Michelle Obama has a goal to get more of America’s kids involved in sports. Our First Lady is well aware of the nation’s propensity for overweight children and is avidly interested in getting them away from the screens and outside on the fields. Mrs. Obama is serious about this, as she is now partnered with The Partnership for a Healthier America and the U.S. Olympic Committee to start changing the behaviors of America’s kids. She announced the new “Let’s Move!” program at a meeting with athletes from the two dozen Olympic and Paralympic groups.
The original commitment that was made with the partners was to have one million kids signed up with more community activities. This number was increased by 700,000, as new partners stepped up to the plate. USA Field Hockey added their name to the team with the launch of the FUNdamental Field Hockey program within its 250 locations that involve 15,000 children. USA Cycling has added a free membership and USA Gymnastics is reaching out to 40,000 more kids The U.S. Soccer Federation jumped in as well, with 12,000 afterschool and youth programs and USA Track & Field plans on expansion of the youth program by thirty five percent. But this isn’t all. The U.S. Tennis Association is reaching out to over 750,000 new children just this year, and USA Swimming has a goal to add 530,000 new enrollment in the learn-to-swim program called “Make a Splash, along with engagement of their local chapters with 70,000 youth members. The overall vision is that there will be a number of kids that will be introduced to soccer, track & field, tennis, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, hockey and all levels of sports.
One must admit, that Mrs. Obama has an impressive group of friends in accomplishing her challenge. The First Lady remembers her own personal experience of being in awe of the athletes during some of the Olympic Games. She watched and was inspired by such examples as Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton and Carl Lewis during the Summer Olympics. It was a double experience when Natalie Coughlin, gold medal winner three-times, was introduced to Mrs. Obama, during the “Let’s Move!” campaign.
The First Lady has been front and center as a supporter of the Olympic Games as well as getting kids outside. In some cases, the children that are being approached would have never played an outdoor sport. This is the first introduction for these kids and everyone wants it to be the best experience possible. Mrs. Obama is part of the U.S. Olympic committee that will be in attendance at the Olympic Games in London.
The First Lady started the “Let’s Move!” program in 2010, as a method to engage and promote healthy and active lifestyles in the U.S. With around one third of the kids in America experiencing overweight or obesity problems, this is an important cause for Mrs. Obama. Our First Lady was host to a mini-Olympics get together for some of the local school kids as well as with Samantha Cameron, the wife of British Prime Minister David Cameron. Never shy, Mrs. Obama also showed up on the television show, “The Biggest Loser” and is promoting the program with celebrities like Jimmy Fallon and Jay Leno.
Source:
www.star-telegram.com