Raidel Díaz knows that once upon a time Bahía Honda contributed five players to the same Cuban baseball team. It was the year of Casanova, Urquiola, Julio Romero, Fernando Hernández and Félix Pino. We could really use players like those now, and the Physical Education teacher at the Eduardo Panizo Bustos secondary school, from the northern municipality, tries to find them in his classes.
That is why he prepares each one with true passion. No resource seems sufficient in that endeavor.
“The methodologists of the province chose one of my classes as the best, and in the national contest it was the fourth in the entire country. It consisted of technical elements of volleyball: serves, reception, volley, pass and attack, with the formation of class groups and correction of technical errors, as elements of physical ability.
“I worked on different resistance exercises for arm and leg strength, including throwing medicine balls, types of jumps, push-ups and extensions of arms with implements, and Swiss jump, through the circuit procedure, which resulted in a excellent student performance.
“Of course, for that I resorted to games in which the students were highly motivated.”
That is the open secret of Raidel Díaz.
“We must take care of the bearing and appearance, as well as prepare motivating classes. I attach great importance to creating teaching aids; I use the wedge for the long jump, the fleximeter for physical efficiency tests, rustic rings and medicine balls with different weights, to work the resistance of the strength of the arms.
“In addition, I keep my work area painted, clean and organized. My classes include methods such as didactic games and elementary competition to test the speed of translation and reaction. I try that, as a whole, the student uses her knowledge; I look for a superior performance of her capabilities, by using a greater number of implements and the circuit procedure.
“I resort to innovative means for learning, such as audiovisuals, with recordings of basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball 5 games…, through which I emphasize the technical elements and signals from the referees. I try to create a sporty atmosphere at every moment.
“The weekend is time for the My Champion School project. Then, there are activities planned by the school, the sports team or other municipal events and events in conjunction with the community, such as the A jugar programs, the Passion project on the street, futsal and others.
“My goal is for the boys to improve themselves and see the class as a guide to the future, which prepares them for life, and thus they feel motivated to participate.”
Not even the most reluctant would be able to “save” their intentions to improve their results in this subject and even become good athletes or excellent Physical Education teachers.
He himself was the maintenance man at his school, where he has worked for 26 years, and always wanted to be a teacher, he proudly reveals.
“From a very young age I played sports, until I had the opportunity to study Physical Culture. I have been teaching classes for 15 years, and my high school sports area is now my second home”.
Who loves his work of sculpting the mind and body of a lot of boys, does not understand underestimations towards the subject he teaches.
“If the teacher prepares himself well, he maintains respect for his work and does what he has to do; if his classes are dynamic, creative, scientific…; If he brings My Champion School projects to life and publicizes his activities, he will surely become an idol and be respected by everyone.”
The class that won him the award for best Physical Education teacher was volleyball, but his favorite sport is baseball, and he would like to be like the one who discovered Casanova, one of his great idols.
“Since I was a child I participated in all categories, with teacher Lázaro Gómez, until I reached the first category provincial championships, when we belonged to Pinar del Río. At that time, Bahía Honda was a great power in baseball, at the national level, with great contributions to Cuban teams.
“If we want baseball to be reborn, we must go back to looking for talent at the base, in the fields, and rescue second-rate baseball in all neighborhoods.
“Now that the professionals are playing for Cuba, we have to put Major League games on television, for real, like they do with soccer. This way more children and young people would be motivated to play it”.
He says it with the conviction that his commitment guarantees, to cultivate the love of sport and even to gestate the birth of another Señor Pelotero. One day maybe she can answer the question where is Casanova?