Whole heart. It’s giving your all to anything and everything you do.
That’s the philosophy Carol Brinkman has been imbuing her fifth-graders with over the most recent school year. She’s had some help, too.
John Short, a professional motocross athlete, teamed up with the Delta North Elementary teacher as part of her “Motovated” cross curriculum educational program.
“What we do is we have a super cross rider that we track and develop a relationship with throughout the year,” Brinkman said.
Brinkman developed the program in 2008 teaching in Texas with Blake Wharton, who was the featured athlete until he was injured and stopped racing, putting the program on hiatus.
“He called me and said ‘I’ve got a rider for you,’” Brinkman said of her connection with Short. “I was so excited to be able to revive it.”
“Blake taught the kids respectfulness, but John is really big on goal setting. No goal is out of reach,” Brinkman said of the theme for this year’s program. “He told them to approach everything with a whole heart.”
Motovated incorporates curriculum requirements into the program, while also developing personal connections between students and the rider.
“(The students) will share what they learned about the different states he’s been in or will be,” Brinkman said. “We will look up state facts and the weather for geography; we track the mileage and all of the statistical information for math.”
One thing that is required of the students is to write a letter to Short; this year, Brinkman used augmented reality via FlipGrid.
“We kicked it up a notch this year, and they had to read their letter on a video. It’s so cute,” Brinkman said. Brinkman then delivered the QR codes containing a link to each student’s video, allowing him to scan them one at a time.
“We also have video chats with him, he will call us from other races and walk us around the tracks,” Brinkman said. “It has definitely been such a great experience, especially after this COVID year.”
Carol Brinkman, a Delta North Elementary School fifth-grade teacher, hosted supercross competitor John Short in her classroom last month as part of an educational program called “Motovated” she designed.
Short was in Delta on April 26 to interact with the students prior to a race in Salt Lake City—the Monster Energy AMA Supercross. He seems to have left a lasting impression on the minds of Brinkman’s young students. Many offered up comments on Short’s visit and their experience with the program and Short himself.
“I learned that you can accomplish your goals and not only in motocross, but in everything, if you give your whole heart,” a student named Kambri said.
“I think that Motovated is good, because it shows even outside of school, you have to use what you learn,” Madison, another student, said.
“What was really fun for me is (Short) taught us sometimes you have to go through things you don’t want to do in order to get to those you do,” another classmate, Sophie, added.
Short himself said the experience has been a positive one.
“It has been a unique experience,” he said. “It was cool to actually see (the students) in person and all of their individual personalities. Carol is so involved and puts her all into this program and her students.”
Short said he was nothing short of thrilled when Brinkman approached him to participate in Motovated.
“I’m happy to do it, and if I have a small part in setting them in the right direction, that’s awesome,” Short said.
The program has gained attention nationally as well. Recently, Brinkman has been contacted by teachers and motocross fans alike across the country, all interested in incorporating Motovated into their own curriculum.
The interest was piqued after Short was interviewed on national television.
“I’ve had someone on a school board in Oklahoma say ‘I want this program in my school.’ I’ve had a mom who owns a supercross track in Missouri want information. I’ve had a graduate student in Alaska who reached out, and said he’s moving back to Utah and wants to do this,” Brinkman says.
Motovated isn’t just exclusive to motocross racing.
Brinkman is excited at the notion of it gaining notoriety in other school districts, and incorporated by teachers with a passion for all kinds of other sports.
“It would be awesome to have it be varied and go into other sports. Any other sport a teacher is passionate about, I can adapt that,” Brinkman said.
