Before he left for the annual trip to St. Clare Centre, Bud Ozar decided to combine physical education and the art of playing  into “his project” for 2012.      

You also need to know that Bright Old Bald Bud (his name for himself) recalls that he was never the “stellar athlete” in any phase of his education and vividly remembers never being picked first for any team.  However, his philosophy is “if you are old enough to walk or old enough to spend the day taking care of livestock, or old enough to carry water or dig in the fields, you should be old enough to develop physical exercise and play skills during recess.” Over the years during his trips to St. Clare, “Coach Ozar” watched the girls during their outside recess time just standing around not doing anything.  So he developed a master plan and sought the aid of P.E. teachers to learn games he could teach the girls where they could play without equipment.

Armed with a trusty whistle (“I still am into control,” Bud noted.), and a whole bunch of games, “Coach O” would meet various classes under a mango tree to teach and conduct fun PE games.  These games were fun, great exercise and taught the girls lessons about teamwork, cooperation and collaboration.

Interestingly enough, at the same time, the St. Clare Girls’ football (soccer) team was doing very well competing against the other area schools.  In fact, St. Clare had won the area championship and was leading in the district competition.  If the girls won there, they would go on to nationals.  One day someone from one of the other schools passed by St. Clare and saw Coach Ozar working with the girls, teaching and leading their games.  This person reported this and the word went out.  “St. Clare had brought in an American coach,” accounting their winning.  Because of this one team actually forfeited its game with St. Clare, refusing the play.

Who would have ever guessed that Bud Ozar, the non-athlete-who-was-never-picked-first-for-any-school-team would became Coach Ozar, PE teacher and game leader par excellence?  What a small world it really is!