JOB SHADOW REPORT
For my first job shadow I visited the Wellington Recreation Center and job shadowed their sports director. I got this opportunity through my brother in law who works as an intern there. When I arrived, Tanner Ford, the sports director gave me a tour of the place and briefly explained how things worked around the complex. He showed me the membership system and all the computer work that is involved. Then with baseball around the corner, it was time to prepare for the season. We started out in the shed with the equipment and began cleaning. He gave me a rag and spray and I cleaned helmets, gloves, bats, knee pads, and other safety equipment. We did this for quite awhile until everything was cleaned and ready to go! I finished my time at the Rec Center in the weight room watching him check people in and getting rid of expired memberships.
For my second job shadow, I chose to stay at Caldwell and follow our athletic director and physical education teacher, Sean Blosser. The day that I chose to shadow him was a home track meet day so as A.D. he had lots of preparations to go through before we were ready to host our meet. We started with going over previous meet records and renewing any that were broken the past year. Then we had to go through entries for every race and get the proper amount of hip numbers for the finish line camera to recognize. After this we had to make sure the timing system was working so they had me do some test runs. To my surprise there was a lot of computer work getting the names and heat sheets ready for all the workers with the proper measuring tool. Lastly we replaced the old and worn out wooden pallets that hold up the high jumps mats. This job took the help of our custodian and Coach Blosser's middle school PE class!
BORDER QUEEN TRACK MEET
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WELLINGTON RECREATION CENTER
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CAREER REPORT
Growing up, I was always drawn to physical activity. My junior year, I became an aide for Coach Blosser. Through this experience, I developed a desire to work with kids and one day become a physical education teacher. I have three older sisters, who all became teachers. Their love of teaching and working with kids has influenced my desire to one day teach. One of the aspects I learned about myself in Career Cruising is that I need variety in my daily schedule and would not do well in an office job. Pursuing a career in physical education, will combine my love of working with kids with my love of physical activity.
To pursue a degree in this career field, I will need a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education. This would require four years of college. My first two years would be spent taking general education courses. The final two years, would be spent in the college of education. That is when I would encounter core classes and student teaching. There are 700+ hours of applied learning. The curriculum provides students with a scientific and practical background upon which to base teaching content and methods. I researched two college choices in the state of Kansas. If I pursued a Bachelor’s degree at Wichita State University, the tuition cost per year is approximately $8,500. All student teaching would be completed in the Wichita. To compare getting this same degree from a private college in Wichita, I looked at Friend’s University. Their average tuition annually is $27,500. With scholarships, financial aid, and grants, I would hope to find either college choice more affordable.
In the state of Kansas, the average annual salary for a physical education teacher is $40,000. In comparison to other states, the salary for this career can range up to $46,000 in New York and as low as $33,000 in North Carolina. My goal is to teach here in the state of Kansas where I can also possibly help my family keep our farming operation going as well.
To pursue a degree in this career field, I will need a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education. This would require four years of college. My first two years would be spent taking general education courses. The final two years, would be spent in the college of education. That is when I would encounter core classes and student teaching. There are 700+ hours of applied learning. The curriculum provides students with a scientific and practical background upon which to base teaching content and methods. I researched two college choices in the state of Kansas. If I pursued a Bachelor’s degree at Wichita State University, the tuition cost per year is approximately $8,500. All student teaching would be completed in the Wichita. To compare getting this same degree from a private college in Wichita, I looked at Friend’s University. Their average tuition annually is $27,500. With scholarships, financial aid, and grants, I would hope to find either college choice more affordable.
In the state of Kansas, the average annual salary for a physical education teacher is $40,000. In comparison to other states, the salary for this career can range up to $46,000 in New York and as low as $33,000 in North Carolina. My goal is to teach here in the state of Kansas where I can also possibly help my family keep our farming operation going as well.
REFLECTIVE ESSAY
CLEATS TO SPIKES
When I was growing up, football was not something we watched on TV or played recreationally. I am the youngest of four children and my siblings are all girls. We played many games together, such as baseball and basketball, but never football. My dad is a hard working farmer, and was not home most of the time to watch football or play catch with me. In 2011, I was just ten years old and watched the Super Bowl. That year, the Green Bay Packers won. From then on, I was a huge fan of multiple players on their team from quarterback Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Greg Jennings. That next year, I purchased the Madden 12 game and always played as The Packers. My dad would sometimes try to explain the positions to me as I was playing the game, but it took me all the way up until my sixth grade year to really understand them.
Since we are not allowed to play football as a sixth grader, my first year to play was my seventh grade year. My first impression of actually playing the game that year was not a good one. The conditioning we did in full gear was unlike anything I had experienced, much like the hitting drills involved. I stood on the sideline during those varsity games, watching and learning, just waiting for the junior varsity fifth quarter. That was when I finally got to play. The very first time I played, I scored two touchdowns as a running back. This made me really rethink about where I wanted my career in this sport to go. I told myself from then on that I would do my best to learn this year, and next year would be my time to shine. I did exactly that, growing as a running back with great leaders on that team teaching and cheering.
