Physical Education Tips From The Trenches would have helped me as a young teacher. It would have saved me many tough days. Today, after six years of teaching, I have found my own solutions to almost all obstacles presented in this book. I believe this is a "must read" book for preservice teachers and a "pass" for veteran teachers.

Author Sutherland's 83 obstacles/solutions are wide and varied: safe and appropriate clothing; student concerns, comments and questions; grading philosophy; procurement of equipment; field safety; plus solutions to a myriad of unexpected occurrences. Here are a couple of partial excerpts from Sutherland's solutions to obstacles:

Solutions For Non-Valid Excuses
"My throat hurts . . .I have a sunburn . . . My ankle is sore . . . These are only a few of the many excuses students come up with in order to not participate in physical education. You'll have to listen to them all - some will be valid and others will make a student's nose grow ... Why don't the students want to participate? Are your lessons repetitive and monotonous? Make a change. Don't have them run a lap every single day. Change it to warm-ups such as tag, sprints, a quarter mile jog, running while dribbling for a quarter mile, or exercising with "Exer-dice".

• Roll a 2, do 30 jumping jacks.
• Roll a 3, do one lap around a squared-off boundary.
• Roll a 4, sprint to the wall and back
• Roll a 5, do 30 arm circles each way.
• Roll a 6, do 30 heel raises.
• Roll a 7, perform 20-second inside hurdle stretch
• Roll an 8, do 20 push-ups.
• Roll a 9, do 30 crunches
• Roll a 10, do 30 twists
• Roll an 11, do 10 cheerleader jumps.
• Roll a 12, take your choice

Solutions For Uncut Grass
"You step through the gym doors to check out the field and your face drops. Your excitement is shattered… Not an inch or two or three - but eight inches of grass await you and your students. Solution? Create a clever activity to get you through the situation. A good example is "Quick Grass", a warm-up activity. The idea of "Quick Grass" is similar to "Quicksand". Divide the class into three groups: (1)taggers (five students) - they run around trying to tag people; (2) grass cutters (three students) - they try to "unfreeze" tagged people; (3) grass, (when "frozen", the rest of the students) - they run away from taggers; if tagged, they stand still and hope that a grass cutter will "unfreeze" them." Another solution? Explain the grass situation to the students and modify the lesson, allowing them to experience the difference the resistance makes. This would interlink well with science… Have fun with your circumstances - find the bright side. Students love unique situations."

I appreciate Author Charmain Sutherland's tenet throughout, - physical educators must face challenges positively, with patience, and flexibility. Additionally, teachers must realize the importance of their work and promote their profession through excellence. As we model all of these attributes, we uplift our work, and prepare young people for success in their lives. As Charmain Sutherland states, "…teaching physical education is the greatest job in the world". It certainly is and this book can certainly move young teachers along the continuum to mastery in the greatest profession in the world.

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