Gym Class Struggle

"My philosophy?" said Mr. Anderson. "I believed in mass games. Break the class into internal squads, try to get an equal distribution of talent. Then we had instruction. We learned the basics of all the sports: touch or flag football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, track and field, gymnastics. I hated to hear that we didn't spend enough time on this or that. I hate the trend toward specialization in sports. A mother would come up to me and say, 'My son really loves soccer,' and I'd tell her, 'Let him play something else, and maybe he'll love that, too.' So we played all sports. Hey, I didn't particularly like gymnastics either. But I adhered to the curriculum. There could be a few kids in there who stunk in everything else but were good in gymnastics.

"After we learned the basics in the team sports, we played a series of games. The competition part. Then we held a championship." I can close my eyes and still see the won-lost records posted on a bulletin board outside of Mr. Anderson's cramped office.

"Look, it wasn't about the championships," he continued. "It was about learning discipline, teamwork and leadership. The ultimate thing you were trying to do? Get kids to discipline themselves. That's when it meant something. And I believed—still believe—that by learning sports and playing them, whether you're a good athlete or a bad athlete, you learn discipline, leadership and teamwork."

Why did we march?

"I got it from my coach in high school," said Mr. Anderson. "I did it all the way up until two years before I retired. It provided discipline. It kept you moving. And it helped you learn your left from your right, a valuable lesson for a lot of kids."

One would be hard-pressed to find someone less militarily inclined than I am, but to this day I am perfectly attuned to the rhythms of marching, can execute a perfect pivot when commanded to do so—to the rear, harch—and have almost never put on my right blinker when turning left.

Why did we square-dance?

"I square-danced, so you square-danced," said Mr. Anderson. "I thought it was important to bring the girls and boys together for a while. And, again, you learned your left from your right. Remember when you first started, everybody bumping into each other and going six different ways? But when you were finished, you were working together, you were a team."

I asked him if he remembered Hennessey strolling in wearing long underwear. He said he didn't. "But my philosophy always was, You stay outside until Thanks-giving," he said. "Put on hats and coats and whatever, but we're going out! And I don't remember anyone getting pneumonia."

We talked for a while longer, and then we left by the front door. Mr. Anderson started shaking his head as he ran his hand along the nicked stair railing.