Being Active in Classes

As Physical Education majors we are told that in our physical activity classes we need to be active the whole time. I have Striking and Fielding at 9am. Which is early, but it is still doable. The problem that I don't like with it is there are too many people in the class. Today we played kickball, which is an awesome game, and when the ball comes near you that is when you can be active. However, there are thirty some students in the class. So to play games, we have to split the grass track into two different games, so then it gets kind of crowded and tight. The problem with all of this is, there are people still not being able to be active due to circumstances. When I am up to kick I try really hard to get the ball into play, this way I can run the bases. However, I usually end up kicking it straight to the pitcher or third baseman and they catch it, therefore I'm out. I try not to kick it there, I try to keep it low to the ground. But the times it is low to the ground is when I am too slow and they already throw it to first. But the times I am in the field, I can go whole innings without the ball ever coming near me. So how am I supposed to be active if I am really far away from the ball. I feel if I switch sides of the field to where the balls are going, they never come to that side either. Is it just me, does the ball hate me? Haha

Lifeguard Terrified of Water

So I am taking the lifeguarding class at Slippery Rock, for the Aquatics Minor. Last Thursday we were in the water doing hands on work. We were backboarding people in the water and then having to put them on the deck. We did this in groups of four. In my group it was me, and three significantly bigger guys. So clearly the logical thing would be to put the smallest person on the backboard that way it was easier to lift them onto the deck, for practice sake. I personally do not like being under water, feeling trapped. I can do the backstroke, but in swim team in high school, I refused to do it during races, because I didn't want to do the flip turn, because everytime I flipped and was on my back under the water, I would freak out because I felt trapped. Same with clearing the masks in Aquatic Fundamentals, I freaked out because all I could see was water in front of my face and I would get scared. So yea, a swim team member, lifeguard, Aquatic Minor, scared of water. But anyways, these guys had to do inline stablization on me in the deep end, and then strap me to the backboard, and lift me onto the deck. Well first of all it is scary when the kid doing inline stablization decides his nose is itchy, so he lets go of your head. Also, when you feel yourself sliding off the board, and none of your group members has noticed to try to help you back on its scary. When your strapped into the board, arms and legs are strapped down, and you feel your face/head slowly start to fall underneath the water, I think you would start to be terrified too. I was just scared, knowing it was a lifeguarding class, that I thought they were more prepared at drowning me then actually saving me.

Walkers at SRU

I do not understand why there are people at Slippery Rock Unviersity who have not learned how to walk on a sidewalk without bothering other people. It is the most annoying thing to me when you have to get somewhere quickly and there are either a group of say 2-4 if not more people walking towards you, and they expect the one person walking on the very edge of the right side of the sidewalk to walk into the grass and around them because they are too stubborn and inconciderate to move. Also, when there is just ONE person walking in front of you, but it some how seems they are taking up the entire sidewalk. Either they walk WAY too slow and it is awkward trying to pass them because again people are walking towards you. Or they some how manage to zig zag themselves across the sidewalk so you surely have to walk in the grass to get around them. I was walking up the stairs from the lower floor of the field house, near Donahue's office. And there was a girl who literally was texting while walking, and zig zagged her way up the stairs so I was unable to get by. AND when she made it to the top of the stairs, instead of turning left, right, or walking straight. So stopped in the middle of the top stair, and I had to say "excuse me," so I could get by and head on to class. SO ANNOYING!

One Word- OBESITY!

Obesity. One simple word. But I don't get it. The government is so concerned with the obesity problems in America, but they do nothing about it. The government can tell all of us that America is FAT but when you don't want to do anything about it, don't comment on it. Children. Children are the concern in America, they are the ones that need to be targeted, and learn about obesity before it becomes a problem for them. But in Pennsylvania at least, how does that work. In Elementary Schools, their Physical Education time has been cut back to once or twice a month. Once or twice a month, but the government is more concerned with Standardized Test scores to worry about how active students are. Why does the government get to decide how much physical activity a student needs if their not really concerned about it? Let's see, I realize standardized test scores are important, but children's health is more important than that. If these children don't know better than eating two cheeseburgers and fries at night because Mom and Dad both work. Then where are they going to learn that those two cheeseburgers and fries will eventually catch up to them if it hasn't already.