It's an absurd question, but we are in the season of giving ... are we not? What charitable moves would you make with 100 million dollars? World poverty would have to be on your list as studies indicate that up to 50,000 people die daily from extreme poverty with 18 million poor people dying each year. (http://www.heartsandminds.org/poverty/hungerfacts.htm). Funding research to cure cancer and other lethal diseases in adults and children would have to be top on your list as well. I could see many of us devoting most of this money to these critical needs. Can we fund world peace research?
Assuming you had money left over, what would you do with the rest? For me, physical education comes to mind. Obesity has been identified by many researchers as the most dangerous and debilitating chronic disease in both children and adolescents in North America (http://eisenmann.wiki.educ.msu.edu/file/view/2002_PATV_YRBS.pdf/62500704/2002_PATV_YRBS.pdf). The CDC reports that obesity rates among children ages 6-11 have at least doubled from 6.5% in 1980 to 17.0% in 2006. Among adolescents ages 12-19, the rise is even greater from 5.0% to 17.6%; rates among teens have at least tripled (http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/physicalactivity/facts.htm).
We know that physical activity can reduce the risk of obesity and other commorbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular illness, and yet many students aren't exercising at all and a growing number of schools are cutting physical education. A recent report indicates that approximately 50% of all students and 75% of high school students are not participating in physical education classes. In this same report provided by the National Parents Teachers Association (PTA) it is estimated 40% of school districts in the United States have either cut or contemplated cutting recess from daily school activities (http://www.pta.org/topic_decline_of_physical_activity.asp). It seems somewhat illogical to cut programs that can directly improve a national epidemic. News reports indicate that obesity in the United States approaches close to 150 million dollars annually in medical costs (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=8184975&page=1). Wouldn't it make sense to devote some of this money toward prevention of an astronomical annual cost that only seems to be worsening globally?
We all know that children need to be physically active. The type of physical activity is of less importance; what matters is that kids are physically active enough to get their hearts going. Why, then, are schools cutting physical education?
One answer is that physical education can be costly. Hiring more trained educators to coach the children and assuring proper facilities and their upkeep are significant expenses. Another challenge is that many public school systems struggle to manage the pressure to devote their already limited resources to preparation for standardized tests that demonstrate educational proficiencies as children progress through school. While these standardized tests are warranted on many levels, does it make sense to educate the minds of our children while ignoring their bodies? Data on obesity rates alone dramatically challenge such assumptions. And we need to do more.
In reality, most of us with the exception of the Gates, Zuckerbergs and Buffets, lack the funds to make a significant charitable contribution. So what steps can we take? We can reach out to our local representatives and encourage them to advocate for more governmental support and funding for physical education. In fact, the medical community recently reached out to President Obama, encouraging him to prioritize physical activity to prevent exorbitant health care costs (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142406.php).
In fact, these messages from us and others can be heard. President Obama and the First Lady have engaged in several initiatives to address the issues of obesity. The First Lady started Let's Move, a program that offers exercise and nutritional directives (http://www.letsmove.gov/). And the President launched the Task Force on Childhood Obesity (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/childhood-obesity-task-force-unveils-action-plan-solving-problem-childhood-obesity-). Let's hope that these programs have actual traction and add credence and exposure to other existing programs like the NFL's program, NFL 60, which encourages kids to exercise 60 minutes each day (http://www.nfl.com/play60).
What else can we do? We can also help by focusing on our own communities. Many youth sport programs rely on the generosity of local businesses and parent volunteers. If the schools aren't going to fund physical education, then the many youth centers in our country such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org/Pages/index.aspx) and the YMCA's (http://www.ymca.net/) can benefit from modest contributions to support their programs. Each dollar can go toward the costs of uniforms, rental costs of fields, transportation, etc. A little bit can go a long way.
Parents can volunteer their time to coach children. You don't have to know everything about sports to coach. You just need to love children. And even though many have abandoned the neighborhood play that perhaps fulfilled the daily physical activity requirements for children, taking a group of kids to the park and letting them play whatever sport or activity they want in the afternoons can really make a difference. One adult supervisor is often all that is needed. Maybe your backyard becomes the place where kids play after school or on the weekend. And yes, a growing number of parents often feel overwhelmed by having their children overcommitted in their youth sport endeavors. And while I believe this is a real problem, the greatest concern is the high percentages of kids doing nothing at all. If you can't give the money, give your time. This is the commodity that children value the most.
And, finally, the benefits of physical education and being a part of a team extend beyond the physical. We know that exercise can reduce anxiety and improve mood, but we also know that kids learn valuable lessons about teamwork and resiliency that are highly applicable to managing well as adults. We know that sports can offer opportunities to develop the character traits that lead to success in the workplace and home. Being selfless, disciplined, collaborative, and dedicated are some of the many gems our kids will be lacking if they have no place to play.
