Living "In the Arena"

Post #6

Madison, Wisconsin - The past month of working with the third graders at my elementary school has taught me so much already.  Broadly speaking, I see firsthand that there is so much potential for our youth but also so much need in our public schools.  I knew that the U.S. education system was in need of more support from the government and community before I started working with In the Arena because that's what we hear from politicians, newspaper articles, college professors, and other sources that report on the issues facing our education system.  But what has struck me in the past month is how much I've learned from actually rolling up my sleeves and getting in the classroom (or..."in the arena").  On a weekly basis, I get to listen to these kids, read their stories, and begin to understand the incredible spectrum of experiences and backgrounds that each of them comes from.  I get to see the amazing potential that the students of room 108 have and help them begin to figure out what kind of people they want to be.  Wow - that alone is an incredible thing to be a part of! 

Here's a poster hanging in the classroom.   It's hard to argue that kids trying to live by these words of wisdom don't have potential!  It reads:

1. You can do anything if you try

2. Working together pays off

3. Showing courage in order to solve a problem

4. Don't be an enemy to your enemy.  Be a friend to your enemy - help someone even if they're teasing you

5. Depend on others to survive

6. Don't argue when you're in a bad situation.  Cooperate. 

7. Don't give up trying - keep moving forward

8. (my personal favorite) Little people can do big things

9. Be kind hearted and nice to others

The needs of schools are also something that I have begun to understand.  With more kids coming into the school system, our elementary school faces a need to increase resources and funding at a time when both are difficult to get.  In fact, resources and funding are things that many of the nation's schools lack.  One of the headlines on CNN.com last week featured an article about how Kansas City will be closing almost half of its public schools due to budget cuts.  Talk about causing a huge ripple effect in a community!

The most important part of all of this is that I've only been drawn into the elementary school community and learned the things I've learned by witnessing them firsthand.   Instead of seeing it through the eyes of politicians, newspapers, etc., I get to see it through the eyes of the students.   Until I started ITA, I could not fully grasp how incredibly important our youth and our schools are to the community and how they are beyond worthy of our time and energy.  Needless to say, I am walking away from these first few weeks with a much greater appreciation for ITA and its mission to get athletes "in the arena" and I am so thankful to be a part of it.  I never knew there was such an opportunity to make a difference in the community, and all that time it was right in my own backyard.