Betsy Cast: Leading with Joy and Empowering Girls Through Movement

At The Baldwin School, athletics and physical education are far more than extracurricular activities: they are an essential part of how students grow, learn and discover their strengths. From the youngest Bears learning to swim to Upper School students developing lifelong fitness habits, movement is woven throughout the Baldwin experience. Leading this work is Physical Education Department Chair Betsy Cast, whose approach centers on confidence, inclusion, and above all, joy.

For Betsy, working in an all-girls environment is both meaningful and powerful. She believes that a single-sex learning environment creates space for students to explore leadership, curiosity, and confidence in ways that can sometimes be harder to access in co-educational settings. In her classes, students are encouraged to step forward, whether by demonstrating a skill, leading a line, organizing a team, or speaking up with ideas.

 

“Sometimes all someone needs is a space to feel what being a leader feels like or to feel what taking a risk feels like,” Betsy explains. “Physical education can be that space.” And those experiences often extend far beyond the gymnasium, helping students feel empowered to take risks and lead in classrooms, clubs, and future careers.

Baldwin’s Physical Education curriculum is intentionally designed to evolve as students grow. In Pre-K through Grade 1, the focus is on fundamental movement: skills like hopping, skipping, galloping, running, and basic coordination through throwing, rolling, and kicking. As students move into Grades 1 and 2, they begin working on cooperative play and introductory competition while strengthening balance and rhythmic movement.

 

By Grades 3 – 5, the program transitions to a sports-based model, introducing students to activities they may later pursue in Middle and Upper School athletics, along with opportunities for friendly competition through Baldwin’s beloved Blue/Gray games.

 

In Middle School, the focus expands to overall fitness and movement mechanics. Students explore activities such as yoga, Pilates, and pickleball while learning how their bodies move and function.

 

Upper School Physical Education emphasizes lifelong wellness. Students experience workouts and activities they can continue beyond high school and may choose electives like Strength and Conditioning, which focuses on mobility, strength development, and injury prevention.

 

Throughout every division, Health and Wellness classes complement physical education by addressing topics such as nutrition, body image, sleep, mental health, and healthy relationships.

Betsy designs the curriculum in alignment with national SHAPE America standards, ensuring Baldwin students benefit from one of the most comprehensive frameworks for physical education programming.

While skill development and fitness are central goals, Betsy believes one ingredient matters above all else: joy.

 

“Every student is more engaged when the activity is enjoyable,” she says. “You can teach a skill as thoroughly as possible, but if a student is disengaged, they’re not getting anything from it.”

Instead of focusing on rigid drills, Betsy looks for creative ways to integrate movement with fun, whether that means dancing, jumping rope, or finding new ways to elevate heart rates without simply running laps. Once students are actively engaged, she can help them refine techniques and build confidence.

 

Her philosophy is simple: when students find joy in movement, they are far more likely to carry those habits into adulthood.

Betsy also prioritizes conversations around wellness topics that are especially relevant for girls and young women.

 

Beginning in Lower School Health classes, students learn about positive self-talk and healthy lifestyles. The curriculum introduces concepts like nutrition and fueling an active body, along with a “body neutrality” approach, encouraging students to focus on what their bodies allow them to do rather than how they look.

 

As students get older and become more exposed to social media, those conversations deepen. Middle and Upper School Health and Wellness classes openly discuss comparison culture, unrealistic portrayals online, and the impact these influences can have on self-perception.

“We talk honestly about how these things make students feel,” Betsy explains. “Understanding what’s real and what isn’t is an important part of developing a healthy mindset.”

Creating an inclusive environment is another cornerstone of Betsy’s approach. Quoting her beloved colleague Elsie Pitoccchelli, she often reminds students that “there is a place for everyone on the field.”

 

While every student is encouraged to try new activities and build skills, Betsy recognizes that not every activity resonates with every student. When that happens, she finds creative ways for students to stay engaged and successful — whether by helping organize teams, keeping score, tracking statistics, or supporting classmates. Her goal is for every student to feel valued and connected to the experience.

 

Beyond physical skills, students in Baldwin’s PE program are constantly building life skills that extend far beyond athletics. Through games, teamwork, and challenges, they learn cooperation, problem solving, conflict resolution, emotional regulation and perseverance. These lessons often unfold naturally, reinforcing the idea that athletics can mirror life in powerful ways.

 

“Students are learning these things even when they don’t realize it,” Betsy says.

 

As department chair, Betsy continues to evolve Baldwin’s program to meet the needs and interests of today’s students. One of her priorities is ensuring that programming remains aligned with current standards while also introducing activities that connect with what students see in their families and communities. By incorporating emerging fitness trends and varied movement opportunities, she hopes every student can find an activity that resonates.

 

“I can’t make everyone love physical activity,” she says, “but I hope I can help them find something they enjoy and see the value in.”

 

For Betsy, the most meaningful feedback doesn’t always come in words: it comes in smiles, laughter, and the energy students bring to class. When a student leaves, saying “That was the best class ever,” she knows something special has happened.

 

Ultimately, when Baldwin students walk across the graduation stage, Betsy hopes their experiences in physical education and wellness contribute to one lasting belief:

“They’ve got this.” Because when girls are given space to move, lead, and take risks, they often discover something even more powerful: the confidence to leap at opportunities, even when they feel uncertain.