"Education first" was the message Jim “Basketball" Jones delivered to middle school students visiting Eastern Michigan University on Nov. 17. Many of the students may have thought they were just going to watch a basketball game, but they got a little more.

The night before the field trip, I asked my son, “What do you think is the purpose of the field trip?” He launched into his lengthy explanation. “Since it’s mostly the basketball players going, we can study the game. Then at practice the coach may ask us about a play that was made and we can improve our game.” This was the abridged version of his answer.

In addition to being in the midst of the EMU Men’s Basketball team, the students were entertained by the motivational speaker, Mr. Jones. He used audience participation and humorous ways to make his message relate to the youth. He told them that “effort matters” and that “consequences are real.”

A girl from the audience was selected to shoot a free throw. She was given choices. If she made the basket from the free throw line she would win the basketball. If she made the basket from a further distance she would win a pencil. The girl was then told that if she missed the basket from the free throw line she had to do 20 push ups. She had to decide which option worked best for her.

In the short time that I was at the event, I observed a few things lessons taught:

1. Give your best effort in whatever you do
2. Think before you act
3. Consequences are attached to every decision you make

As kids get older, I find we have to sometimes disguise an educational event to get them excited about it. Once they make it to the actual event, they have a blast. If the students were told they were going to listen to a motivational speaker, I wonder if they would have been excited. Hmmmm.

Have you ever faced the challenge of making a less-than-exciting event fun for your child? What's your secret to making it work?

Angela Verges is a writer and mother of two. She can be reached at awritersdream41@yahoocom.