Cory Clemmons Assignment #

3 Rec 460 Spring 2016

The need for programs specifically middle school youth in Bowling Green, Kentucky is
enormous in our community, and as the Cheers Club we are almost prepared to take on
this challenge. The involvement in physical activity and education on basic health habits
are essential in todays society, especially in youth ages 10 13 years old. In an
average community, physical and health education is required within the curriculum. As
a result, students learn the basic food pyramid that teaches the daily requirements
suggested to intake in a day. This promotes a healthy lifestyle creating a better chance
to avoid high blood or cholesterol, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and other health
issues. Additionally, with physical education classes, it not only provides a study break
from their required courses in school. It provides an alternate way to be active and avoid
sedentary behavior, which is becoming more common in todays society.
In the past six months there were large budget cuts in the education department in our
city. All middle school and high school physical education and health classes are
completely removed from schools. The local government also cut back on physical
education and health teachers in the schools to provide more funding for pay raise for
the higher departments in schools. Students do not have the opportunity to learn this
vital information needed to grow as a healthy adult and we would like to provide this
opportunity for them. Because todays youth are not taught the importance of healthy
lifestyles and proper physical education within their schools, it is our duty as the Cheers
Club to educate youth.
The government took away $35,000 from the school districts budget and transferred it
to another departments in schools for the city. This budget covered direct cost of
teachers salaries, most of these teachers taught either physical education or health
courses, which left teachers out of jobs or teaching other subjects. Ultimately this left
middle and high school students without these courses. Additionally, according to our
survey conducted nearly 3 months ago of middle school students that were not already
participants of the Cheers Club at Warren County Middle School, more than 89% of the
students surveyed would want time for outdoor recreational activities throughout the
day. Almost 70% of these same middle school students surveyed they did not know
much about healthy lifestyle habits, or how to read the food pyramid. Almost 94%
student stated they would attend Cheers Club with the knowledge of this program being
taught.
Warren County Middle School, the main program site used for the after school program
Cheers Club, is located about sixteen miles from the Bowling Green Parks and
Recreation Center. The families of Bowling Green visit this free park because of its
central location and large space for numerous recreation activities. However, as for the
middle school students, it would not be an ideal place to go after school without
transportation. The county facility is the Gary Ransdell Park located about five miles
behind Warren County Middle School, has spacious areas for outdoor activities
surrounded by gated areas only open during the middle of the day. This location is
closer in proximity towards our Cheers Club meeting location, however we do not have
the transportation to drive to either location. Safety always becomes an issue to walk
over 250 students to this park. Another county facility is the WKU Community Center,

Cory Clemmons Assignment #

3 Rec 460 Spring 2016
located behind the University about fourteen miles from our normal program facility. It
provides an indoor basketball court, sport equipment, as well as a kitchen for education
on healthy eating habits; but the Cheers Club would have to schedule certain times the
facility can be used along with payment upon use. Transportation also becomes an
issue with this facility.
Any or most doctors will agree youth need at least 60 minutes of cardio a day along with
education on healthy nutritional habits. The lack of these tools for middle school aged
students can be detrimental in their later stages in life. While the obvious health issues
are a risk, as these middle school aged students grow and develop without these vital
lifestyle changes, their unhealthy lifestyles will pass onto their children and eventually a
later generation will be without proper physical activity and healthy lifestyles. According
to Health Issue vol. 34 in 2014 detailed risks were discussed by a series of doctors on
the lack of physical activities such as obesity, anxiety, depression, higher risk of certain
types of cancers. Additionally, a lack of healthy nutrition can cause weak immune
system, anemia (lack of iron), heart disease, and osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones).
Each student in middle school in the Bowling Green community will not be able to learn
each of these risks by a lack of exercise and nutrition unless the Cheers Club is able to
create a program to solve these issues.
The city of Bowling Green, Kentucky is served by the program site at the Warren County
Middle School. It is most densely populated location for the Middle School because of it
downtown location. As for the city of Bowling Green, it is a smaller city within the state of
about 61,000 people per square mile. Athletics and sport complexes are at an all time
low in retention rates within the past two years; around 13% funded by the
governments budget, and slowly decreasing each year. Around thirty-two percent of
middle school aged kids are overweight and twelve percent are obese. We compared
this to Nashville, Tennessees middle schools and the students were found to be around
twenty percent overweight and ten percent obese because of the active physical
education and nutrition class in the schools. As for the reasons for the city of Bowling
Green being a main contributor of obesity and health risk, we have selected Warren
County Middle School to begin our physical education and nutrition course for.
A physical education and nutrition program added within the Cheers Club will benefit not
only during students time in middle school, but throughout their development and
growth throughout the years. Physical activity and learning the basic nutrition are
excellent benefits because it will produce long-term health benefits and reduces risk of
many types of health issues. This is considered to be important skills that are essential
in development according to doctors. The Cheers Club already works often with the
middle school students during our after school program. We strive to create a better and
positive environment for todays youth and while we already offer computers and other
tutoring sessions for the middle school students, the opportunity to have an outdoor
recreational area and a kitchen for a cooking center will benefit the students in the long
run. Our hope is to reduce the rate of obesity and overweight in student in Warren
County Middle School with our health program.

Cory Clemmons Assignment #

3 Rec 460 Spring 2016