Tramel: Happy Mother’s Day to P.E. teacher Martha, who works all year long

Although Martha taught in a different district, she lived in one. As a result, Martha would bring her son to work on days when her school was in session but her son’s was not.

Taking his mother to seven consecutive lessons. He regarded it as excellent. She was a physical education teacher. Yes, seven hours straight of exercise.

Basketball, dodgeball, or whatever the day’s featured sport was. He once brought his hockey equipment and spent the entire day playing goaltender while young children of different ages learned how to swing a hockey stick. Years later, he remarks, “Dream come true.”

Summers were even more adored by Martha’s boy. He believes he played more games with Martha than any of his friends up until middle school.

In the driveway is a horse. Outside whiffle ball is played. Swimming. golf ball smacking into a pail. Every day of the summer was an individual P.E. class.

The son of Martha commented, “She was very excellent in so many ways. “Just such a wonderful place to raise a family. Just the time she took to be with me as well.

“Now that I think about it, she taught P.E. classes to children for much of the year. Although it would be quite simple to take a vacation in the summer, it seemed that she would join me then. P.E. would be taught at our house.

Soon enough, Martha went from being her boy’s sidekick to serving as his transportation director, taking him to practises, games, camps and long-distance competitions.

In the boy’s life, Martha’s spouse played a significant role. He coached many of their son’s teams and was a well-known athlete himself.

However, there was something about Martha that stoked the boy’s enthusiasm for sports. She most certainly acted the part of the teacher.

“She was probably the tougher parent between me and her,” Martha’s husband stated. “She kind of had the rules he had to follow; there needs to be an order to do anything when you’re in a class of 25 kids all day long, when you’re in seven or eight classes. That was hers. You would need to abide by her rules, which she would have.

When Martha’s son deserved punishment, which was infrequently, he would be sent to his room, with Martha’s husband keeping an eye on the time.

The father would say, “Hey, has he been back there long enough?” “He and I have a job to do.”

Born in Miami, Florida, is Martha. Even though her father was a minor league baseball player, he was more of a fan. She recalls him following three games simultaneously.

She participated in tennis while still in high school because schools did not yet offer a full range of girls’ sports. She later attended OSU. In the 1970s, she met up with a high school classmate during a Bedlam weekend. They finally got married, and Martha quickly became a full-time P.E. teacher.

To Martha and her husband, the boy meant the world.

His parents always said yes, according to Martha’s son.

“The answer was always yes if I wanted to go to the batting cages,” he added. “The answer was always yes when asked if I wanted to visit the gym and shoot hoops. The response to my request to play catch was always “yes.”

In the hopes that he might find something he loved, Martha and her husband attempted not to lead him in any way but to introduce him to a variety of things. In fact, he did.

They instilled in their son the importance of putting your all into anything you undertake, especially if your name would be attached to it.

That way of thinking permeated the classroom. A veteran college academician once claimed that he had only ever met five real scholar-athletes in his whole career. On the list was Martha’s son.

Although Martha is now retired, she is still up to her old tricks since that son has three children of his own.

The grandchildren return from Martha’s residence worn out. They have visited a trampoline park, jumped in the pool, visited a pond to look for frogs, or received a t-ball hitting lesson. In her Easter outfit, Martha started a water balloon fight beside the pool on Easter.

For herself, Martha has started playing pickleball and golf.

The best, Martha, said Martha’s son. She doesn’t stop. She desires to be active at all times. Usually, it involves something external. The games still excite her. She still enjoys participating in all competitions and games.

Still a P.E. teacher at heart despite all the horse games on the driveway, golf balls in the bucket, and whiffle ball throws.

So let’s give a tip of the hat to Kent’s wife and Sam’s mother on this wonderful Sunday morning. Hello, Martha Bradford, and happy Mother’s Day.