COOPER
Improving youth fitness through assessment, science and research.
Since it’s inception in 1981, FitnessGram by The Cooper Institute has continued to evolve to best measure student fitness levels across the country. The latest evolution can be seen in the new student reports. FitnessGram is an assessment that measures student fitness levels. Over 10 million students across the country take this test annually and receive a detailed report evaluating their overall aerobic and physical health.
Together, these changes allow students to better understand their FitnessGram results. With the help of parents and teachers, students can set new fitness goals to improve their overall physical health.
Designed to be more user-friendly and interactive, the new student reports take on more of an infographic feel with graphs that mimic the look of a sliding scale.
Improving physical fitness in children has been at the heart of our mission since the beginning.
The new design makes it easier for students, teachers and parents to see if their child is in the healthy zone for each of the five tested categories: aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance and flexibility. Parents reviewing the report can learn how fit their child is and see year-over-year progress in a new student friendly design.
Even the founding charter of The Cooper Institute clearly states our intent to “improve the effectiveness of physical education programs… [and] to educate, motivate and prepare school children” for a lifetime of healthy habits. FitnessGram continued on page 3...
SAMPLE FITNESSGRAM FitnessGram measures:
1 HEART HEALTH
STUDENT REPORT 2 BODY HEALTH
3 MUSCLE FITNESS
FALL EDITION
|
2018
QUARTERLY
Legacy Award Dinner Honoring Legacy Award Recipient
Arthur M. Blank
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Atlanta Falcons | Atlanta United
THE POWER OF LEGACY LIES IN THE POWER TO CHANGE LIVES.
Left to Right: Craig Menear, Kenneth Cooper, David Glass, Arthur Blank
That was the unofficial theme of this year’s Legacy Award Dinner benefiting The Cooper Institute. Held at the beautiful Belo Mansion in downtown Dallas, the event was a veritable who’s who of health and wellness champions. The evening began with the story of a champion - our Well.Hero, Orville Rogers. At 101 years old, Rogers has become a viral internet sensation for breaking 18 world records in track and field since the age of 90.
“I read Dr. Cooper’s book when I was 50 years old, and I started running the very next day,” said Rogers who is on the cover of this month’s issue of Money magazine.
Past Well.Hero. recipient Bob Shapard, Debbie Dennis
Laura DeFina, Orville Rogers
Following dinner, the board chairman for The Cooper Institute, Dr. Tedd Mitchell, spoke about the importance of building a better future by improving the health of our students. As the newly appointed chancellor of the Texas Tech University System, Dr. Mitchell knows all about preparing future generations to be life-ready adults. “Our country’s future depends on strong, healthy people to get the job done,” said Mitchell. “A healthy workforce starts with healthy youth. Fitness makes kids ready to take on the challenges of life.”
Keynote speaker Craig Menear, CEO of The Home Depot, added to the discussion about building a healthier generation. “Legacy is built within,” said Menear. “The values we pass on are our greatest gift to the future.”
Carol Murphy, Stan Richards
Tedd Mitchell
Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper introduced the Legacy Award honoree, Arthur Blank, by focusing on his achievements in his home state of Georgia. As the owner of the Atlanta Falcons and co-founder of The Home Depot, Blank was an instrumental force in making FitnessGram by The Cooper Institute the state-wide youth fitness assessment in all Georgia public schools. Since the establishment of FitnessGram in Georgia, the state now boasts improved fitness levels, reduced obesity levels, and higher SAT scores. It is a testament to the power of fitness and proof that healthy children are more successful. The Legacy Award is given annually to a champion of health and wellness, someone who takes on the mission of The Cooper Institute and helps make change. Few people have done as much in that regard as this year’s recipient. As Blank took to the stage, he also spoke of leaving a legacy.
