Public Health: the importance of sports for our youth

Thinking about recent articles in the Delta County Independent, I've becoming concerned about the priorities of the City of Delta and the School District regarding the youth in our community.

Playing tennis at Cleland Park in Delta, Colorado as a 

senior at Delta High School. 

Delta is proposing drastic reductions in hours of operations for Bill Heddles Recreation Center and the School District has been forced to cut a plethora of athletic activities and elective courses from the curriculum.

When I was a freshman, a health speaker said that the best way to lose weight and maintain a healthy life style is to get onto a regime in high school. Typically, the lowest a person will weigh is on their high school graduation. I was 215 lb. my freshman year and worked hard to be at a healthy 160 lb. by graduation. I've fluctuated by 15 lb. both directions, but in the decade since graduation, I've maintained.

Had it not been for programs in school and the rec center, I could not have achieved the level of fitness I have today. In high school I played golf, tennis, and baseball. I also learned about weight lifting, stretching, and running. Today, I use the knowledge I gained then and it has been a lifelong benefit.

By getting kids into a sport they like, it serves society well in the long run by creating healthy adults. Tackling the obesity problem in America and the endemic cardiovascular problems should be a simple, low cost goal to achieve. Instead, local policy makers are saving a nickel now, only to see a dollar's worth of cost later.

Boredom is a major reason for juvenile offences; such as 

vandalism to private property.

Sports teach kids teamwork, competition, and activities they can use beyond their formative years. Most importantly, healthy activities keeps kids off the streets and out of gangs. Boredom is the number one cause of Juvenal offences in Colorado.

With fewer jobs, especially seasonal or part-time jobs for youth, activities to keep youth away from boredom are more important than ever. I'd like to challenge local policy makers to take another look at planned cuts and see if there is a way to achieve both physical health and fiscal health in a prudent and balanced manner.