Oceans of Oportunity: Day 1

So much has happened in a day here in San Diego. I have had the privilege today to attend and participate in many sessions as well as assist in one. I have put together a video of much of what I have experienced today although there were a few sessions I did not have the chance to video tape... (I was too buisy running around sweating my rump roast off). But I did manage to get a lot of video. In this short movie I have collected tape from a session with SUNY Cortland's PE Technology Guru, Professor Yang. In this session I assisted with a mini lesson for the iDance, the cardio kickboxing Dance Dance Revolution, and the do it your self Teenage Mutan Ninja Turtles battling game using DDR mats and a paded punching bag. Then I enter the Conventions Exposition center where I find two young men demonstrating the Gibbons slackline and how it is used to work on your balancing. I also see Sport Stacking and all of the many different cups that are available for teachers to purchase. The video closes with a quick demonstration of how to throw a disk properly as well as trick passes for Ultimate Frisbee, trick shots for Frisbee Golf and a short demonstration of how to play Frisbee Lacrosse. Not shown in the video is a series of creative and innovative games for elementary and secondary education levels. These games can be modified, advanced and twisted to make it "your own". Today was a great first day at the convention center and I can NOT wait to see what tomorrow has in store! Stay tuned and enjoy the videos!

Snow Today, Sunshine Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a big day for a few Physical Education majors at SUNY Cortland as they board a plane to leave behind twenty degree weather and take off for the warm San Diego sun in California for the next 9 days. You might say to yourself, "spring break was last week so why would they go during a school week?" and the answer is, for the AAHPERD National Physical Education/Health Convention and Exposition. As teacher candidates we have grown to understand that it is those that seperate themselves from others in their profession that will have a better chance to become successful. With the desire and passion that my fellow teacher candidates and friends have towards making an impact in education I have all of the faith in the world that they will become who they aspire to be and make the changes they wish to see in this world. We are the next generation and we are on a mission to be the next best leaders and educators of the new era in Physical Education.

With 800 students in the SUNY Cortland Physical Education major my friends and I knew that we had to make ourselves stand out. We have joined together under the Alliance of Physical Education Majors (APEM) Club here at SUNY Cortland. Through this club we have participated in various activities and workshops to better others as well as ourselves. We have gained experience and practice through helping and teaching others. We attend meetings on a weekly basis to keep each other updated on current events, ways to advance the club, and to exchange new ideas and knowlegde that have been filtering through the major itself. We are committed to making a difference and the heart that we have for Physical Education drives us to become better teacher candidates every day.

When we heard about the National Convention we knew we had to get ourselves there no matter where it would be held. Much to our surprise it was being held on the other side of the United States, in San Diego, California. We were excited to go but afraid it would be too difficult to make the trip a reality. With proper planning and schedualing through the club, there is a group of us that have managed to book our flights and hotel room so that we could get there early for some touring and spend the entire week expanding our knowledge and networking in a beautiful city with very powerful leaders in Physical Education and Health.

Getting a job as a Physical Educator is not an easy task in today's economy but there are many things that you can do to separate yourself from the rest of your fellow majors. Don't wait another moment and get involved with as much as you can handle. My advice to younger majors would be to go above and beyond. Grab some friends and set yourselves apart from everyone else. Become inspired and inspire others as you continue your journey through the number one Physical Education program in the Nation.

Next year the National Convention will be held on March 13, 2012 in Boston, Massachusetts... will YOU be there?

To find out more about the 2011 National Convention please visit the following link:

http://www.aahperd.org/whatwedo/convention/

Also stay tuned this week for updates from beautiful San Diego, California and the National Convention from my perspective!

The sky is my limit, what's yours?

We all grow up with dreams. Whether it be, 'When I grow up I want to be..." a police man, in the NFL, or an Actress we all had dreams because we felt that anything was possible. The only limits or restraints that we had as children were the ones our parents gave us and the ones we gave ourselves.

Anthony Robles was born with one leg but he didn't let that restrain him from doing what he wanted with his life. Growing up he was like any other kid playing football, basketball, paintball and eventually wrestling. Anthony had a dream to have athletic success by becoming a football player in the NFL. When he realized he would never be heavy enough to play he decided to start wrestling. He began in Mesa High School in Arizona. Although Anthony didn't do well his first year he was driven to be a successful athlete through wrestling. He loved the sport and began using his one leg to his advantage as the years went on. By the last two years of his High School Career he had finished with a 48-0 record for each season. He graduated with two state championships, one national championship, a two year All-American title and an acceptance letter into Arizona State University to study for a Bachelor in Interdisciplinary Studies as well as wrestle.




Not only did he wrestle for ASU but he accomplished 4th at the NCAA Championship in his 2008-2009 season and 7th in his 2009-2010 season as well as earning the All American Honor for each season. He worked hard and didn't make excuses for himself. He wanted to do everything that his teammates had to do including running the mile. He ran his first timed mile on his crutches in 10 minutes and by the end of the year he was running it in 8 minutes. His coach says "we complain a whole lot less" because of Anthony. He is an inspiration to all as he shows what it means to not make excuses for yourself and how success is possible when you don't limit yourself and your abilities.

