Follow on Google News News By Tag Industry News News By Place Country(s) Industry News
Follow on Google News | Oakland University helping to support Pontiac youth soccer programThe soccer program is part of Healthy Pontiac, We Can!, a community initiative led by OU health sciences professor Jennifer Lucarelli.
“With the growing childhood obesity epidemic, providing free or low-cost opportunities for children to get physical activity in a safe setting in their community is critical,” said Jennifer Lucarelli (http://wwwp.oakland.edu/ The program is entirely free for participating children. Kids just drop-in, no prior registration is required. The session consists of a half hour of skills/lessons, and a half hour of fun game play. Healthy Pontiac, We Can! provides all the equipment (balls, shin guards, pop up soccer nets, cones, jerseys) at each of the sites through generous donations of community partners. The goal of the program is to fill in that gap between the kids that join a team or league and those who get no exercise. It is another way that Pontiac kids get an opportunity to be active. “I had one boy, about 12 years old, come up to me after a Friday lesson and exclaim, ‘I feel alive again’ and went on to tell us he hadn’t played soccer in 5 years! That makes it all worth it,” added Lucarelli. Professional players and coaches from the Michigan Stars Football Club (http://michiganstarsfc.com/ All of the soccer sessions are scheduled at sites that are part of the Meet Up & Eat Up program (http://www.michigan.gov/ “Soccer is scheduled either right before or right after the meal so that kids have an opportunity to not only get an hour of physical activity, but also have access to a nutritious meal,” added Lucarelli. “This was something that all of our community sponsors really appreciated about the program.” Here is a list of Meet Up & Eat Up with Summer Soccer program locations (http://www.oakland.edu/ Mondays @ Richardson Park from 5pm-6pm; (Meal 6 p.m. - 6:25 p.m.) Wednesdays @ WHRC from 11am-12pm; (Meal 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) Thursdays @ Murphy Park from 1pm-2pm; (Meal 12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.) Fridays @ Walton Park Manor from 1pm-2pm; (Meal 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.) End
Account Email Address Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse
|
|