My eighth grade year started and I was offered the number 7 jersey from the previous two running backs - one being my older cousin. I was honored to accept and knew from the start it was going to be a good season. I started that season averaging three touchdowns per game and enjoyed success as a team. The camaraderie that I shared with my teammates was unlike anything I had experienced. The previous year we had lost only one game. That loss was to West Elk, which led to sharing the league champions title with them. This year we set a goal to go a step further and go undefeated. We ended with a 7-0 undefeated season and it was a moment I will never forget! What a great experience this year had been for me in football. But it was a short lived feeling, as I was already thinking about high school football. I couldn’t imagine going from the top of the ranks as an eighth grader to the bottom as a freshman. I always felt that I wasn’t big enough for high school football or was not going to be as fast as others.
When my freshman year of football started, it was one of the toughest challenges for me mentally and physically. The conditioning was so tough and the two-a-days were exhausting. Through this, I may have struggled, but I learned a great deal. I really looked up to the upperclassmen and wanted to be just like them. Therefore, I kept trying my hardest everyday, even though it wasn’t my favorite sport. Since I was a running back in middle school, I was automatically put in the position of JV running back. This meant when it was time to run a team session at practice I was going to be the one running the upcoming opponent teams’ plays. When scout team or JV is running plays against the varsity, coach wants us to go full speed to give them a good look for the upcoming game. This meant that I was the tackling dummy for most of the plays and I was going against some very talented, older, bigger players. Though I did not make it far and received plenty of bumps and bruises, I'm glad I stuck it out. When games started, practice became a lot easier and more about just fine tuning plays. Most games I spent on the sideline, which I totally understood as a freshman and took it as an opportunity to learn. We had a very good team that year and the post season was looking good. Unfortunately, several of the starting players were suspended due to misconduct off the field. With many of our starters suspended, we obviously didn’t stand much of a chance against a talented Hutch Central Christian in an important play-off game. While this made me somewhat sad, it was a good thing to learn from and I think returning players grew from it.
When my sophomore year rolled around, I was really optimistic and hoping to be a consistent sub on both sides of the ball. I got some playing time in, but only when someone was injured or we were ahead considerably. I accepted my role, knowing I was young and not one of the best players. That season was tough for me because I never knew when I would get to play. It could’ve been any given moment that I would be sent in and need to know exactly what to do. Without the consistent time on the field, I wasn’t completely confident. Being out there with the more experienced players was a lot of pressure but at the same time it was rewarding and created a bond with those upperclassmen. Throughout this season, we faced some very talented teams. Hanover was one of those teams in particular and was a play off game for us. It was a close game at half, but we couldn’t hold on in the second half. It wasn’t an amazing season in respect to how our post-season went, but it was still a learning experience for me. I felt I had grown in knowledge and experience throughout that season. Not only did I feel ready to be in the starting line up the next year, but I thought the coaches saw it as well. As long as I was willing to keep putting in hard work, I would finally be a starter for my team.
The beginning of my junior season showed this wasn’t exactly the case. I was fighting for a spot on defense. Showing up to the first summer practice, I found my spot on offense was already gone before the season had even started. This was a tough season for me mentally. I work hard to make smart choices on and off the field, but I still wasn’t getting playing time over others. This made me rethink if football was where I belonged and not because I felt entitled to a spot, but because I didn’t feel I was being used to my full potential and I possibly was wasting my time. I knew that I was a decent long distance runner and had much success in track. I have always wondered what cross country would be like in high school but how would I ever go against the norm of playing football?
That summer, I attended Kansas State football camp still contemplating football or cross country. I went to football camp wanting to see a glimpse of how things might play out for me in the upcoming season. I didn’t see a sign of anything changing from previous seasons. A fellow teammate and I started talking in depth about football. We came to realize we were both feeling the same way about the sport. We thought long and hard about the decision of leaving the sport we had invested five years to and instead joining the cross country team we hadn’t been apart of since sixth graders. We came to the conclusion that we were ready to take the leap away from football and into cross country. Together, we told the football coach. Although it was very hard to tell him we weren’t going out this year, we knew it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want any hard feelings with any of the coaches or players. I had been a part of their team for three years now and had strong bonds with all of them. Currently I am running and enjoying my time in cross country while looking forward to the rest of my senior year. Leaving this sport my senior year was one of the hardest decisions I have made so far in my lifetime. It was something that took so much consideration and thought as to how my decision would affect my senior year and relationships I had built over the years. I have nothing but respect for my football coaches, the sport, and for my teammates. To chose to follow my heart, was not something I took lightly. In the end, I know it has taught me a life lesson in learning to do what is right for me.
