Lessons in leadership in Lakewood Ranch

Rather than visiting another high school for the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps rifle competition Nov. 19, Braden River and Lakewood Ranch high school students had to compete virtually from their respective campuses

Lt. Col. James Bradin, a senior Army instructor at Braden River, shipped targets to the schools participating in the competition. Each team had until Nov. 19 to shoot before sending them back to Bradin, who has an automated program that would scan the results to determine the top shooter in the county as a team and as an individual.

The competition is unlike any the JROTC programs have done in the past, and the adjustments cadets and leaders have had to make as a result to COVID-19 don’t stop there.

Cadet leaders are ensuring their cadets are following social distancing and wearing masks. 

JROTC members have been split into pods of 10, so students can be easily traced if someone tests positive or needs to quarantine.

Activities have to be split between morning and afternoon sessions because all the cadets can’t be together.

Bradin and Lt. Col. Richard Roller, a senior JROTC instructor at Lakewood Ranch High, said students are learning how to be leaders in adverse conditions.

“Based on the pandemic criteria and things going on, it kind of forces new lessons in citizenship and in leadership and how to adjust,” Roller said. “It definitely brings resiliency to a lot of the stuff we do.”

Selah Swanson, a senior and battalion commander at Braden River, was disappointed at the beginning of the year seeing how many changes had to be made, but now her perspective has changed.

“It’s actually a blessing in disguise because we are always going to be remembered as the leaders who were in charge of this particularly crazy time ... this momentous year ... that we get to be the ones who are in charge.”

Although the programs have seen changes as a result of the pandemic, and students are in different learning modalities, neither Lakewood Ranch’s or Braden River’s programs have seen a dip in enrollment in JROTC.

Braden River has 238 cadets while Lakewood Ranch has 157. Most members are on campus full time or participating in the hybrid schedule, but the few that are e-learners have the option in participating in JROTC activities after school.

“It’s been tough because most of the JROTC instructors in the county have all volunteered to teach all three types of modalities so we can keep our programs intact,” Bradin said. “It’s a lot more work than what we’re normally used to.”

Having students from all three modalities has made daily lessons and activities more challenging and time consuming for JROTC student leaders because they might have to repeat a lesson to multiple class periods and formats.

Roller said the learning modalities and COVID-19 adjustments have forced them to slow down and reassess almost every aspect of the program from how they meet to how they train and compete.

The activities cadets would normally do before school, such as leaders practicing presentations, are now taking up class time.

Much like dozens of other school competitions, JROTC made adjustments to its competitions due to COVID-19.

“It’s clearly not as good, but it’s the best we can do given the conditions that we’re operating under,” Bradin said. “It’s everything we can do to try to get things back to normal as possible for the kids.”

Swanson said because schools can’t come together to compete, she’s seen competition form more within the school’s own JROTC program.

“It’s kind of sad because it takes away that ability to interact with other schools and kids, but at the same time, it’s fun to compete against the people you know.” Swanson said. “It’s almost like you’re able to get more competitive because if it’s your friend you’re competing against, it’s like, ‘Oh, my pod is so awesome.’”

JROTC leaders had to come up with new activities for the Raider competitions to ensure students wouldn’t be touching the same equipment and to allow for social distancing. Graders from an Army recruiting station went to the individual schools and graded the students on the different events. Some of the events included push ups, pull ups and a mile run.

The drill season doesn’t start until January, and instructors are hopeful that competitions can be held in person but on a smaller scale.

Drill teams will be held to a maximum of nine cadets.

As a result of cadets only doing activities with people in their pods, Elayna Andrews, a junior at Braden River, said the leaders of those pods have to know every event and be able to help younger cadets with training.

Programs are adjusting starting procedures for orienteering, which puts higher numbers of students in close proximity before competition begins. Once the competition starts, cadets navigate through the course by themselves.

Roller said he’s waiting to see how the competitions are being coordinated with different venues to ensure teams are complying with rules at city, state and municipal parks where the competitions will be held.

Lakewood Ranch is the only school in Manatee County to participate in orienteering. Most schools that participate have Navy programs, which gives Roller’s cadets an opportunity to interact with Marines, sailors and Coast Guardsmen and discuss the different service opportunities available to them.

“Now because of COVID-19, we lose that opportunity,” he said. “We can still set them up on the phone or if you have questions, you can connect with someone, but it’s not the same as it is standing there talking with somebody and having a live conversation.”