Left to Right: Karen and David Spain, Shelly and Tom Codd
Left to Right: Oliver Blank, Nancy Blank, Angie Blank, Arthur Blank
2018 Legacy Award Dinner Sponsors Presenting Sponsors Kenneth and Millie Cooper David and Ruth Glass Drayton and Elizabeth McLane Platinum Sponsors The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Roger and Marianne Staubach Gold Sponsors PwC/Tom and Shelly Codd Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Lyda Hill The Men and Women of Hunt Consolidated, Inc. Oncor Gail and Steve Reinemund Silver Sponsors AT&T The Richards Group Troy Aikman Margo and James W. Keyes Charles Anderson/Tedd Mitchell, MD Orville C. Rogers Sandra and Elmer Doty Westwood Wealth Management/ Gallagher Meridith and Brian Casey Foley Gardere
“We all ask ourselves from time to time ‘What is the purpose of my life’ and ‘What have I done with my life?’ said Blank in his acceptance speech. “The legacy we leave matters.” Blank credits Dr. Cooper’s book with changing his life, spurring him on to become a marathoner and saving him from an early death from cardiovascular disease.
“Without exercise, I wouldn’t be alive today,” said Blank. “The influence of his work [here] and around the world is incredible.”
Past Legacy Award Recipients: Left to Right: Ray L. Hunt, Lyda Hill, Roger Staubach, Drayton McLane, Jr.
The event was co-hosted by board members and executive chairs David Glass, owner of the Kansas City Royals, and Drayton McLane Jr., the owner of the McLane Group and last year’s Legacy Award recipient. Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Scott Murray served as master of ceremonies and ended the evening with a heartfelt plea for support.
“The Cooper Institute mission is so vital to our future, our children’s future, and our grandchildren’s future. The gift of health is one of the greatest we can give.” The Legacy Award Dinner raised over $700,000 for The Cooper Institute to support the mission and help build a healthier generation now and Well. Into the Future.
Left to Right: Scott Murray, Carole Murray, Nancy Ann Hunt, Ray L. Hunt
FitnessGram (cont.) Back in the 1960s and 70s, only 13 percent of adults and 6 percent of children in the U.S. were obese. Now nearly 40 percent of adults and 19 percent of children are obese, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with wide variances among racial and socio-economic groups. Even though the benefits of aerobic fitness are now well established, fewer adults and children are physical activity in their daily lives. FitnessGram by The Cooper Institute is an important tool to help reverse that trend by educating and motivating students and their families to make fitness a priority.
Educating students about the value of fitness is an important lesson that lasts a lifetime.
Obesity often begins in childhood and is linked to a host of cardiovascular risk factors, diabetes, asthma and psychological problems leading to lifelong health issues. Building healthier students now leads to a healthier workforce later.
Whole child health leads to whole child success. That’s what makes FitnessGram an essential part of any physical education curriculum. It’s about learning what activities the student enjoys to build a lifetime of healthy habits. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This has been the mantra for Dr. Kenneth Cooper since the beginning. FitnessGram has grown to be the leading assessment of youth physical fitness in the world.
As the national youth fitness assessment for the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, FitnessGram is the evidence-based tool for measuring and promoting aerobic health to all students. We now know, after nearly 36 years of data, that whole child health leads to whole child success. In 2015, FitnessGram data showed that students in participating Dallas/Ft. Worth Healthy Zone Schools had higher attendance rates and reading and math scores than non-participants. In 2016, the data also showed that students in NFL Play 60 FitnessGram schools displayed annual improvements in aerobic capacity and body mass index. That’s why FitnessGram is so important. It gives a real, unbiased look at the overall physical health of a child. There has never been a more important time to rely on irrefutable, evidence-based data than right now.
