Twelve-year-old Jair Vascas, who attends P.S. 1 in West New York, loves to play soccer and baseball. But in a sign of the times, he only has gym class every Friday.
“We only have gym class once a week,” he said last week. “Every class has a different schedule.”
Students in many school districts are not enjoying daily gym classes as they used to, but a nationwide initiative will give them more chance to get exercise.
Excited fourth and sixth graders lined the sidewalks behind West New York’s P.S. 1 on Tuesday waiting for four members of the New York Giants football team to arrive. Gym teacher John Avalon helped prepare them for the obstacle courses they would later run with their favorite players.
“I’ll never wash my hand again!” – Michael Luciano
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The event was part of the NFL’s 13th annual day of service sponsored by NFL-United Way Hometown Huddle — a program that promotes the concept of incorporating 60 minutes of exercise a day as a part of the league’s youth health and wellness campaign. Team members league-wide help build fitness zones, host youth football clinics, and teach the importance of physical activity in children’s lives.
Playground scores a touchdown for child fitness
Fauta said the Fitness Zone is just another step in the right direction for West New York schools and their commitment to students’ physical fitness and well being. P.S. 1 received a silver medal last year from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a program founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation to reduce childhood obesity. They received the award in honor of their efforts to provide students with a fresher, more nutritional meal plan.
The Fitness Zone will allow students at P.S. 1 to enjoy 20 minutes of outdoor activity per day, Herrera announced at the ceremony, whereas beforehand they only had once-weekly rotating gym classes.
“In this urban area it is very difficult to find a playground like this one,” she said.
“It’s been a long time coming,” gym teacher John Avalon said of the playground and the program. He said it took two years to bring them to fruition.
In addition to the 20 minutes of structured activity, Avalon said the school plans to implement recess in the Fitness Zone in the early afternoons. This will keep the children active so that they’re “not in the street all the time,” he said.
West New York Commissioner FiorD’Aliza Frias also attended the ceremony. She and Mayor Roque have plans to implement evening intramural sports, too, such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball.
“Nutrition, education, and sports together make a healthier, more well-rounded student,” Roque said.
A lot more exercise, a little less hand washing
PS 1’s sixth and fourth graders, decked out in their Giants gear, sat on the street curbs shivering as they waited for their football heroes to arrive; but not for long. Soon both stars and students were jumping through ladder obstacles, tossing footballs, and weaving in and out of cones together.
Jair said of the new playground, “It’s cool! I like it!”
After fourth grader Michael Luciano shook Jake Ballard’s hand, he held his hand out in front of him in a phantom shake, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. He is a self-proclaimed “big, big, big, big” Giants fan. “I’ll never wash my hand again!” he exclaimed.
Sixth graders Staysha Cruz, Yazmin Gallardo, and Jesus Moran all wore Giants jerseys bearing Eli Manning’s number 10. (Manning, the quarterback, lives in Hoboken.) “He’s my favorite,” Staysha said shyly. All three said they were excited about the new Fitness Zone.
“It’s cool and fun and healthy,” Jesus said, “mostly because it’s outside. I love being outside.”
Gennarose Pope may be reached at gpope@hudsonreporter.com/a>