Student Contributor -M. Gil
Active4youth believes that by teaching sports and introducing healthy activities to children at an early age. Activ4youth can begin to address the alarming rise of childhood obesity while providing children with a safe place to play after school. They bring x-country to elementary schools.
Every fall since 2009, Active4Youth has brought cross country to elementary students across Spokane County – more than 3,700 in Spokane Public Schools alone. They put on several races through the year such as the Zone meet where twice per season, the kids compete in a zone meet. This is where 5-7 schools’ race against each other to get a qualifying time for All City or All Valley at the end of the season. Check out the fun all these kids are having. Spokane All City which is what they train for! Based on a qualifying time by age, the kids live for this day where they get to race against everyone. It’s all we can do to keep the fans and parents off the course to celebrate with these champions. There’s a lot more information on their website with more meets, fundraisers, and registration for future races.
I have volunteered with this organization in the past. When working this organization, I was able to help set up the running event that was being help at a local elementary school. I was actively involved with kids, constantly engaging with them, and encouraging them as they ran. It was a wonderful experience watching kids get excited about running. Another great aspect about this organization is that it emphasizes the importance of keeping our bodies moving. This is a great tool for teaches to utilize and be in contact with because it makes a positive impact on student’s health, mental stability, and helps them build community through a commonality among other students. You can partner with this organization by heading to their website and clicking for more information on how to get involved and when local races will be put on in our community!
