Much of BSM’s culture revolves around the sports students play, it often goes unnoticed how many BSM teachers also participate in sports. These so called “old-timers” are just as active as the student body and show us how being active doesn’t end at high school graduation.

When Physical Education teacher Mr. Logan Radle isn’t at BSM teaching PE and Wellness classes, he can be found on the turf at a sports complex in Woodbury practicing with the Minnesota Sting semi-pro football team. Radle joined this team after playing for the semi-pro Menomonie Thunderhawks in Wisconsin and currently practices on a demanding schedule for the ten-game summer season. “[We practice on] Tuesdays and Thursdays from eight at night to like eleven thirty, so Fridays are really rough for me coming [into school] on four hours of sleep,” Radle said.

While his schedule is very demanding, Radle says he really enjoys competing in such an intense sport and continuing to be an athlete. “It gives me something to train for, it’s hard for me to just go work out if I’m not working out towards something, so I can base my workouts after getting better in football. And then the camaraderie of just being with your teammates and striving for one goal is awesome,” Radle said.

While Radle enjoys the tough, intense environment of semi-pro football, math teacher, Mr. Max Johnson enjoys the casual training involved with playing on the all-teachers intramural basketball that competes on the school’s IBA league. “I played basketball in highschool and intramurals in college,and then someone said they wanted somebody for a team and I just hopped on,” Johnson said. “I really enjoy playing. It’s a good workout, I get to hang out with teachers kind of outside of a school atmosphere and I get to hang out with kids, which is fun … It’s surprising how intense it can get though,” Johnson said.

Choir Teacher, Ms. Nancy Stockhaus, has she remained active through the dance-fuelled workouts of Jazzercise, which she started over thirty years ago. “I had just had a baby, and I was a little out of shape and there was a class in my neighborhood. I went and immediately fell in love with it,” Stockhaus said.

She also enjoys this activity because it doesn’t really feel like a workout. “It just like you’re at a dance party, honestly. I mean at my studio, they have a disco ball and disco lights that they turn on. I also don’t listen to pop radio a lot, so I like that I know a lot of pop music and I can sing along, and I do sing along and I’m kind of known for harmonizing in class,” Stockhaus said.

All of these teachers acknowledged that their age now has affected how active they are. Radle found that at twenty five, he feels more ready to compete athletically. “When you’re a teenager your body’s still growing, so you run into problems where you’re not as strong as you can be, and once you get to age twenty or twenty five you can really start to add on muscle and strength. I think my current age, I’m at an advantage right now,” Radle said.

Johnson’s age inhibits him in competition, but it also allows him have more fun. “I’m not as good as I used to be, even though I’m not that old. It’s different being an adult and being a teacher and playing against students you have or students in general. Playing against students is a lot of fun. I didn’t play a lot of the kids I teach, but the teachers and I can talk smack, all in good fun of course,” Johnson said.

Stockhaus has noticed that her age has limiting her physical abilities, but that doesn’t stop her from staying active. “I mean as I get older and older it gets a bit harder. I mean I can’t jump as well as I used to … It’s kind of funny because I think for my age, which is almost sixty, that doing this kind of thing keeps you younger feeling and thinking. I think people are often surprised at my age because of how active I am,” Stockhaus said.

Teachers can continue to gain the benefits of exercise, which aren’t all physical. “It helps me a lot. Not only physically, but I think the emotions that come with good exercise just help you have a better outlook on life and just be in a better mood in general,” Stockhaus said.