The Bigger You Are, The Harder You Fall....

So, yesterday, after hitting the Publish button on my blog... I left my house with the purpose that I was going to do everything in my power to be more active and eat better.  There was just no way that I could stand on that scale next week and see another repeat of what happened this week.

But what could I do?

Well, thanks to the rowdy, crazy bunch of Jr. High kids that I'm currently teaching in the afternoons every day... I got my answer.

I'm a teacher.  I'm pretty sure everyone knows that about me... if they didn't - they do now.  

While most teachers are at home or on vacation or doing some other awesome summer relaxing, I'm currently teaching summer school.  It's only for two weeks, but it's still two weeks of getting up at 5am, working all day, and passing out before the sun goes down each night because I'm totally exhausted.

In the mornings, I teach elementary kids in the 4th and 5th grade how to build simple machines with Lego type building blocks.  Absolutely NOTHING active about that.

In the afternoons, however, I am teaching golf.  Or supposed to be, but I'm not because I don't know how to play golf.  So, I had to improvise with what I had... and came up with the desire to teach frisbee golf instead.

That was a great plan... except for one major factor.  The kids were less than thrilled.  Hated the idea, actually.  They'd much rather sit in the classroom talking to their friends, or if they really have to go outside...sit outside and talk to their friends.  

Teaching Jr. High kids can be rough.  They have a whole new level of disrespect and attitude stored away in their boxes.  They have mastered the acts of eye rolling, sarcasm, and whining.  Pleasing them is TOUGH!

In the first couple of days, I squished their sassy attitudes by showing them just how strict I could be.  I forced them to participate, or face my consequences.  But, I hated doing that.  I wanted to come up with something that would be fun, athletic, and that would ultimately get my booty moving just as much as theirs.

Enter:  Frisbee Football.

I came up with the idea after watching them during recess.  Most of the boys played football or basketball.  I figured out, pretty quickly, that it wasn't the active part they hated about my class... or being out in the heat... it was the fact that they thought what I was teaching was boring.  They weren't interested in frisbee football anymore than if I'd been teaching English Literature from the 1800's.  

So, I told them my idea... and they were all on board.  The best part?  I was totally joining in the game.  

The rules were simple:  Two teams, try to get the frisbee down to your end of the field to score a goal, and no running with the frisbee.  Tackling was involved, but only to the person holding the frisbee... who shouldn't really have the frisbee long enough to be tackled.

And the games began.

I ran up and down the field.  I threw the frisbee a couple of times.  I even got tackled and thrown down to the ground at one point.  Which will ultimately lead to my slight limp today, being that I went down on my knee.  Ouch!

By the time the first 30 minute class was over, I was drenched in sweat...and I still had 4 more classes to get through!

I played frisbee football from 12:40 - 2:30.  Almost 2 hours... with only a couple of small breaks every 30 minutes while I picked up a new class and quickly explained the rules.

By the end of the day, it looked as though I'd been having some kind of water fight in my class because my clothes were so wet from sweat.  

But you know what?  I surprised MANY children yesterday.  I surprised them that I got out there to play in the first place...and put myself in that kind of danger, HA!  I also surprised them when I ran for the frisbee, when I jumped, when I picked kids up and wrestled them for the frisbee.  

And I totally surprised myself!

I absolutely LOVED every minute of it.  

OK, so I was extremely nervous about letting a bunch of rambunctious kids play a semi-contact sport. I am extremely nervous that we're going to get the quick axe from the principal when she finds out what we're doing.  I was extremely nervous that someone was going to end up getting hurt, or things would get out of hand. 

I didn't have to worry.

I explained to these kids what would happen if things got out of hand. I told them that as long as they "played nice" I didn't see why we'd get into any trouble.  And they were all super nice with each other. If someone went down, they were helped right back up.  If someone did take someone down... they did it without charging in to them and knocking them off their feet...they just grabbed them and rolled them down to the ground.  

Only one kid got a little out of hand and shoved someone straight to the ground.  Thankfully, though, that person who got shoved down was me.  I won't lie.. it hurt.  I went straight down on my knee.  But, I'd told these kids that I was in the game, and they didn't have to take it easy on me just because I was the teacher.  Unfortunately for the kid that decided to shove me down, the boys on my team did NOT like it one bit...and he hit the dust about 3 seconds later when they all decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.  Thankfully, he didn't get hurt, but I'm pretty sure he got the message.

I'm hobbling around a little this morning.  Partly because my knee is feeling the impact from yesterday, and partly because I ran more yesterday afternoon than I have in the past year.  But, I'm loving the pain that's surging through my arms and legs.  It's not "pain pain", it's that achy feeling you get when you know you've put in a good workout. 

And despite spending two hours running around a football field, I came home and swam in the pool for a while.  Not as long as I usually do, but I put in several laps before collapsing on to a pool lounger for some much needed rest and relaxation.

There's just seven days left of summer school.  I have a feeling I know how I'm going to be spending those seven days... in the afternoons anyway.  As long as the game stays legal.  I have a big suspicion that it's going to get the axe pretty soon...not sure my principal will like the idea much.  But, then I'll just have to come up with another rendition that keeps the fun without the contact.  OK, it won't be as fun.. but hopefully the kids will still be up for it.

Right now, though, I need to hobble my behind inside to get dressed.  Work-out clothes it will be today.. I'm not about to try and run around in jean shorts anymore.  

Till next time!