With this new report in hand, students, parents and teachers can help make healthy decisions that will carry them Well. Into the Future. 2010 1982
FitnessGram officially launched with support from Campbell Soup
1987
FitnessGram Scientific Advisory Board formed to ensure evidence-based research standards
2007
FitnessGram implemented as state-wide assessment in Texas and Delaware
2009
NFL Play 60 FitnessGram launched
Perot International Youth Data Center established; FitnessGram implemented as state-wide assessment in Georgia
2012
Presidential Youth Fitness Program adopts FitnessGram as the national fitness assessment
2016 2014
FitnessGram implemented as state-wide assessment in Oklahoma and South Carolina
2015
NFL Play 60 FitnessGram shows student improvement in aerobic capacity and body mass index
FitnessGram data for Healthy Zone Schools in DFW shows higher attendance rates and test scores in reading and math
2017
FitnessGram implemented as state-wide assessment in Vermont
The Cooper Institute Board of Trustees: Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH Chairman Emeritus The Cooper Institute was founded in 1970 by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper as a non-profit organization with a simple vision to prove that exercise is medicine.
Support The Cooper Institute’s mission by making a gift at: CooperInstitute.org/Donate
Tedd Mitchell, MD Chairman of the Board Charles Anderson Vice Chairman of the Board Stephen D. Good Secretary of the Board
12330 Preston Road, Dallas, TX 75230 972-341-3200 | CooperInstitute.org
Leadership
Follow The Cooper Institute:
Laura F. DeFina, MD, FACP Chief Executive Officer
Troy Aikman Arthur M. Blank Brian O. Casey Thomas W. Codd Tyler C. Cooper, MD, MPH Susan Dell Elmer L. Doty Tony Evans, ThD David D. Glass
Ray L. Hunt James W. Keyes Drayton McLane, Jr. Ambassador Jeanne L. Phillips Nina Radford, MD Steven S. Reinemund Eduardo J. Sanchez, MD, MPH Roger Staubach
Amy Johnson Chief Development Officer
Shebronda Blackburn Vice President of Development
WELCOME The Cooper Institute is pleased to introduce Shebronda Blackburn, the new Vice President of Development.
“I am excited to join The Cooper Institute and to share my passion for overall health and wellness of adults and children,” said Blackburn. With over 25 years of experience as a development and marketing leader, most recently with the American Heart Association, she has a long history of building relationships with top executives, major sponsors, and key corporate and community leaders.
Her proven ability to grow mission-driven partnerships and sponsorships will serve The Cooper Institute well into the future. “We are thrilled to have her expertise as we work to build corporate awareness and engagement,” said Amy Johnson, Chief Development Officer.
“I want healthy living to be a lifestyle,” said Blackburn. “We have to ensure that our children are physically active and eating healthy so they can carry those habits into adulthood.”
RESEARCH MATTERS The Cooper Institute research summit brought together leading physicians and scientists from elite institutions around the country for insights into future directions for the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study (CCLS). The CCLS is the world’s largest physical fitness and health database that includes measured fitness.
Nationally recognized researchers joined The Cooper Institute research staff to discuss what important health-related studies that can be performed with the existing database. The team also discussed which key new areas of studies should be pursued, such as the complex relationship between heart health and brain health. The group also brainstormed ways by which The Institute can partner with academic institutions, as well as the public and private sector. Attendees included:
The Cooper Institute:
William Haskell, PhD - Stanford University Jarett Berry, MD - University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Harold Kohl, PhD - University of Texas Health Science Center School of Public Health Wendy Kohrt, PhD - University of Colorado School of Medicine William Kraus, MD - Duke University I-Min Lee, MD, MPH, ScD - Harvard University Benjamin Levine, MD - University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine Charles Matthews, PhD - National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
Eduardo Sanchez, MD - Board of Trustees Member Laura DeFina, MD - President and CEO Amy Johnson, BS - Chief Development Officer Benjamin Willis, MD - Director of Epidemiology Beth Wright, PhD - Senior Epidemiologist David Leonard, PhD - Biostatistician Stephen Farrell, PhD - Senior Investigator Andjelka Pavlovic, PhD - Youth Investigator
Photo by David Woo / AP
Remembering
Caroline Rose Hunt 1923 - 2018
Caroline Rose Hunt shared The Cooper Institute’s passion for whole child health and wellness. Her generosity recently introduced us to the Vision Impact Institute, allowing us to work together to improve fitness and vision in children. We are so grateful for her spirit and commitment to the community.
She will be greatly missed.
