you can be the change

In starting a brand new semester of classes this week, I've realized all over again how much I love my major. Most people are jealous because they think we play sports all day, some people have no clue what the word 'Kinesiology' even means, and almost everyone thinks it's a joke. The first couple semesters that might have bothered me, not really sure as to whether this is what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. But now, with only two semesters of classes left and one semester of student teaching, I can't imagine doing anything else. My professors are amazing. Each of their stories is so different and it's easy to see God in the ways each of them were brought to Liberty University. They're funny and they're just so fun. And I love my classes too: Exercise Physiology, Innovative Games, Administration of Physical Education and Sports Programs, etc. I love what we're learning and the homework is enjoyable for me. While I love both of those things: my professors and my classes, it just wouldn't be the same without the other people in those classes. A lot of us have almost every class together and I never get tired of them. I feel so blessed to have people to lean on whether it's about getting back in dress code after we're hot and sweaty in the morning after an activity class or what classes we need to take next semester. They are so encouraging and I honestly never go a day without laughing. 


I realized something this week that I'd never really thought about. One of my professors said that most of us (in the Health and PE major) are servants by nature. We care more about others than we do ourselves. I'm not saying that other people who have different majors aren't like that, but we choose to sacrifice our lives to save others'. It is so important to us that kids grow up healthy and strong that we are willing to make very little money and deal with a lot of criticism just to make that happen. My mom has told me more than once that there aren't PE teacher jobs out there, but does that mean that I should give up? Schools still continue to cut out physical education despite the rising obesity rates among children, but does that mean we should let our passions die? When there is no physical education in school and no jobs for PE teachers, there will still be overweight children and parents who need to be educated about how to raise healthy kids. 


So what can you do? Be an example! Live an active, healthy lifestyle. Don't push kids just to play traditional sports, they'll eventually stop playing. Teach them how to fish or how to ride a bicycle. Show them that turkey can taste better than chicken nuggets and that salad is yummmy! It's the every day decisions we make that eventually turn into a lifestyle. If you're a parent, make your kid go outside! Don't buy them more video games or unlimited texting, buy them a kickball or a skateboard. Life is so fun and it's not meant to be spent inside by ourselves. 


Write your school board and make sure they know how important physical education is in the schools. And be that example for kids to look to and say, "I wanna be like that!"