How our PE Teacher is using meditation to impact students’ mental health
In 2025, it’s rare to find a group of teenagers sitting quietly without their phones in hand. But step into Coach Josh McDonald’s gym class at Rise Academy, and you’ll see just that.
Coach McDonald’s gym class is anything but ordinary. Yes, you’ll find dodgeballs, exercise equipment, and games — but you’ll also find 10 to 15 students seated quietly on yoga mats, meditating in the middle of the day. At Rise Academy, we are committed to expanding our students’ horizons and nurturing their social-emotional wellbeing — and Coach Josh is doing just that.
“I tell our students that the most important conversation they’ll have each day is the one inside their head,” he says. “So I am trying to give them tools to have a positive one.”
Each student receives a yoga mat and listens to a meditation podcast during class. If the weather is nice, they head outdoors. “I don’t grade this so there’s no pressure attached to it. And everyone meditates a little differently. Some students stare off into space, some fiddle around and take time to settle in. But I don’t tell them how to meditate.”
While addressing adolescent mental health has become a national priority, for Coach Josh, the work is personal. “Over the past few years, I’ve learned the importance of slowing down and checking in on my thoughts to make sure they’re healthy,” he says. “Your mindset determines your decision-making, and I’m a big believer in separating a bad few minutes from a bad day. When you think about how long a day really is, it’s hard to actually have a bad one. My hope is that when our students are adults, they’ll remember that slowing down and getting outside can help their thoughts. I’m playing the long game.”
“If I’m the only mindful, Christian male that some of the guys come into contact with, am I leaving the right impact?
– Josh McDonald, Health & PE Teacher
In addition to exposing students to the benefits of meditation, Coach Josh is also exposing them to a variety of sports including pickleball and golf. “Growing up, there was a whole world out there that I didn’t have access to, and I don’t want that to be the case for our students,” he says. “Pickleball is just as easy as basketball — but how would you know that if you never got a paddle in your hand? And Richmond is such an outdoorsy city; I want our kids to feel comfortable walking, biking, and being outside.”
As a first-year teacher, Coach McDonald reflects often on the impact he has on students. “Someone told me that when you’re a coach or a teacher, you’re going to impact 20 times the amount of people than the average person. I take that seriously,” he says. “This isn’t the case for everyone but for some students, if I’m the only mindful, Christian male that some of the guys come into contact with, am I leaving the right impact? And even just for the subject I teach–it’s not just sports it’s helping students understand the relationships between exercise, mental health, and diet. Our kids are extremely talented, intelligent, and ambitious and I hope they feel that while they’re here with me.”