A Plan to Make Fit the New Fun
Manassas After-School Partnership Aims to Use Novel Ways to Get Kids Moving

By Jennifer Buske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 14, 2008

Growing up, Fairfax County resident Brittney Taylor said, jungle gyms and games such as flashlight tag and flag football kept her circle of friends busy after school.

But now, those favorite pastimes seem to be just in the past as many of today's youths rely on video games and Internet surfing to fill their time.

And that, she says, needs to change.

"The amount of time kids spend outdoors is not nearly as much as it was when I was growing up," said the 21-year-old, who is a recent George Mason University graduate and former intern with the Manassas Recreation and Parks Department. "Every day after school we went right outside. But today, kids are just going home and sitting on their butts. We need to do something to change that."

On Monday, Taylor pitched to the Manassas City Council her plan to get students moving.

By collaborating with Manassas schools, George Mason University, the recreation department and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Taylor has created Wellness Leaders of America, an after-school fitness program set to launch next month in four Manassas schools.

"I think there are a couple of wins here," said Manassas City Council member Mark D. Wolfe (R), who serves as the parks and recreation liaison. "People are awakening to the national obesity issue, and I think this is a strong step in addressing it at the local level. This also speaks to our partnership with GMU. Brittney was a resource the city wouldn't have otherwise been able to afford right now."

The six-week fitness program will begin the week of Oct. 6 at R.C. Haydon and Baldwin elementary schools, Mayfield Intermediate School and Grace E. Metz Middle School. Taylor said the noncompetitive program -- an hour session, twice a week -- will make fitness fun with games, obstacle courses, dance lessons and other activities meant to help address the obesity epidemic. The goal is to have about 30 students in each program.

"I think this will be good for the kids," said Jeff Abt, principal at Mayfield. "They are all gifted with their fingers when it comes to Nintendo games, but when it comes to moving and grooving, they are lacking a little. There has been a lot of thought put into this program, and I hope it will be well received."

The most recent data, from the 2003-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, show that 36 percent of children nationwide ages 6 to 19 are overweight.

Sandy Thompson, supervisor for administrative services for Manassas schools and chairwoman of the Northern Virginia Healthy Kids Coalition, said about 20 percent of Northern Virginia students in kindergarten through 12th grade are overweight.

Thompson said she doesn't have a breakdown for Manassas schools, but a wellness survey given to 413 Manassas youths last year helps paint a picture of what students do -- and don't do -- to stay healthy.

According to the survey, given to students in seventh through 12th grades, about 50 percent said they were "physically active" for an hour or more at least four days a week.

Almost 67 percent, however, said they watch television for two or more hours a day during the school week. About 53 percent said they spend that amount of time playing video or computer games.

In terms of nutrition, 22 percent of participants said they don't eat breakfast. The survey also revealed that almost 60 percent of students ate fruits and vegetables only one to three times a week.

"The inactivity of the students and the size of our students at a young age has definitely gone up," said R.C. Haydon physical education teacher Cathy Nowak, who has taught for 19 years. "We do have some kids who are active, but others are out of shape, and there aren't many middle-of-the-road kids anymore."

Nowak said students like gym class and have good flexibility. But, she said, more and more have trouble with running and strength training, adding that the latter could partly be because students don't swing from monkey bars anymore.

"Kids love PE because they are with their friends and there are no video games tempting them," she said. "I think at home, kids go outside less and are making poor food choices. . . . I hope this program helps make parents and the community aware of how important physical activity is."

Taylor said Wellness Leaders of America will address every aspect of healthy living, including a nutrition session in which students will learn to cook a healthful meal. The goal of the program is to get every student moving 30 minutes a day for five days. Students will log their progress and be eligible for Active Lifestyle Awards at the end of the program.

"We don't want this to be like PE, where kids are required to run a mile in a certain time or do so many push-ups," Taylor said. "All that matters is they are doing something after school rather than sitting on their butt. This will be all about fun and games, things kids will go play with their friends at home."

Although dates aren't set, special events will be scattered throughout the program. Deleney Ritter, recreation coordinator for the city, said she is in discussions with the George Mason basketball team and some Washington Redskins players to have them exercise with the students. Other ideas are to have a boot camp for parents and children or have a Wii Fit competition.

"Lots of schools have opportunities like basketball and soccer, but I think we are at the forefront in offering this opportunity to teach kids fun ways to promote fitness," Thompson said. "We feel this will help kids develop lifelong habits of healthy living."

Equipment for the program will be donated by the schools and Best Buy, which will provide Wii Fit or Dance Dance Revolution video games. Students will each pay $31 to cover the cost of instructors, Ritter said, adding that the program will cost her department about $5,000 for the year. Financial aid will be available, she said, and recreation officials are working to get grant money to make it free in the future.

"I think this will benefit youth greatly, simply because with today's kids there are so many video games that they don't do activities we used to do," said former Redskins player Tyronne Drakeford, who will be an instructor with the program. "It's important for us to get kids more involved in exercising."

Drakeford, who is the athletic director at the Manassas branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington, also stressed the fact that the noncompetitive environment is needed to get students active.

"In my youth basketball league, some kids give up because they feel they can't compete with the kids who have played awhile," Drakeford said. "Here is an opportunity for kids to do something noncompetitive and feel comfortable with the activities."

Thompson said the program will complement other health and fitness programs at school. The state requires students to take a health and physical education class through 10th grade. A 2004 federal law requires the school system to have a wellness policy, which outlines health and fitness goals for students. Thompson said this year's goals are to get students to sleep nine hours a night, limit "screen time" to two hours a day, eat five fruits and vegetables a day and exercise 30 minutes five days a week.

Instructors are lined up, and Wellness Leaders of America will be pitched to parents and students over the next few weeks. The schools will each have two more six-week programs later in the year and, if all goes well, Wellness Leaders of America will be in all Manassas schools in the future.

"A program like this hasn't been promoted in Manassas before," Ritter said. "This is simply fun fitness and something that is necessary. Fitness is a lifetime commitment, and we want to get them involved at a young age."