But the 14-year-old and her teammates no longer look with envy upon other gyms, since Pickering was one of only four schools nationwide to receive a $50,000 grant from the NFL Network and Verizon. Thanks to the grant and an additional $50,000 from the city, the gymnasium at Pickering recently received a makeover.

“It was kind of embarrassing,’’ Woumn said of the previous gymnasium. “Now it won’t be. The gym looks better than some of the high school gyms.’’

The renovated facility was unveiled at a pep rally on Tuesday morning, emceed by NFL Network host Scott Hanson. The event featured New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who spoke to the students about the importance of staying physically fit before leading them through fitness tests and football drills similar to ones professional players complete every Sunday.

“You guys are really lucky to have a successful PE program and great teachers,’’ the 25-year-old Gostkowski told the students. “I know it helped me growing up.’’

Gostkowski noted that, with the renovated facilities, “you’re in for a treat. Your PE classes will never be the same.’’

The grant was part of the NFL Network’s Keep Gym in School program, introduced in 2008 to increase access to in-school physical activity and teach students to maintain healthy lifestyles.

Schools in New York City, Baltimore, and Chicago also received $50,000 grants this year. Although Massachusetts law requires physical education be taught in public schools, in 1996 the Board of Education repealed regulations that mandated minimum annual hours of instruction, leaving local school districts, faced with difficult budget cuts, to decide how much phys ed students receive.

The NFL Network worked with the Patriots and Verizon to identify middle schools in New England that could most benefit from the grant. Lynn was ultimately chosen based on its need for new facilities and commitment to running a high-quality physical education program, according to Dena Kaplan, the senior vice president for marketing at NFL Network.

“We have had some additional sources of funding, but this is the first market where we’ve seen a 100-percent match,’’ Kaplan said of the city matching the grant amount. “We’d love to see the same happen in other markets.’’

The grant funded a new fitness room with 10 weight stations and 10 exercise bikes, while the city’s contribution covered the gym renovations. That work included refinishing the floor and installing new lighting, windows, paint, bleachers, and a scoreboard, said Dennis Thompson, the health and physical education coordinator for the Lynn public schools.

“The city had Pickering Middle School on their radar, but the grant really showed that people were willing to come to the table and create something at Pickering,’’ Thompson said.

The new equipment comes as Lynn is revamping its physical education curriculum to focus more on fitness and less on team sports, he said.

“This was the perfect scenario,’’ Thompson said of the grant’s timing. “It was exactly what we wanted to do. Ultimately, the Lynn philosophy is a healthy body equals a healthy mind.’’

However, the gym’s existing conditions inhibited teachers’ ability to work fitness into their classes, according to Pickering physical education instructor Jim Foley.

“It was dark and dingy in here,’’ Foley said. “This was much needed.’’

There is also the potential for additional improvements next year: Pickering can apply for a $2,500 grant that is available only to those school districts that have received the $50,000 grant, according to Kaplan.

In addition, one Lynn middle school student who improves his or her fitness level the most in the coming months will win a trip to the 2010 NFL draft in New York City, said Kaplan.

The grant comes at a time when increased attention is being placed on physical education programs statewide, which are often among the first items to be cut to resolve budget shortfalls, said state Senator Thomas M. McGee.

McGee recently co-sponsored two bills to address the issue. One would require that public schools provide 150 minutes per week of physical education for kindergarten through fifth grade and 225 minutes per week for students in grades 6-12.

The other would establish pilot programs at six Massachusetts schools to determine the potential for statewide enhancement of physical education programs.

The timing of the grant could not be better: State house hearings were held on both bills before a joint education committee Tuesday, according to McGee.

“It’s so important for so many reasons,’’ McGee said of ensuring every student receives physical education. “We’re really hopeful with the NFL being here that we see some movement.’’

Meanwhile, back at Pickering Middle School, students are proud to see their gym transformed.

“I really like the improvements,’’ said 13-year-old Derek Chigas, an eighth-grader. “We’re really lucky that we were one of the four schools chosen.’’

Brian Benson can be reached bbenson@globe.com.