I can hear it how, “Taft doesn’t have a clue!”
If you don’t understand the enormity of my message in probably “the most important blog” I have ever posted, then you are not paying attention to the health of our youth. I don’t doubt the importance of health care and the mission of the government, but their attention should be directed toward improving the health and wellness of our youth. If we ignore our children’s health, then the health care issue doesn’t mean a thing. The attention will have to turn towards opening up more funeral homes.
Our youth are in trouble and what do we have people saying, “Nothing is more important than our children’s education.” Give me a break! I have been in education my entire life and believe it is extremely important. But, education should always take a back seat to health, fitness, and wellness. If you want to hear what I really think close the doors and just sit and listen.
This message might save our children’s life….
Hi Lee.
What a passionate speech!! And i totally agree with you. I’m an NASM-PES,CPT from Bangalore, India and my company runs P.E. and Sports programs for schools.
In India, academics is ALWAYS considered much more important than physical activity in schools. Like you, i wish parents would realise that a degree in hand without health is only going to enable these kids to eventually pay their hospital bills!!
I have 2 sons (one’ Brandon!) and i will do everything to help them realise the utmost important of physical activity and health. So here’s to changing youth health worldwide!! Lets do this!
Kishen.
Lee,
Thanks for the passionate plea regarding the importance of general health and nutrition. I agree with you in philosophy, but not in practicality. I agree that the health of our children is of absolute importance. I strongly believe, however, that is a matter of personal responsibility – something that seems to be terribly lacking in our current entitlement society. I believe (and I know I will get many daggers thrown my way for this) schools should stick to academic education. Mom’s and Dad’s are responsible for the well being of their children, not the taxpayers. If schools would stick to academic education (reading, writing, arithmetic, science – including general health education – and history) and get rid of all the fluff, our kids would be much better educated, and will have time after school to participate in extracurricular activities. Of course, that means they would have to turn off their electronic babysitters, stay off the couch, keep their fingers out of the potato chip bag, and get outside and get active. Lee, I am a physical therapist, the father of six children, the oldest four are homeschooled, the younger two are not yet school age. The five oldest are very active with our local soccer club, through which I do a lot of speed and agility training with the club level teams. I know how much time it takes to give our kids a quality education. In schools, much of the day is wasted with things that should be taught by Mom and Dad at home. My wife (also an avid runner/marathoner) is the primary school teacher of our children, she finishes the school day in about four hours (currently four different grade levels, and I can assure you they receive a very high quality education) and has plenty of time for extracurricular activities, including playing outside – if anyone can remember what that is… So, Lee, if you want to fault someone for the poor health of our kids, don’t blame the School System, as I don’t believe it is their responsibility, blame Mom and Dad. Shame on them for not taking better care of thier children and for not setting a better example and having higher expectations for and of their children!
I admire the work you do, Lee, and I am grateful for your regular blogs. I look forward to meeting you at IYCA in February!
– Alan
Lee,
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I have been a proponent of this fact for over 30 years and can’t tell you the number of times I have had to argue with ignorant individuals as to how important it is to not cut out physical education programs.
I was fortunate to have been in an educational system in Albuquerque, NM in the early 60’s that had the greatest PE programs I could’ve ever wished for.
That, and my instructors, influenced me strongly to get into the Physical Education field.
It sickens me to walk into a store and see grossly overweight individuals “walking” or riding around the available scooters provided. I have obese kids all around my neighborhood. A study was just released that 1 out of 3 kids in the next couple of years will have Type II Diabetes, which is avoidable.
I can honestly tell you I am doing my part to help fix this problem with as many solutions as I am able.
I have been a Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetic for 48 years and will be 60 this coming December. I stay extremely active (Just did a workout this morning consisting of 6 Rounds of 170 lb. Deadlift (BW) and 200 meter runs) along with a warm-up.
So, again, THANK YOU!!!
We all need to be emphatic about the poor health of our nation and do our part to take care of it.
Keep up the great work!
Thank you and God bless you Lee. Guy
Lee
That was one of the most important speeches I have heard in a long time.
I cannot agree with you more. I am not sure where to start in my community so if you have any suggestions please send me an email.
May I use this email in an effort to gain interest.
Thank
Jim
Hi Jim,
thanks so much. I would start with the PTO/PTA in your schools. It is a tough battle but if we at least get people in our community talking about it and thinking about their options. Any time you come across quality food choices pass them out to people in charge of youth organizations and any parents you feel will help support you. I know not everyone is going to respond well to this but if we don’t make people think more about it, it will keep getting worse. I hope this helps and i appreciate your concern.
WOW!! WTG Lee…nothing better than straight forward, no nonsense, straight to the point, not sorry if this hurts information!!
BTW – my son has now changed his major to Fitness and Exercise Sciences. So going to make him sit during winter break and go through your Speed Seminar materials and DVDs.
Thanks Steve,
If you knew some of the conversations i have had and things i listened to in the past few weeks you would understand why i finally lost it. I try not to lose my focus and cool but when i see overweight kids eating the way they do and not getting any exercise and people telling me kids need to focus more on acacemics than their fitness and health- Rrrrr!
Congrats on your son. I am sure he will do great things in this field.
Let’s not fool ourselves. This has nothing to do with the health of our country nor saving the economy.
This has everything to do with taking control of our lives and money and gaining more political power.
If we don’t wake up now and vote all the bums out in 2010, then we can’t complain.
We have been too complacent for far too long. It’s time to wake up and get involved or our kids won’t have
a free country to do anything.
I use to think I need to raise my kids to be good, God fearing people some day so that they can lead this country.
This is still true, but the future of America is not intheir hands, it’s in our hands now while we are still free.
If we don’t stand up now, our kids will regret our laziness and pay the price.
Lee, I congratulate you for stepping out and conveying the fact that children’s health are the most important thing in education. Because without having good health, learning will definitely be affected negatively. As a physical educator, I attempt to stress the importance of daily fitness to all of my students. But I also encounter many people who believe that PE is a class that brings no value to students, which I totally disagree with. I guess to some degree we deserve those comments, but people just don’t understand how band our society’s health really is. Thanks for putting yourself out there to help our kids live a strong and long life.
Thanks Warren,
It goes to tell you how far away we have come as a society when people can’t figure out the foundation of our exsistence is health, fitness, well being. All the other areas of academic education are so important for the advancement of our society and individual growth. But if you take the physical away you have nothing.
Keep pushing for what is right!
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