CAROLINA ASCENT INVESTS IN FIT KICKS
Fit Kicks is being launched in the Spring of 2027 with several elementary school within CMS. The goal is to track youth participation in the program and provide opportunity to engage with the Ascent team via videos posted on school websites to encourage soccer, running, activity and overall physical activity. The program encourages all students, regardless of athletic ability to find an hour each day to engage in physical play/activity. The schools that record the highest level of student engagement and record the highest level of physical activity will be able to participate in Fitness Field Days with the team. Participants will receive free tickets and engage in a variety of other opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. The goal will be to encourage a habit of daily exercise, and incorporate incentives and accountability via a self-reporting tool.
There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that many young people in our current generation are less healthy than their parents due to lack of physical activity. Recent studies on the sedentary lifestyle of our young generation are alarming as the data shows that our children are at critical risk for future health challenges, poor school success, and overall reduction in the quality of life due to lack of physical activity which impacts the body, mind and overall wellbeing of our young generation.
There is a growing body of evidence that points to significant well-being issues for youth who are not active and lack physical activity on a regular basis and are considered overweight or obese. A recent cross-sectional study (using data from the National Survey of Children’s Health) — involving over 22,000 children aged 10–17 — found that children with obesity were substantially less likely to display five “school-related flourishing” markers (finishing homework, showing interest in learning, completing tasks, staying calm when challenged, and caring about academics) than children with normal BMI. Only 28.9% of children with obesity had all 5 markers, compared to 40.5% of children with normal BMI. PubMed
Another U.S. study (from K-5th grade) showed that children with obesity were less likely to achieve above-median reading and mathematics scores than their healthy-weight peers. Differences remained even after adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, age, and socioeconomic status. PubMed
The solution to turn the tide on this epidemic is not complicated but needs partnership and incentive to encourage our youth to “get fit” and engage in a variety of physical fitness activities to assist in maintaining a healthy body weight.
