Capital Health Plan

Couch Potato Kids? Not These CHP Champions!

Leon County school children are kicking away the myth of a sedentary video generation-with some help from their schools, Capital Health Plan, and Titus Sports Academy. This fall, Leon County schools kicked-off the CHP Champions free extended-day school fitness program, beginning with over 500 students in eight schools. Already, another 10 schools are getting on board with an additional 500 kids signed up for the spring semester. "Our school district is fortunate to have a community partner like CHP," said school board member Sheila Costigan. "CHP understands that healthy children make better decisions, establish more personal goals, interact better with others, and become more effective, lifelong learners."

HEY, LET'S PLAY! With activities designed and directed by Titus conditioning experts, kids jump into exhilarating games-while developing endurance and motor skills. In third-grader Kareem Devenish's words: "I like the running and jumping and throwing the balls, and I really like the games, too."

Principals, teachers, coaches, parents, and local colleges are all involved. "One beauty of this," says Robin Safley, CHP Champions coordinator, "is that one size doesn't have to fit all. We plan the program that each school needs." Bond Elementary School CHP Champions coordinator Courtney Edwards-White loves the results: "It has been a delight to work with the coaches . . . The program is well structured but still allows children to be free to move and challenge themselves physically. Every day a student asks me if they can join." Roll-out is moving briskly. More Leon schools will join this school year, and eventually every public school in CHP's four-county service area will have the opportunity to participate.

THE PURPOSE AND THE PARTNERS. "With childhood obesity increasing," explains Dr. Nancy Van Vessem, CHP's chief medical officer, "we're drawing our youth into a healthy lifestyle now." Founding partners of CHP Champions are Leon County Public Schools and the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce's WORLD CLASS Schools Program of Leon County, Inc., who believe the effort is vital to building a healthy community.

Now FSU, FAMU, and TCC are collaborating, too. "It's great," says Safley, "because we get their expertise and the students in sports physiology get real-world training."

BODY AND BRAIN. More muscles and fewer pounds aren't the only benefits of CHP Champions. A healthy child is a balanced one. Exercise increases alertness and attention. Games and sports promote cooperation, problem solving, and confidence. The results are already showing in the schoolroom and at home.

For all the partners in CHP Champions, the goal isn't national sports stars. It's experiencing a healthy lifestyle and developing a lifelong commitment to fitness.

For more information about the program at a specific school, call that school. To find out how you can help with this effort, call WORLD CLASS Schools at 224-8116.