Spoto High School is hosting the annual Navy Junior ROTC State Championship Field Meet, on Saturday, March 7. The school will be welcoming the top 20 ROTC programs, with approximately 800 cadets in total from all across the state of Florida, to compete. Spoto has hosted this event twice in the past, in which they have set the standard for their abilities.
In organizing this event, Spoto will utilize five of their school amenities. The football field will be used for drills, the cafeteria for push-ups and sit-ups, the auditorium for academic testing, the gym for uniform/personnel inspection and the culinary classroom for feeding the volunteer judges and staff.
The championship is an all-day event spanning from 7 a.m. to approximately 7 p.m. During these hours, there are 10 separate ROTC-focused competitions, some including basic drills, exhibition drills and 100-yard shuttle runs.
At the end of the competition, there will be a formal awards ceremony. Here, the top five programs will be recognized by being awarded trophies and the top two schools will get to proceed to nationals, competing later in the school year. Spoto has a highly competitive JROTC program. It has worked hard throughout the year to qualify for states. It has also been recognized the past two years with the title of ‘Distinguished Unit with Honors.’
The Spoto program is sending 40 cadets to compete at this year’s States. The cadets have been working diligently after school everyday to prepare for their events.
When asking the senior naval science instructor of Spoto High School, Paul Lewis, how he is preparing his cadets for the meet, he said, “By emphasizing the importance of discipline, teamwork, and excellence.”
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