Dr. Michael Metzler’s influence on physical education is difficult to measure because it lives in so many places. Mike prepared numerous teachers and scholars and helped shape physical education teacher education as a profession. Countless students benefited from his work through more thoughtful, purposeful instruction.

Mike was an innovator and one of the field’s most important voices in model-based instruction. His work helped generations of teachers understand that there is no “one best way” to teach. Instead, he challenged us to think carefully about the relationship among students, content, context, learning outcomes, and instructional design. Through Instructional Models for Physical Education, Mike gave the profession a framework for making those decisions with clarity, purpose, and integrity.

But Mike’s legacy goes far beyond his scholarship. He was a gifted teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend. Those who knew him remember his generosity, humility, humor, and deep commitment to supporting others. He had the rare ability to make complex ideas understandable. While Mike approached his work with  intellectual rigor, it was his sincere care for students and people that we will remember most.

This fifth edition of Instructional Models for Physical Education is dedicated to Mike’s memory and to the profound impact of his life’s work. We are grateful for the foundation he built, the example he set, and the many ways his influence still shapes physical education today.

His work continues to guide us, and his legacy will remain part of the profession for generations to come.