Youth Fitness in the News
By Jenn Casey, Youth Program Director
This week, I’m jumping in here (well, not literally) to share a couple of posts that came across in my social media feeds in the past couple of weeks.
Keeping Student Athletes Moving during their Off-Season
If you’re local to Atlanta, you’re familiar with CHOA (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta), our local pediatric hospital system. They are top-notch! And once upon a time, before I even had kids myself, I worked for CHOA.
CHOA has a blog post that I read with interest, “5 Tips For Your Teen to Prepare for Next Season.”
Their tips for what teen athletes should do in the off-sesason?
- Cross-Train
- Strength and Conditioning
- Improve Flexibility
- Eat, Hydrate, Sleep Well
- Ease Back into Sports
Great advice, and I definitely agree with this!
I have to add just one thing: Make sure your teen athlete even HAS an off-season! So many kids play the same sport year-round, which contributes to overuse injuries and mental/emotional burnout.
Our Youth Program works with student athletes from many different sports to help them stay cross-train to prevent injuries, keep up their general fitness and conditioning levels, and reset the mental state so their chosen sport(s) are fresh and fun.
The student athletes in our Varsity Program play or have played Tennis, Volleyball, Rowing, Lacrosse, Soccer, Baseball, Kettlebell Sport, Track, Marching Band (yes, this counts!), Theater, and Musical Theater (also counts!).
Talk to us about how we can help your athlete maintain their fitness levels and be fresh and ready for their next season!
GEORGIA LAW REQUIRING RECESS FOR K-5 STUDENTS
Georgia made national headlines in mid-May for passing legislation requiring recess for elementary-aged students.
“Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, each elementary school shall schedule recess for all students in kindergarten and grades one through five every school day,” the bill reads.
Under the new legislation, teachers and school officials cannot take away a student’s recess for “disciplinary or academic reasons.”
Georgia joins 9 other states in passing this kind of legislation, allowing children to have unstructured free time every school day! This is wonderful news.
Kids, like adults, need breaks throughout their days, and that includes movement breaks! (Have you stepped away from your desk today? Do that . . . as soon as you’re finished reading this post!)
I particularly love that recess can’t be taken away from a child as a disciplinary measure.
Definitely something for parents of Georgia schoolchildren to celebrate!