100, 43, 39, 30

These numbers have been significant the past two days. Here's why:

100 - We started our golf season Tuesday at lunchtime with a meeting. Over 100 kids showed up to my classroom that usually seems insane with 30 people in it. We managed to get rid of about 40 kids by the time the meeting had ended. We sent kids with failing grades and without afternoon rides back to class. Then we shouted over the others and tried to scare them into deciding if golf was really for them. Most decided it was. Even the kids we fight with every single day. So Ang and I got ready for our first practice with much anxiety. How many would show?

43 - It turns out that some of the group really was serious. Yesterday we had our first practice at the course. When we got there at 1:45, there were already 10 kids there. Some with golf clubs and championship t-shirts. Some with baggy pants and iPods. All had a lot of energy and loud voices. By the time we got started just after two we had 43 kids around us. We ended up sending 4 home, they'd walked to Jack in the Box and hitched a ride with another parent and their own didn't know where they were. These are some of our troublesome kids so we were not sad at all to see them go. That left us with 39 kids and 2 adults. On a public golf course that was swarming with snowbirds. Yeah. But it went really really well. We split up into 3 groups and had the returning 8th grades take one group to the putting green to do a little putting clinic. Then Ang took a group and went over etiquette while I took the group who'd never been on a course before. I told them about clubs and balls and tees, they all got to hold a club and practice gripping it. Then we took a walk out to the first hole and explored a little. They were surprisingly excited to be out there. What surprised me the most was a few of the kids who I never thought would come out for golf.

There was Eric - my student who dresses as if he's straight out of the 1950s. He cuffs his dark jeans and rolls his white tee-shirt sleeves. And he secretly likes being called a greaser. He wore a Johnny Cash t-shirt to the course and a hat that I'm sure my grandpa wore 40-some years ago. And the pickup truck his greaser brother picked him up in was straight out of the 50s. Then there was Kevin - Ang's kid with the mohawk who I met Monday in detention where he wrote an excellent essay about skate park rules. Then there was my student Kayla who I didn't even realize was at golf meeting. Apparently she's been playing golf since age 3 and has won several city championships. Yay girl power! Next was Derrick, a special education student I knew only from the constant reprimands I seemed to have to give him during our hour and a half together. However, as we waited an extra half hour for his ride (and others), Ang told me what a good kid he was and we got a chance to talk and I realized that one-on-one, he really calmed down and seemed super sweet. There there were the only other 2 girls who showed who have never touched more than a mini-golf putter. And on, and on....I can't wait to see who sticks it out and who comes back next week.

It was also great to see our 8th graders who have grown up a lot in the past year. They acted very proud when asked to run the putting clinic. But my favorite was when JD came over and said, "Ms. Knapp, the one in the orange shirt just won't listen to me!" I secretly smiled and hoped they now realize a little of what it's like to be the one in the front of the room yelling all the time!

30 - that's miles per hour, as in how fast the wind was throwing sand at us while we were on the course. I could barely hold onto my etiquette packet or clipboard of permission slips. Needless to say, I went home and straight into the shower!

So yeah, golf season has begun. And were counting on adding another trophy to our collection!