WWE coming to St. Louis to 'Smackdown' bullying

Bullying has reached epidemic proportions in our society. According to the National Education Association (NEA), more than 150,000 kids miss school everyday to avoid being bullied. Some skip school while others feign illness and stay home. So, the effects of bullying go much further than the playground at three o'clock. Think about it. You're at work for eight or more hours and your child is who knows where doing who knows what. You think he's at school, but he's not - all because of a bully. This puts your child's safety at-risk. Let's get back to the child who fakes being sick. The kid is safe at home with you, but what about the time you're missing from work? In this economy, none of us can afford to stay home day after day with a sick kid who isn't really sick.

The Creative Coalition and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) have developed a program called Be a S.T.A.R  - which stands for Show Tolerance and Respect. To launch this initiative, WWE produced a film called That's What I Am starring Academy Award nominee Ed Harris and WWE World Heavyweight Champion and native St. Louisan Randy Orton. The movie deals with bullying from several angles. Tall kids, short kids, overweight kids, girls and even teachers are bullied in this film. Each character has to find a way of overcoming the bully in their lives. That's What I Am is set in the sixties and follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol through middle school. Everyone's favorite teacher, Mr. Simon (Ed Harris), pairs Andy with the schools biggest outcast, Stanley, a.k.a. "Big G." Stanley's a tall kid whose head is too big for his body and his ears are too big for his head. He's been a prime target for bullies since grade school and nothing changes in junior high.

Watch the following clip from the film's beginning. Stanley just can't catch a break (email subscribers click here).



Surely you noticed that several students saw what happened to Stanley and did nothing. Although this movie is set in the sixties, the same scenario plays out everyday. Kids are bullied and no one helps. Let's change this in school and in the community as a whole. WWE returns to St. Louis on Tuesday, September 27 for a live taping of Smackdown at Scottrade Center. Earlier that day, WWE and the St. Louis Sports Commission will host a free screening of That's What I Am for 150 middle school students. After the movie, a WWE Superstar will be on-hand to discuss the film with students and reinforce the Nine Pillars of Character outlined in the overall program.

Remember, the That's What I Am screening and discussion will take place on Tuesday, September 27 at 9:30 a.m. at the Moolah Theater in St. Louis. Participation is absolutely FREE. To reserve spaces for your school or youth organization, please call me at 314-345-5130 or email salexander@stlsports.org. Be a S.T.A.R. also includes a full lesson plan for teachers as well as reproducible worksheets and activities for use in the classroom. Just go to http://beastaralliance.org for more information. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol