Iliad Athletics

06/22/2026

Forbes took note of Iliad Athletics in an article about student readiness. Specifically, the sound pedagogy in our approach to physical education and how it applies across the board:

"Iliad Athletics aims to build broad, functional capability rather than sport specialization or one-dimensional conditioning. Their curriculum emphasizes benchmarking to provide objective feedback and set meaningful goals, paired with a level-up structure that encourages students to keep progressing. Students are asked to confront discomfort in controlled ways and to learn that capability is built through sustained practice, not through motivation alone.

That approach aligns well with cultivating general readiness. If schools want students to be ready for adult life, readiness must be practiced, benchmarked, and reinforced until it becomes a habit."

Join the growing cohort of schools adopting our systematic, thorough, and thoroughly inspiring PE curriculum. Exceeding national standards across the board.

Readiness goes beyond grades. Life skills and purpose matter. Building Meaning and Iliad Athletics show how educators turn knowledge into skills and habits for real life.

06/19/2026

Iliad Founder and CEO on Relevant Radio with Trending with Timmerie last night!

× our mission Thrive in life through physical education who we serve what we do K-12 Fitness Curriculum In-Person and Virtual Educator Training On-Site Experiential Learning Events Youth Summer Camps Custom Teambuilding Events Fitness Health and the ability to perform a broad spectrum of fundamenta...

06/18/2026

The Iliad Athletics summer camp for boys 9-13 is a week and a half away.

This year's theme: Build Civilization and Defend It.

We start with the fundamental skills to build and sustain life — fire, shelter, navigation over difficult terrain. But once you've built it, you need strength and courage to defend it.

Civilization isn't an abstraction. It's a fire that someone had to start, a shelter that someone had to lash together, a course followed over difficult terrain. We issue the challenge to the next generation to build and to defend.

A parent after last year's camp: "Our 9-year-old went and came home a man."

Spots are still available. Registration at iliadathletics.com under Train With Us.

06/17/2026

Road trips with old school FM transmitters, live parakeets on the dashboard, deployments, fitness, education, Aristotle, Teddy Roosevelt — just the usual stuff.

Our founder Patrick Whalen had a great time joining Kathleen O'Toole on the Hillsdale College K-12 Education podcast. One of the highlights was how Kathleen articulated something we think about a lot: that the Iliad Athletics approach to PE shares with the rest of the classical curriculum a focus on the fundamental things we all need to thrive in life.

A delightful conversation and well worth a listen.
https://podcast.hillsdale.edu/kathleen-otoole-and-patrick-whalen-on-physical-education/

06/13/2026

This is a great move for a more wholesome and holistic education experience! Congratulations DoWEA.

As begins, now is a great time for students and families to prepare for a successful start to the new school year.

The Department of War Education Activity is implementing updated expectations for personal electronic devices in schools. To support focused, engaging, and safe learning environments, students will be expected to keep personal devices—including phones, smartwatches, tablets, and similar electronics—silenced and stored during the school day.

Exceptions remain in place for medical needs, 504 plans, special education services, and approved instructional activities.

Families can help by discussing these expectations before the first day of school and reinforcing the importance of staying engaged in learning while at school. Thank you for partnering with us to create classrooms where every student can thrive.

06/13/2026

Three days. Open field. A rite of passage.
June 28–30, Iliad Athletics' Junior Foundation Camp puts young men through real scenarios designed to build capable, confident leaders—guided by instructors who served as Marine Corps veterans.
This is where confidence is earned, not handed out.
Link in bio for details. 🏕️

06/13/2026

Our boys need rites of passage. This summer Iliad Athletics is offering one.
Over three days in the field, June 28–30, our instructors—Marine Corps veterans who have lived what they teach—lead young people through scenario after scenario built to forge capable, confident decision-makers and leaders.
Not lectures. Not screens. Real challenges, real terrain, real growth.
The 2026 Junior Foundation Camp is where confidence is earned. Spots are limited.
Details and registration: https://iliadathletics.com/2026-junior-foundation-camp/

06/02/2026

School administrators: wondering how to fund a better PE program for next year?

Federal Title IV, Part A funding (Student Support and Academic Enrichment) explicitly names physical education as an allowable activity — both as a "well-rounded educational opportunity" and as a program supporting a healthy, active lifestyle. That covers PE curriculum licensing, programming, and nutrition education.

Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction) covers professional development for teachers — including programs like the Iliad Athletics Educator Course.

If your school receives ESSA funding, you may already have the budget line for a PE program that builds real fitness, character, and physical capability. It's worth a conversation with your Title funds coordinator.

We're happy to help think through it. Learn more at iliadathletics.com/curriculum.

05/28/2026

We're going to reverse the youth fitness and character crisis in our country and are building everything we think it will take to win.

◾ Functional, Classical PE Programming
◾ Character and virtue development scenarios and prompts
◾ Nutrition curricula for the whole family
◾ Fitness performance recording and reporting
◾ Teacher training and mentoring
◾ All of this for all of them (guides for disability adaptation)

Join us.

05/26/2026

We're pleased to announce a new addition to the Iliad Athletics curriculum: the "Nutrition Minute," a 30-week nutrition education series designed to complement our fitness programming across three age bands (K–5, 6–8, and 9–12). Each week, students receive a single-page resource introducing one clear idea about food — where it comes from, what real nutrition looks like, and why it matters. The cards are designed to be easily printable, and we hope many of them make it home to families. The Nutrition Minute is included at no extra cost for all curriculum licensees beginning in the 2026–27 school year.