His senior year at ASU is close to an end but hardly winding down. He is ranked first at the NCAA Division 1 tournament and today is the championship round begins at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. He expects to take first. He stated on Wednesday, "I plan on going all out. I'm going to be throwing the kitchen sink and everything else out there with it". The fact that he is missing a leg makes him disabled but he has never seen himself as someone with a disability.

Fans on YouTube arn't afraid to talk about their stories and experiences with Anthony Robles. Fans will tell you, "...this guy was one of the most classy and nicest people you could ever meet". Another fan stated, "Anthony you are a champ. You taught my friend with one leg to wrestle at a camp last year and now he's great. Keep doing what your doing bud. Your a true athlete and a hero to us all." He is a role model and inspiration to all.

As you can see Anthony Robles didn't limit himself in anything that he did. He set goals for himself and was driven to achieve them. Reguardless of what excuses he could have made for himself, he chose not to. Do you make limits for yourself that hinder you from succeeding in the goals you wish to achieve? It's great to have goals but how will you achieve your goal? Try things Anthony's way and don't make excuses for yourself on that road to success. For me, I'll learn a lesson from Robles and go after what I really want. The sky is my limit, what's yours?

SCOPE Media: Historical Figures in Education/NCATE

In this weeks broadcast SCOPE Media cast would like to inform you of some of the historical figures that have impacted education. We would also like to discuss what NCATE is. Included in this video are also a few personal standards that SUNY Cortland students hold themselves accountable for. Enjoy the video and don't forget to leave a comment below!

Who is John Amos Comenius? I am!

John Amos Comenius believed that "all men should know all things". He also drew up the model that is today the system of schools we use in America. Check out the following interview of him to learn more!

Athlete-Student or Student-Athlete

In President Obama's State of the Union address he "received a standing ovation when he said there should be more prestige in winning the science fair than the super bowl." Too many youngsters are looking up to athletes before they are looking up to a doctor or a teacher. Not that this is a bad thing, but they need to know that those role models got to where they are because they were a student first. The role of sports at the interscholastic level is to teach values, build character and develop the young bodies of these student athletes. Notice the student came before the athlete? That is because it is more important for a student to put their studies before their role as an athlete. Being an athlete is not what will get the students to the next level in their education, but their studies will. Although athletics do contribute to the growth of the individual they are not the most important part of the student's growth. There is a lot that a student may learn in athletics that can be taught in the physical education classroom. Students are encouraged to participate in athletics to enhance their physical skills, compete and grow as young individuals but this is also seperate from their school work and must not be seen as more important. If a student sees that it is OK to let the athlete come before the student through collegiate athletes then at a younger age they may drift from their studies to place athletics first. This will hinder the growth of the student if students are not shown that their studies come first for a reason.

Growing up I have always had coaches telling me that my studies came first and I never really understood why until I was in college but even through GE classes I noticed I could have been such a better student throughout high school if I had only understood why they told me this. Educators not only need to stress the importance of the student before the athlete but they neet to explain and show why this is important.

Although my first priority is to educate through the physical I do plan to coach someday. With this being said I would like to share my coaching philosophy. Enjoy!


My personal coaching philosophy consists of working hard to develop the young minds and bodies of my student athletes into a mature group of individuals with values, character, and advanced and fine tuned skills. Through practice and learning experiences I will also educate them on new profound skills and areas of the sport that they may not have had previous knowledge of. I am willing to coach any student of any age because I believe that every student can be an athlete as well. Although, I am most interested in coaching at the Junior Varsity level because the athletes have already gone through their basic skills at the modified level and have some knowledge of the game. I want to be the one to fill their minds with a more advanced style of the sport. I am driven to make a difference in each student’s life through assisting them with goal setting of their own and educating them on how to become better athletes and individuals through putting them onto that road of success toward achieving their goals. At the Junior Varsity level the athletes have left the modified level and are getting ready for the varsity level. I value being a part of the athlete’s lives as they transition to the highest level in interscholastic athletics because when I look back at my experiences as a student athlete it was the coaches that made a difference in my performance on and off the field (mat, court, etc.) that I remember the most. Transitioning from the Junior Varsity to the varsity level is a stepping stone in any athlete’s career. In this transition I plan to develop my student athletes by educating, motivating, and developing their mind and bodies through sharing my knowledge and demonstrating a responsible, disciplined and positive attitude through pure passion and love of the sport, no matter what sport that may be.

So when your out there in the teaching world don't let one student pass you by that believes they are an athlete before they are a student. Make a difference, it's why were all a part of this profession after all, right?

Take a look at the following links. Why not promote the student athlete more often like this?