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Education

Gilbert PD puts on competition for Gilbert junior highs

Posted 12/24/24

South Valley Junior High School won the the first 'Battle of the Badge' competition Dec. 10.

Designed by GPD, the event challenged students to a series of physical tests and aimed to not only …

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Education

Gilbert PD puts on competition for Gilbert junior highs

Posted

South Valley Junior High School won the the first 'Battle of the Badge' competition Dec. 10.

Designed by GPD, the event challenged students to a series of physical tests and aimed to not only promote healthy habits among students but also to strengthen the valuable bond between students and their dedicated Student Resource Officers.

The competition featured Greenfield Junior High, Mesquite Junior High, South Valley, Cooley Middle School of Higley Unified,and Payne Junior High of Chandler Unified for a unique fitness challenge from the Gilbert Police Department.

The Battle of the Badge was inspired by the physical fitness standards for incoming police recruits at GPD. The competitions included a one-minute sit-up challenge where students completed as many sit-ups as possible in one minute, a push-up challenge where students performed as many consecutive push-ups as possible, and a timed 1.5-mile run.

“Our SROs play an indispensable role in fostering growth, unity, and pride within each student, both inside and outside of the classroom," one GPD officer said. "This event is more than just a competition; it is an opportunity to strengthen the bonds and rapport between SROs and students, highlighting the supportive presence of our officers in students' everyday lives."

To determine the winner of the inaugural Battle of the Badge competition, GPD utilized its own physical evaluation requirements as the foundation for a comprehensive point system.

GPD requires new recruits to complete 36 push-ups in one minute, perform 20 consecutive push-ups, and finish a 1.5-mile run in 15 minutes and 48 seconds.

Based on these standards, a point system was created to score individual student performances. The top 15 scores for both boys and girls from each school were combined to create an overall team score.

The school with the highest combined score was named the winner, claiming the Battle of the Badge trophy and receiving custom shirts for the event. The winner of Battle of the Badge was South Valley Junior High. 

Gilbert Police Department, Gilbert Battle of the Badge, South Valley Junior High School

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