I got the chance to go back to Minneapolis yesterday to visit with some students from White Bear Lake High School.  I was invited to show some students how to do some Physical Training while sitting at home watching some TV or playing some video games.  The one thing I've noticed about every school that I've visited is the initial response to seeing me in their classroom or gym.  I always get this look like OMG what is he doing here and I'm not going to like this.  For some reason students think that I'm just there to make them do push-ups.  I think its funny every time.  They always ask, how many push-ups are we gonna have to do?  Here's a news flash for all those people that think all we do is push-ups.  That's not true.  Once we get started and the students see that the Army is not all about push-ups and it can be fun to exercise they completely change the way the perceive me and what it is that Army soldiers do to stay in shape.  By the end of class they are usually smiling and laughing and asking when we will get a chance to come back.  By the second or third class the students coming in are like hey I heard what we are doing today and I'm pretty excited.  Information spreads really fast and a lot of times the students from other classes ask their teachers to let them join in.  I think that's really awesome how in such a very short period of time students go from thinking the worst to having fun and spreading around the school just how much fun the Army can be. 

          It was no different at White Bear Lake High School.  I got a chance to work with students form Michelle Shelp's physical education class in the morning and Coach Braeger's class in the afternoon.  Overall I was able to teach over 160 students and by the last period I had several other classes involved in a multitude of activities such as team building drills and competitions including sprints and some football drills.  It was a really good experience.  It's always great to see teacher's and coaches that take their jobs very seriously and live what they teach.  Mrs Shelp herself is an accomplished triathlete who herself just competed in a triathlon not to long ago and is in outstanding shape.  Her husband is also quite the inspiration and is working diligently to maintain a solid healthy lifestyle while battling cancer.  We wish you the best and pray for you and your three children.

         I would also like to extend a thank you to Mrs. Tarsa, Mr. Leonard, and Mr. Wald the principal for inviting me into your school and getting a first hand look at what the Army and Army Drill Sergeant's are all about.  Hope you had as much fun as I did and look forward to seeing some of you in the Army.