Since we are not allowed to play football as a sixth grader, my first year to play was my seventh grade year. My first impression of actually playing the game that year was not a good one. The conditioning we did in full gear was unlike anything I had experienced, much like the hitting drills involved. I stood on the sideline during those varsity games, watching and learning, just waiting for the junior varsity fifth quarter. That was when I finally got to play. The very first time I played, I scored two touchdowns as a running back. This made me really rethink about where I wanted my career in this sport to go. I told myself from then on that I would do my best to learn this year, and next year would be my time to shine. I did exactly that, growing as a running back with great leaders on that team teaching and cheering.
My eighth grade year started and I was offered the number 7 jersey from the previous two running backs - one being my older cousin. I was honored to accept and knew from the start it was going to be a good season. I started that season averaging three touchdowns per game and enjoyed success as a team. The camaraderie that I shared with my teammates was unlike anything I had experienced. The previous year we had lost only one game. That loss was to West Elk, which led to sharing the league champions title with them. This year we set a goal to go a step further and go undefeated. We ended with a 7-0 undefeated season and it was a moment I will never forget! What a great experience this year had been for me in football. But it was a short lived feeling, as I was already thinking about high school football. I couldn’t imagine going from the top of the ranks as an eighth grader to the bottom as a freshman. I always felt that I wasn’t big enough for high school football or was not going to be as fast as others.
When my freshman year of football started, it was one of the toughest challenges for me mentally and physically. The conditioning was so tough and the two-a-days were exhausting. Through this, I may have struggled, but I learned a great deal. I really looked up to the upperclassmen and wanted to be just like them. Therefore, I kept trying my hardest everyday, even though it wasn’t my favorite sport. Since I was a running back in middle school, I was automatically put in the position of JV running back. This meant when it was time to run a team session at practice I was going to be the one running the upcoming opponent teams’ plays. When scout team or JV is running plays against the varsity, coach wants us to go full speed to give them a good look for the upcoming game. This meant that I was the tackling dummy for most of the plays and I was going against some very talented, older, bigger players. Though I did not make it far and received plenty of bumps and bruises, I'm glad I stuck it out. When games started, practice became a lot easier and more about just fine tuning plays. Most games I spent on the sideline, which I totally understood as a freshman and took it as an opportunity to learn. We had a very good team that year and the post season was looking good. Unfortunately, several of the starting players were suspended due to misconduct off the field. With many of our starters suspended, we obviously didn’t stand much of a chance against a talented Hutch Central Christian in an important play-off game. While this made me somewhat sad, it was a good thing to learn from and I think returning players grew from it.
When my sophomore year rolled around, I was really optimistic and hoping to be a consistent sub on both sides of the ball. I got some playing time in, but only when someone was injured or we were ahead considerably. I accepted my role, knowing I was young and not one of the best players. That season was tough for me because I never knew when I would get to play. It could’ve been any given moment that I would be sent in and need to know exactly what to do. Without the consistent time on the field, I wasn’t completely confident. Being out there with the more experienced players was a lot of pressure but at the same time it was rewarding and created a bond with those upperclassmen. Throughout this season, we faced some very talented teams. Hanover was one of those teams in particular and was a play off game for us. It was a close game at half, but we couldn’t hold on in the second half. It wasn’t an amazing season in respect to how our post-season went, but it was still a learning experience for me. I felt I had grown in knowledge and experience throughout that season. Not only did I feel ready to be in the starting line up the next year, but I thought the coaches saw it as well. As long as I was willing to keep putting in hard work, I would finally be a starter for my team.
The beginning of my junior season showed this wasn’t exactly the case. I was fighting for a spot on defense. Showing up to the first summer practice, I found my spot on offense was already gone before the season had even started. This was a tough season for me mentally. I work hard to make smart choices on and off the field, but I still wasn’t getting playing time over others. This made me rethink if football was where I belonged and not because I felt entitled to a spot, but because I didn’t feel I was being used to my full potential and I possibly was wasting my time. I knew that I was a decent long distance runner and had much success in track. I have always wondered what cross country would be like in high school but how would I ever go against the norm of playing football?
That summer, I attended Kansas State football camp still contemplating football or cross country. I went to football camp wanting to see a glimpse of how things might play out for me in the upcoming season. I didn’t see a sign of anything changing from previous seasons. A fellow teammate and I started talking in depth about football. We came to realize we were both feeling the same way about the sport. We thought long and hard about the decision of leaving the sport we had invested five years to and instead joining the cross country team we hadn’t been apart of since sixth graders. We came to the conclusion that we were ready to take the leap away from football and into cross country. Together, we told the football coach. Although it was very hard to tell him we weren’t going out this year, we knew it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want any hard feelings with any of the coaches or players. I had been a part of their team for three years now and had strong bonds with all of them. Currently I am running and enjoying my time in cross country while looking forward to the rest of my senior year. Leaving this sport my senior year was one of the hardest decisions I have made so far in my lifetime. It was something that took so much consideration and thought as to how my decision would affect my senior year and relationships I had built over the years. I have nothing but respect for my football coaches, the sport, and for my teammates. To chose to follow my heart, was not something I took lightly. In the end, I know it has taught me a life lesson in learning to do what is right for me.