Homework Before Football Practice!

When doing shows for school assemblies I used to routinely suggest to the volunteers that they would find their school work more interesting than ever before, would read faster and comprehend better and would enjoy doing their homework.

Back in the 80s I did an assembly at Everett (Pennsylvania) High School and concluded with the usual motivational suggestions. A few hours later I received a call from a very angry and very agitated Everett football coach, Irwin Brambley. My volunteers had included quite a few members of Coach Brambley’s team and they were all refusing to go to practice. Had to do their homework.

After Coach Brambley had finished cleaning my clock pretty thoroughly, I agreed to come back and modify the suggestions. Actually I didn’t really modify them, just added some suggestions about the joy and importance of football practice.

I don’t know if it was related to this incident or not but shortly afterwards I received a call from Charles Myers Sr., a member of the Everett School Board and the father of an Everett High School student, Charles Myers Jr (“Chuck” hereafter). Chuck pretty much lived for football but failing grades were about to get him kicked off the team. Could hypnosis help?

I gave my usual answer: “I don’t know. Helps some people for some things.” But we agreed to try and Mr. and Mrs. Myers brought Chuck to my office the following Saturday. He was an excellent subject and I gave him several positive suggestions and taught him how to use self-hypnosis to reinforce those suggestions.

And that was the last I heard from the Myers until receiving the following letter this week (April 10, 2007).

Dear Ramelle,

I was sorry to learn, too late, that you were at the High School this past week. I had just been thinking about you and would have come to your show had I known in time.

I want to tell you that you really helped Chuck. As you may not have known when we were at your office, he had been diagnosed with ADD. He had been on medication for a while as a child but it made him worse. Thank God they have made improvements in that area but it has been since 1987 when we saw you.

After Chuck saw you he made a remarkable improvement. It wasn’t quite overnight but he began to study for longer uninterupted periods of time without arguing. His grades slowly improved. The teachers were aware of his improvement and his ability to concentrate on his work. He wasn’t as figity as before and could sit still in class and pay better attention.

Chuck graduated in 1989 and went to college for two years. That was remarkable. Before he saw you, college was not even thought of.

I asked Chuck the other day if he could still use what you taught him. He told me that he could but that he hadn‘t thought of it in a while. I urged him to use it to help him in his work. He has his own painting business through the day and works nights at the Walmart distribution center. His fiancee loves horses. She boards and trains and she and Chuck own two stallions and two mares that they breed and show.

What he has accomplished has a lot to do with you. He really changed after you saw him. Thanks!!!

Sincerely,

Charles A. Myers Sr,