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SDSU - Aztec Punter Excels On and Off the Field

Todays is : Friday, 29 August 2008

SDSU - Aztec Punter Excels On and Off the Field

Written by SDSU senior Christina Ross

Saturday, 08 September 2007

If you are an Aztec football player, your normal day revolves around going to class and practice. This past Tuesday, however, senior punter Michael Hughes had the chance to experience something new. Hughes was called upon to fill Professor Gregg Voigt's shoes due to a medical emergency and teach his Exercise and Nutritional Sciences (ENS) 401A class Musculo-Skeletal Fitness. The class focuses on training techniques in areas of strength and flexibility, particularly facilities and equipment, mechanics of strength and flexibility, development training programs, basic physiology and a review of current research in areas of strength and flexibility.

Rushing off the practice field, Hughes only had about an hour to prepare for his teaching debut. He had videos that would have tied into the class discussion, but didn't have time to go back to his room. Instead he borrowed some kettle bells and a medicine ball from Aztec Strength & Conditioning Coach Jon Francis.

It was the first class Hughes, a kinesiology major, ever taught at San Diego State and he was admittedly nervous. "I don't get as nervous for a football game like I did with teaching," Hughes said. "When I get out on the field for football, it's just business. But when I have to teach in front of over 150 students, it's tough."

Hughes has had plenty of clutch punt attempts in his three-year career, whether it is a punt from his own end zone or a punt to try to pin the opposing team in its own 20. Hughes, however, felt more pressure teaching his first class than any football game he had played.

"You have to be on top of your toes more in teaching than football," Hughes said. "With teaching you have 150 people looking at you and judging you on the knowledge you are giving them. With football, (the fans) are judging you solely on your performance."

Overall, Hughes was satisfied with his first teaching experience. "I had thirty-plus students asking questions so it was real interactive," Hughes said. "I like my classes to be interactive, I don't want people to just take notes and not get a thing out of it. I want (the students) asking questions, I want them responding to questions and I want them to come up to the class and demonstrate some of the things they've learned."

Will teaching be something Hughes sees himself doing in the future?

"I have no idea," Hughes said. "I am working on my teaching credential so we'll see. I don't know if this was a one time thing, but there are other topics I can cover. It was a spur of the moment thing and I knew what I was talking about, so I went in and did it. I would love to have more opportunities though."