organized within the main container and speeds up daily check-out/check-in
Weather-resistant, lockable storage container – protects equipment investment from Naples' heat, humidity, and rain while allowing secure, student-accessible storage on campus.
Together, this equipment ensures Flex Time offers enough variety to engage students across a wide range of interests and physical activity levels, while the storage solution protects the investment and supports a sustainable, self-managed system for years to come.
