Deborah J. Rhea

Professor and Director LiiNK Project Texas Christian University

  • Fort Worth TX

Deborah J. Rhea, Ph.D. is a full professor in Kinesiology and associate dean of Research and Health Sciences at Texas Christian University.

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Experts in the Media: Not a gym rat? Here’s how to get started on an outdoor exercise routine

Summer is here and there's no better time to get out and get active. And for some, the idea of going to the gym just isn't an option or a place they want to be. So recently, the Associated Press was looking for alternatives and connected with TCU's Deborah J. Rhea, Director of the LiiNK Center for Healthy Play. Rhea is also an expert in the areas of  physical activity and education and the importance of unstructured play. The health benefits of spending time in nature have long been established, and exercise in general, of course, improves physical and mental well-being. Combine the two and you double down on what adults need to stay healthy, said Debbie Rhea, professor in kinesiology at Texas Christian University. “We’ve got to get outside. We’ve got to be active,” Rhea said. “If we’re going to live long lives, this is what it’s about.” May 29 Associated Press If you're interested in learning more about the importance of being active and the different ways to do it then let us help. Deborah J. Rhea is available to speak with media about this topic simply click on her icon now to arrange an interview today.

Deborah J. Rhea

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Biography

Debbie Rhea, Ed.D. is Professor and Director LiiNK Project at Texas Christian University. She has been an educator for the past 39 years, starting her career in K-12 physical education and for the past 27 years has been training physical education teachers at the university level and consulting children and adults in sport and physical activity mental performance.

Rhea has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and 14 books on physical activity, eating disorders and adolescents, with a primary emphasis on diversity, behavior change and motivation; presented at more than 250 different local, regional, national and international conferences on various topics; been an invited speaker on behavior change, motivation and eating disorders on numerous occasions; and developed and trained physical education teachers at in-service trainings on developmentally appropriate curriculum at all levels across the country.

The mission of Rhea’s newest research project, LiiNK, is to bridge the gap between academics and the social, emotional and healthy well-being of children through increased recess and character development. She launched this research project successfully in two Fort Worth private schools almost six years ago and has now expanded to 28 public schools in eight different school districts from Texas and Oklahoma.

Rhea is motivating school administrators to think differently about creating a learning environment that promotes rigor through the combination of four 15-minute recesses throughout the day and character development curriculum taught daily. She emphasizes the need for a more active school environment through outdoor, unstructured play, and structured physical education in order to stimulate the brain for learning. Her newest book, “Wrong turns, Right moves in Education,” reflects why the policies and procedures representing LiiNK are needed in schools today.

Areas of Expertise

Children and Physical Activity
School Recess
Unstructured Play
Childhood Obesity
Eating Disorders
Body image issues
Social Emotional Learning

Accomplishments

Ella C. McFadden Service to Youth Award

2019

Camp Fire First Texas

Distinguished Achievement as a Creative Teacher and Scholar

2018

TCU Chancellor’s Award Recipient

Education

University of Houston

Ed.D.

Physical Education (emphases Sport Psychology & Pedagogy)

University of Houston

M.Ed.

Physical Education (emphases Sport Psychology & Pedagogy)

University of Texas - Arlington

B.A.

Exercise & Sport Studies

Affiliations

  • Southern District Scholar Committee Chair, Shape America, 2015-2020
  • Chair, Shape America Steering Committee: Write a position statement about recess for the country. 2014-2015.
  • President, Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance (TAHPERD), 2013- 2016
  • Social Psychology Committee – Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) 2012-2014
  • National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Steering Committee: College/university physical activity representative, 2011-2015
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Media Appearances

6 Things to Know About School Recess

Education Week  online

2018-07-17

Recent U.S. education reform has focused on defining and raising the subject-matter standards students are expected to meet. In order to get their students up to snuff, schools are extending the school day and putting more and more emphasis on academic learning, which can squeeze out a beloved part of the traditional school day–recess.

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Recess 4 times a day? Little Elm ISD says it helps in the classroom

WFAA  online

2017-12-06

If your child's favorite subject is recess, they might be on to something.

A growing number of school districts are adopting a program that expands recess, with surprising results.

The program is called LiiNK, or Let's Inspire Innovation 'N Kids, developed by TCU Assistant Dean Dr. Debbie Rhea.

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What Do Monkey Bars and Test Scores Have In Common? More Than You Might Think

KOSU  online

2017-10-20

On the playground at Chattanooga Elementary School some kids are pretending to be pirates, a few boys are climbing on a baseball dugout, and another group is belting out the words to various pop songs as they wriggle across the monkey bars.

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Articles

A Qualitative Study of Teachers’ Perceptions of Increased Recess Time on Teaching, Learning, and Behavior

Journal of Research in Childhood Education

2020

Recess in the United States is decidedly limited in elementary schools, despite numerous research findings that support unstructured play as a vehicle for development across multiple domains. It is widely understood that recess breaks promote prosocial behaviors, physical activity, and attentiveness in class. However, few researchers in the United States have explored effects of multiple daily recess periods on teaching, learning, and behavior. In this investigation, we report findings from interviews with 17 teachers who provide four recess periods daily.

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An Innovative Whole Child Approach to Learning: The LiiNK Project®

Childhood Education

2018

Others' success can be a powerful motivation to innovate, which sometimes means finding new ways to return to beneficial activities. Finland's academic success has prompted many to explore that country's policies and practices, particularly regarding providing opportunities for children to enjoy more unstructured play.

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The LiiNK Project®: Effects of Multiple Recesses and Character Curriculum on Classroom Behaviors and Listening Skills in Grades K–2 Children

Frontiers in Education

Deborah J. Rhea and Alexander P. Rivchun

2018

Unstructured, outdoor play combined with character development instruction has shown preliminary associations with improved cognitive functioning and classroom behaviors. The purpose of this study was to further evaluate these components of the LiiNK Project (Let’s inspire innovation ’N Kids) when including intervention and comparison school children. The intervention consists of four 15-min recesses, scheduled throughout the day in combination with four 15-min character development lessons taught weekly to improve the elementary classroom learning environment. The second year of this longitudinal study included grades kindergarten through second grade students (N = 405) from two demographically comparable private schools in the southwest region of the United States. One school implemented the intervention, while the other school maintained current protocols. The intervention teachers adhered to the four play breaks at a rate of 92% over the course of the intervention. Transitions from classroom to playground and back dropped from 4 min each way to less than 1 min each way. The results of comparing the two schools showed classroom off-task behaviors such as fidgeting and moving around the room decreased significantly, while attentional focus improved significantly as a result of the intervention. LiiNK Project results from grades kindergarten and 1 in the same schools last year are congruent with the results of this study. Next steps will include public school expansion to explore student diversity among rural, urban, and suburban environments with the play and character intervention.

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