172 Recently+Phil+Lawler+informed+us+of+the+positive+media+attention+his+school%27s+physical+education+program+had+received%2e+Phil+received+the+following+two+letters+from+parents+who+had+read+about+the+Naperville+Junior+High+School+physical+education+program%3a%0a%0a%2a%2a%2a%0aMr%2e+Lawler+%2d%0a%0aKudos+to+your+PE+program%2e++I+read+the+report+on+the+Madison+PE+program%0aand+was+moved+to+drop+you+an+e%2dmail+%2d+something+I+do+not+do+often%2e%0a%0aIn+Jr%2e+High+and+High+School+I+was+one+of+the+slow+kids%2c+physically%2e++I%0awas+not+obese%2c+just+plain+slow%2e++I+remember+my+PE+Teacher+shouting%2c+when%0ait+was+my+turn+to+run+the+100+yard+dash%2c+%22Oh%2c+Reynolds+is+up%2c+someone%0aget+me+a+calendar+to+time+him%21%22++I+learned+to+hate+PE%2e++Through+High%0aSchool+and+College%2c+I+%22let+myself+go%22+physically%2c+hating+to+participate%0ain+sports%2c+and+that+turned+into+a+hatred+of+exercise%2e++When+I+was+28%2c%0aand+saw+what+I+had+become%2c+and+I+saw+another+out%2dof%2dshape+friend+suffer%0aa+heart+attack+at+32%2c+I+was+motivated+to+exercise%2c+bring+my+blood%0apressure+to+normal%2c+lose+70+lbs+back+to+a+normal+weight%2c+and+have%0alearned+to+enjoy+exercise%2e++I+am+31+now%2c+doing+well%2c+and+in+the+best%0ashape+of+my+life%2e++I+wish+I+was+this+way+all+my+life%2e%0a%0aI+believe+if+I%2c+and+others+like+me%2c+participated+in+a+program+such+as%0athe+one+you+have+at+Madison%2c+we+would+not+have+had+to+suffer+the%0aridicule+in+school%2c+and+most+importantly+having+to+suffer+life+in+an%0aout%2dof%2dshape+body%2c+wondering+if+your+heart+can+make+it+past+40%2e++Your%0aprogram+is+LONG+overdue+nationwide+and+can+make+a+DRAMATIC+impact+in%0achildren%27s+lives%2e%0a%0aKeep+up+the+good+work%2e++I+hope+my+children+will+have+the+privelege+of%0aparticipating+in+a+Physical+Education+program+similar+to+the+one+at%0aMadison%2e%0a%0aMike+Reynolds%2c%0aTualatin+OR%0a%0a%2a%2a%2a%2a%0aPhil%2c%0a%0aThank+you+for+your+quick+reply+to+my+mail%2e++To+answer+your+question%2c+I+am+a%0aconcerned+parent%2c+although+I+am+coincidentally+a+teacher%2e++%28I+work+in+an%0aearly+intervention+program+with+disabled+newborns+to+3+year+olds%2c+not+with%0agrade+or+middle+schoolers%2e%29%0a%0aI+have+read+all+of+the+articles+and+several+related+ones+about+legislation%0aand+PE+4Life%2e++Our+older+son+will+start+middle+school+next+year%2e++There+is+a%0agood+chance+that+our+middle+school%27s+PE+class+will+be+pure+failure+and%0amisery+for+him%2c+as+he+is+probably+the+least+athletic%2fphysical+boy+in+his%0aentire+5th+grade%2e++I+was+the+same+way+and+it+took+about+10+years+for+me+to%0afind+a+way+to+exercize+that+I+enjoyed+and+that+did+not+resurrect+the%0afeelings+of+dread+and+complete+incompetency+that+I+carried+from+PE+classes%2e%0aNow+I+love+to+work+out%2c+via+kickboxing+classes%2c+weight+lifting%2c+hiking%2c+etc%2e%0aAnd%2c+at+age+48%2c+I+weigh+a+little+less+than+I+did+in+high+school%2c+when+I+was%0aat+the+pinnacle+of+my+unfit+days%2e++Anyway%2c+I+assumed+that+my+son+would+just%0ahave+to+go+through+a+similar+path%2c+maybe+worse+because+he+is+a+boy%2e++As+a%0afamily+we+hike%2c+bike%2c+ski%2c+and+swim+together%2e++He+recently+went+to+a+health%0aclub+with+us+and+was+allowed+to+use+the+cardio+machines%2e++He+really+enjoyed%0athem+and+chose+to+exercize+an+extra+20+minutes+instead+of+going+to+the+kid%27s%0aroom%2e%0a%0aI+would+love+to+get+our+school+district+to+adopt+your+ideas+and+approach%2e++I%0awill+show+them+the+articles+and+take+it+from+there%2e%0a%0aA+question%2c+if+you+know%2d++do+you+know+of+any+schools+in+the+San+Francisco%0aBay+Area+that+are+using+this+approach%3f%0a%0aThanks+again%2c%0aKaren+Mathon