FUEL UP TO PLAY 60 KICKOFF
By Anthony Attanasio, Nichols Elementary, Frisco ISD
We had a great opportunity to have Brandon Carr Defensive Back for the Dallas Cowboys and Rowdy the Dallas Cowboys mascot come to Nichols Elementary to kick off the Fuel Up to Play 60 program at our school. The Fuel Up to Play 60 program encourages youth to combine a diet of nutrient-rich foods with 60-minutes of activity every day. The American Heart Association recommends children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. We encourage students to get 30 minutes of activity a day here at school and encourage them to get the other 30 minutes at home.
Our 4th grade students were in attendance for the event. The kick off started with a few speakers: Charlotte Jones Anderson of the Dallas Cowboys “Jones” family, Frisco City’s Mayor Maso, and Frisco ISD Superintendent Dr. Lyon who all spoke about health and wellness in our community. These speakers were followed by Brandon Carr who spoke to the students about the struggles he had with weight, physical activity, and self-esteem when he was younger.
The students then moved into stations and worked through eight different activities in those stations. The stations included push-ups, planks, bicep curls, upright rows, step ups, squats, and lunges. The students rotated through the stations while Brandon Carr and Rowdy came around to help and motivate the students.
Following the event we have discussed with all of the students at Nichols about the important subjects of nutrition and physical activity that all of our guests spoke about that day. I know that our students involved in the event and the rest of our students have embraced the idea with great enthusiasm, and they are trying to get their 60 minutes of activity a day. We have had many students coming up to us since our program telling us what activities they have done outside of school to get their 30+ minutes of activity at home.