A WINNING SEASON CELEBRATING A DECADE OF YOUTH FITNESS WITH THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE FOUNDATION
As the NFL celebrates 100 years of football glory, we celebrate the NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram Project, a decade-long partnership between The Cooper Institute and the NFL Foundation. Together, we are working to improve the trajectory of children’s health and wellness by encouraging 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Part of the NFL Foundation’s mission is to make the next generation of youth the most active and healthy through programs like NFL PLAY 60 and Fuel Up to Play 60. Using FitnessGram by The Cooper Institute to measure the fitness levels of students across the country, we scientifically validated the effectiveness of the NFL’s school-based fitness and nutrition programs.
Healthy habits start early and have a lasting impact. Our groundbreaking research with the NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram Project proves that children who participate in school-based fitness programs have improved aerobic fitness, lower body mass index (BMI), and higher academic scores and better attendance. NFL PLAY 60 is the only school-based youth fitness program proven by research from The Cooper Institute. While NFL PLAY 60 has the wide reach, visibility and excitement that comes with any NFL-affiliated program, greater school participation is needed to have the most impact on American children.
Our FitnessGram research proves that improved physical activity and fitness plays an important role in overall student health and academic achievement, including improved reading and math scores. This can have a lasting impact on our youth that may carry over into adulthood as they enter the workforce or the military. Currently, 75% of young adults are not fit for military service in large part because of obesity and poor fitness. This problem also translates into the workforce where poor health is driving up the cost of healthcare and driving down productivity.
Fitness is the key to building stronger schools, stronger communities and a stronger workforce. Help us make a greater impact in our communities by bringing NFL PLAY 60 and FitnessGram to more schools. Together, we can improve youth fitness and build a healthier generation for the future. Learn more and get involved by visiting the NEW FitnessGram website at fitnessgram.net.
Our scientific papers have been cited in congressional testimony and utilized during key Capitol Hill visits by our partners and advocates, proving that we all share the same vision for a healthier America. As new opportunities are explored in states such as Arkansas, Arizona, Missouri and Montana, our volunteers and partners are driving the shared mission to improve public health by emphasizing the importance of physical activity, fitness and tobacco prevention.
THE POWER OF VOLUNTEER ADVOCACY Nearly half a century of research from The Cooper Institute has allowed key decision makers to advance policies that improve public health across the country and around the world, thanks to powerful research and passionate volunteers. Our mission to build a healthier generation continues to gain momentum thanks to an army of voices sharing the data and the impact made in their community, their state, or even in their personal lives. We are stronger together. Over 30 passionate volunteers joined us this year to March Forth to the Capitol in Austin - teachers, school administrators, parents, business leaders, healthcare administrators, and legislators - to advance policy priorities at every level.
In our home state of Texas, an army of volunteers thwarted efforts to repeal school physical fitness requirements while strengthening early childcare standards relating to physical activity, nutrition and limited screen time. Texas also passed a historic piece of legislation, becoming the sixteenth state to raise the purchase age from 18 to 21 years for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. “We are very happy about the passage of Tobacco 21 in Texas, but we still need smoke-free workplaces for patrons and employees of restaurants, sports bars and other establishments,” said Steve Love, president and CEO of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. “We need all community stakeholders to protect everyone from the dangers of second-hand smoke and change this epidemic use of vapor products by our young people.” The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity and the Personal Investment Today (PHIT) Coalition are just two of the many organizations who share this vision for healthier communities. Together, armed with evidence-based science from The Cooper Institute, we are driving change through public health policies across the United States.
“Volunteers are an integral part of healthcare and the real heroes in community initiatives,” said Love. We are thankful to the many volunteers and partners who are driving change that improves public health, pushing life-saving public policies, and helping build a healthier generation now and Well. Into the Future.
Join us! Visit www.cooperinstitute.org/ advocacy/ to get involved and be an advocate for public health!
Meet Joel Romo:
Joel Romo joins us as the Vice President of Governmental Affairs for The Cooper Institute, bringing with him over 25 years of experience representing the legislative interests of clients at the local, state and federal levels. His vast portfolio of public health and education expertise, along with state budgetary experience, is advancing our mission to improve public health at every level. Romo is a graduate of St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas and was recently named a distinguished alumni of Brenham High School.
