PRESS RELEASE
Commandos! USA® Partners with America’s Schools
School assembly program promotes championship behavior
Houston, July 8, 2008: If you are a parent that has a tough time getting through to your teenager, you had better hope Commandos! USA is coming to your local school this year. Like action figures come to life, this hard hitting dynamic duo is comprised of muscled-up, intense commandos. Commandos! USA team members, comprised primarily of former law enforcement or military personnel, is a nonprofit organization that has been providing school assembly programs throughout the United States, South and Central America since 1989.
They rappel down out of the rafters and utilize physical feats of strength, like ripping huge telephone books in half, bending steel bars, and rolling up a frying pan “like a burrito!” to get the attention of their student audience. “Before the students ever hear a single word of our message, we grab their full attention with the feats of strength and various stunts,” states Commandos! USA president Billy Lowery. He is quick to point out however, that the real strength of the presentation is their message.
Lowery, a former police officer, established Commandos! USA in 1989 after dealing with juveniles and adults who had made poor choices. “I know that, at one time, even the most disadvantaged child had a dream to be a success in life. However, at the core of “poor decision making” is a lack of critical character traits. Respect for authority, respect for others, good work ethic, a desire to obtain a good education, and hope for their future seem to be lacking among today’s youth.
“Rather than wait until people make poor choices in life, why not get hold of them during their formative years? We need to educate and encourage children and teens with the core elements of what I refer to as championship character. We want to be part of the solution to create champions. We work in partnership with schools to reinforce the character, anti-drug or bullying curriculum they have in place,” stated Lowery. Motivating students to dream big, create goals, and formulate a vision for their life is the cornerstone of their message.
Commandos! USA seems to have perfected the ability to provide age appropriate messages. While academic success, school attendance, and developing excellence in their work ethic are addressed in both elementary and secondary assemblies, the message includes topics specific to the age of the audience. An elementary school audience will hear more about literacy, manners, and respect for authority; while the middle and high school audience will hear additional information on anti-drug/alcohol issues, sexual abstinence, accepting responsibility for their actions, study skills and habits, as well as college and career planning.
Although some fringe groups have expressed concern with Commandos! USA being allowed to speak in public schools due to the organization being linked to Christianity, thousands of administrators across the nation have not found that to be an issue. “We provide a service to the administrators and students that in no way violates the separation of church and state issue,” states Lowery. With a focused demeanor, Lowery goes on to state, “I think it is sad that there are those that distort our effort to keep children and teens off drugs and alcohol, away from tobacco and premarital sex, and encourage them to stay in school, make good grades, and have a healthy respect for authority, as well as high respect for others. It seems as though our critics are misinformed about the content of our message and in all probability have never been in attendance at one of our assembly programs. I would invite them to attend a performance and see and hear the positive impact our presentation has on children and teens.”
http://www.commandosusa.com/
