Students and Conditioning
Our chance to make a difference!
By Sally Brawley
March is here and for many ski and snowboard schools it is a time to wind up programs. At Mission Ridge, this month starts our 5th Grade Mountain Discovery Program we hold for all the 5th graders in and around our local community. There are 14 schools in 6 different districts that participate. The total number of kids ranges around 1245. 2006 marks the 6th season for this mid-week program. When we invited all the 5th graders in public school to come for a day of skiing or boarding, we knew that we would be working with a wide variety of physical abilities and or handicaps. We have seen everything from kids with brittle bone disease to kids who participate from their wheel chairs. What we didn’t expect, but now come to realize, was how out of shape most of these kids are in general.
I travel to each school before the program begins, explaining to the kids and teachers exactly what to expect on the day they come to the Ridge. I have had conversations with many teachers about the general conditioning of our kids. It used to be that PE in school was a time for kids to run, jump and learn about different sports. In today’s curriculum, PE often shares time with Health class. With more time spent sitting at desks, the actual physical time moving around and getting exercise has decreased dramatically. Organized sports in middle schools have limited the number of kids who participate.
It seems that there are articles everywhere about how over-weight and out of shape our kids are becoming.
As Recreation Professionals we have a responsibility to our students not only to teach them how to enjoy winter sports but also to educate them about conditioning, proper exercise and healthy eating. Recreation opportunities may be the only way our kids will receive the exercise they need to grow into healthy strong adults. We feel year-around recreation in what ever form it takes (i.e. walking, hiking, biking, swimming, snowshoeing, skiing, or boarding) is paramount in reversing what has become a national health problem.
As professionals in the sport of skiing and boarding, we have an opportunity to influence and educate our students whether they are adults or kids. Every student we teach with the hope of turning them into life long skiers and riders should also gain from us a better understanding of their physical condition and what they can do to improve it.
Sally Brawley, Director Mission Ridge Snow Sports Center
Board of Directors PSIA-NW
Member of Washington State Parks and Recreation Association