Bobby Smith celebrates 50 years in Punahou

If there were a list of accomplished lives, Bobby Smith would certainly be on it. For over 50 years, Bobby has been a beloved Punahou physical education teacher and has impacted the lives of many students – by one estimate, more than 17,000! But his longevity alone does not explain why he is often referred to as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) by his former students or why Punahou faculty and staff gave him an emotional standing ovation at the recent Aloha ceremony for chapel staff.

To understand Bobby Smith, you must understand what a life of service to others looks like. Guided by his faith and values, he has helped generations of Punahou students listen well, do their best, win humbly, lose gracefully, and always be kind and grateful. Outside of school, he is just as dedicated to improving the lives of those around him, always quietly and without fanfare.

On any given weekend, he can be found organizing a food drive for the homeless through the River of Life Mission, something he has been doing for 29 years, feeding children in the Pālama settlement, or caring for prisoners at the Federal Detention Center near the airport. And somehow he still finds time to play the loving grandfather by spending every Sunday with his two grandchildren, Jude (born ’30) and Isabella (born ’33), taking them to church, then having breakfast and going shopping.

Smith, who turned 78 on May 2, shows no signs of slowing down. The country boy from Waialua, who fell in love with the sport as a young boy and never looked back, recently spoke with the Punahou Bulletin about his remarkable career and what inspires him to keep going.

What originally inspired you to become a physical education teacher?

I always felt comfortable in PE classes. It fit well with my coaching work in football, athletics and canoeing. There are so many life lessons and treasures that you can take away from PE classes: building confidence, helping each other, being humble when you win, being polite when you lose, playing fair – sportsmanship. You can teach these things in PE classes.

What aspects do you enjoy most about physical education and what still motivates you after all these years?

Every teacher wants to see their students grow and develop in positive and meaningful ways. I get the chance to do that and see it every day. To see a student a little more confident at the end of the day. As a teacher, I’m constantly aware of my students’ efforts and I’m constantly commenting on them – their kindness, their gratitude – all the positive qualities I want to instill in them later in life. I go into class and I’m always looking for those things, just so I can tell a student, “That was nice.” It motivates me to have a brand new day every day and to be able to teach it all over again.

Outside of your teaching activities, you have dedicated your life to helping people in need. What drives you?

It came from Vietnam. As a Marine, it was a rough time. I think about it every night when I’m home and many of my buddies didn’t make it home. I didn’t want to waste my life. So when I came back and saw my buddies were on the streets, I knew something had to be done and that prompted me to help. At River of Life Mission, we buy enough food for 250-275 meals for the homeless. I often do the grocery shopping, drive there, and organize about 22 volunteers to cook and serve the food.

Do you also work with prisoners to help them reintegrate into society?

Yes, I have been going to prison every week for 29 years to study the Bible. I started with the toughest guys in the maximum security section. I go there with the belief that maybe one man can change his life. That’s my little help, but lives have been changed. One former inmate is now helping me at the River of Life, and his life has been changed.

Back to teaching: What significant changes in physical education and teaching methods have you witnessed over your fifty years of professional experience?

An example of this would be the introduction of SHAPE (Society of Health and Physical Education) which sets standards for physical education in the curriculum and training and provides a framework for physical education teachers to ensure consistency and national standards, like in maths or English. We have always done a great job but now we have national benchmarks for the last decade. The other is the evolution of fitness, which has gone from simple running and free weights to machine weights, Peloton, dancing and yoga. Today there are many more methods or programs that one can follow to get fit.

In your opinion, what role does physical education play in the overall development of students, both academically and personally?

Sports play an important role in improving cognitive function and academic performance. Studies have shown that students who exercise regularly have better concentration, memory, and problem-solving skills. The opportunities to learn socially acceptable behavior are limitless, especially in cooperative or competitive situations, such as those often found in games played in physical education classes.

What challenges did you face as a sports teacher and how did you overcome them?

Today’s kids are more sedentary than ever, largely because they spend so much time on phones, computers, and social media. It’s important to teach my students about the health benefits of physical education. Cardiovascular activities can be monotonous and boring, which can create negative feelings about physical education. Therefore, it’s important to make sports games exciting and fun, and to incorporate physical fitness into our games rather than separate it from them. Kids get the exercise through the games. Make it fun.

What advice would you give to new teachers, especially physical education teachers who may be just starting their careers?

Go into each day with the strong belief that you can have a profound and positive impact on your children’s lives. This might be by teaching them the importance of lifelong fitness for their health or by instilling positive relational values ​​that will help them interact with others.

Any final words of wisdom for the rest of us?

Start with gratitude. I always tell my students to always be grateful and that motivates me every day. If you find something to be grateful for, even in a difficult situation, you will be OK and keep going. I am very happy that Punahou hired me. In short, that is how 50 years go by – being grateful and having fun.

– By Robert Gelber ’92