NIApedia

In this era of PlayStation and playdates, where gym class is virtually a thing of the past, keeping your child active isn't so easy. It's so tough, in fact, that it may take an effort of Olympic-size proportions to get kids moving again--or a former Olympian of petite proportions (5-feet-3): Dominique Dawes.

In 1992 Dawes became the first African-American gymnast to compete in the Olympic Games. After capturing a team bronze medal in Barcelona, Spain, "Awesome Dawesome," as she was called by her U.S. Olympic teammates, clinched an individual bronze medal in the floor exercises at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, as well as a team gold medal.

Now, as president-elect of the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), she's encouraging America's girls to live more active lives. "One in 6 American girls is obese or overweight [versus 1 in 21 girls in 1970, according to the National Center for Health Statistics]. That's a big reason why we need to get out there and educate young girls on the benefits of sports participation and physical fitness," said Dawes in an interview with NiaOnline.

"African-American girls are twice as likely [as White girls] to develop symptoms of cardiovascular disease and become overweight from physical inactivity," she added.

Reversing this trend is the aim of a new WSF program, said Dawes. "GoGirlGo is a national call to action to get one million girls, ages 8 to 18, involved in sports participation and physical activity." The three-year, multimillion-dollar initiative also aims to keep another one million girls from dropping out of a sport or other physical activity. It includes sports grants, peer mentoring, educational programs, and a Web site where girls can learn about more than 100 sports and physical activities and share their experiences via message boards.

Though the focus is, in essence, "child's play," parents should take the call to action seriously. "It's been shown that young girls have been suffering physically, psychologically, and socially by not being involved in sports," said Dawes. For instance, women and girls who participate in regular exercise suffer lower rates of depression, according to studies cited in a May 2004 report by WSF. Additionally, female athletes are less likely to be sexually active, in part because they tend to be more concerned than female nonathletes about getting pregnant, according to another study cited by WSF.

There are other benefits. "Physically, sports participation gives you a great deal more energy," Dawes explained. "It can also be a preventive measure against ailments such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, lung cancer, breast cancer, and osteoporosis, just to name a few.

"Socially, it's just great. I've had the benefit of being involved in sports for 18 years, working in a competitive environment, with teammates who were supportive, and just learning the benefits of cooperation, camaraderie, and being a part of a team."

As for the psychological benefits: "In sports you learn to develop confidence and self-esteem. You learn to steer away from the negatives out there, such as drinking and smoking, because you know it's not going to benefit you in your sports," said Dawes.

However, the girls can't reap these benefits by themselves. Parents need to get in on the act for the active lifestyle to really take hold, said Dawes. "Unfortunately, many programs in schools have disappeared because of funding or other issues, but there's still time throughout the day to get your child to understand the benefits of sports participation and to encourage them by being a good example. It's not just about physical fitness for children; it's also about physical fitness for adults."

Sheryl Huggins is editor-in-chief of NiaOnline

Published on: 07/20/2004







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