|
|
 |
 |
Professional Sports Tackles Childhood Obesity
The following teams, athletes and leagues have joined the fight against childhood obesity. Have you?
Atlanta Falcons:
In an effort to combat Georgia's rate of childhood obesity -- currently one of the highest in the nation -- the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation in 2005 launched a new signature program, Falcons Fitness Zones, to help kids become more physically active and make healthier eating choices. The AFYF has committed nearly $2 million over a three-year period to the YMCA, YWCA and Boys & Girls Clubs at Fitness Zone sites located in communities in metro Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia. Through the Falcons Fitness Zones, the AFYF works with community partners to leverage existing physical fitness programs for youth, and enhance them through the strategic use of Atlanta Falcons resources.
Chicago Fire:
The Active Kids Initiative is a pilot program launched at Glenwood School in 2007 after funding was received by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The focus is on nutrition education and increased physical activity. The outcome is to reduce childhood obesity and increase adolescent health to ultimately help kids become better students. The program is working with CLOCC (Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicagoland Children) and SPARK to provide education/training that focuses on 4 core groups with the children and their parents: At school, After school, At home and Summertime.
Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets:
The Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche are excited to offer their Team Fit Program for the 2008-2009 season. Team Fit, presented by The Children's Hospital, focuses on teaching kids about nutrition and fitness fundamentals. The players and coaches from each team work hard to promote healthier lifestyles among students in grades 3-8 throughout Metro Denver. For this season, Team Fit will reach over 1,200 students through either appearances or individual participation with the fitness logs and worksheets.
Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation:
The Turn 2 Us Comprehensive Wellness Program encompasses a myriad of activities for children, parents and staff that promote healthy lifestyles, mental wellness and academic support. The promotion of overall well being is achieved via a holistic approach that encompasses mental health, educational support, physical activity, nutrition which leads to the development of healthier minds and bodies.
Green Bay Packers:
The Fit Kids program is designed to tackle obesity through the instruction of teachers, with assistance from Green Bay Packers players. Fit Kids is a FREE year-long fourth grade curriculum designed to promote healthy living by focusing on the physical, nutritional and social aspects of good health. Each month, a new topic is explored, including: Get Together, Get Out, Get Fueled, Get Cooking, Get Moving, Get Bendy, Get Happy and Get Fit. Green Bay Packers players kick off each new section with a video encompassing the theme for that month, in addition to appearing on various program posters.
Memphis Grizzlies:
One of the biggest issues facing youth today is childhood obesity, an epidemic that is all-too-common in the Mid-South. To help combat this growing problem, last year the Memphis Grizzlies created the Get Fit with the Grizzlies program, designed to teach kids about getting active, eating right and making healthy choices in life. Sponsored by Turner Dairies, Cargill, the Memphis Heart Clinic and Coventry Health Care, the program reaches thousands of Mid-South students.
MLS W.O.R.K.S.:
MLS W.O.R.K.S. serves as a platform for both league and team philanthropic programs. Specific areas of focus include health and wellness, education, respect, fair play, leadership, human rights and diversity with an emphasis on programs and initiatives directed at school-aged children.
Active Bodies Active Minds is a summer reading and fitness program that partners Major League Soccer with the creators of the award-winning, bestselling Summer Bridge Activities workbook series and the Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University to educate children, parents, and teachers about the importance of physical and mental fitness during the summer months.
NBA Fit:
NBA FIT--a league-wide, comprehensive health and wellness platform that encourages proper eating habits and promotes exercise to children and young adults. For this initiative, NBA Cares has partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a collaboration between the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, to engage in outreach and program activities that will reverse the trend of childhood obesity in America.
New York Jets:
Launched in 2006, the Eat Right, Move More campaign is a joint effort between the Jets and the State of New Jersey to encourage New Jersey school children to take advantage of healthy foods in their school cafeterias and become more active. The campaign also challenges schools to submit their meal menus to determine the five schools with the most creative meal selections each year. Beginning in 2004 the New York Jets partnered with the New York City Department of Education’s SchoolFood program in an effort to encourage all New York City public school students to eat healthy and take advantage of the nutritious meals that are served throughout the schools.
Play 60:
NFL PLAY 60 is a national youth health and fitness campaign focused on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL's long-standing commitment to health and fitness with an impressive roster of partner organizations. In addition to national outreach through PSAs and online programs, NFL PLAY 60 is also implemented at the grass roots level through NFL's in-school, after-school and team-based programs.
San Diego Padres:
The San Diego Padres and The California Endowment announced a new fitness initiative, FriarFit. FriarFit was designed in collaboration between the Padres, The California Endowment (a statewide health foundation) and SportService (PETCO Park concessionaire). FriarFit's long-term goal is to improve the health and fitness of San Diegans.
St. Louis Rams:
The team played a major role in establishing the Healthy Youth Partnership (HYP), which is a collaboration in conjunction with the Greater St. Louis Community Foundation (GSLCF) to address the critical issue of childhood obesity in the greater St. Louis community. The effort now consists of more than 75 youth development, health, nutrition and fitness focused organizations and leaders who are working together to address the issue through a combined approach.
Washington Redskins:
To help reverse the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation (WRCF) and the United Way of America (UWA) opened the first Redskins Youth Fitness Zone specifically designed for children ages 6-14 in Virginia in October 2007. Redskins players led 100 area kids in a "fitness fair" to experience the new equipment and learn more about the benefits of good nutrition and health. Since then, two additional Youth Fitness Zones have been opened (one in VA and one in MD) that utilize the HOPSports Training System. Youth Fitness Zones are interactive spaces for kids that features age and interest-appropriate workout equipment designed to make exercising feel like playtime with the use of video gaming and interactive lesson plans.
![[printer friendly]](../images/printer.gif "[printer friendly]"){kind=small}