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Joint Use & How It can Help
Joint use is a way to increase opportunities for children and adults to be more physically active. It refers to two or more entities - usually a school and a city or private organization - sharing indoor and outdoor spaces like gymnasiums, athletic fields and playgrounds. The concept is simple: share resources to keep costs down and communities healthy. With limited resources it is wise use, safe use and maximum use. Any and all properties purchased with tax dollars are publicly owned properties. How can Missoula maximize the use of these properties to serve Missoula County residents better, especially those with the fewest resources? For further information about joint use and the Active Kids recommendations for joint use click here.
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What would appear to be obvious for kids who participate in team sports, namely they are getting their needed exercise, is not especially true. A recent study of 200 kids aged 7-14 who participate in soccer, baseball or softball teams found an alarming number of kids who were getting only a small amount of moderate-to-vigorous activity. For the complete study click here. The overall recommendation is that the health effects of youth sports could be improved by adopting policies and practices that ensure youth obtain sufficient physical activity during practices. Some examples are: emphasizing participation over competition, sponsoring teams for all skill levels across all ages, ensuring access by lower-income youth with sliding scales for fees, increasing practice frequency, extending short seasons, using pedometers or accelerometers to monitor physical activity periodically during practices, providing coaches strategies to increase physical activity and supporting youth and parents in obtaining adequate physical activity on non-practice days. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Missoula Active Kids Meetings
The last Active Kids meeting was December 8, 2010. Meeting highlights can be read by clicking here. Please join us for the March meeting. In order to accommodate many schedules we are surveying folks to set the date and time. If you are interested in attending please participate in the Doodle survey by clicking here. When can you meet in March?
Please send agenda items for March meeting to Mary McCourt at: mmccourt@co.missoula.mt.us or call her at 258-3895.
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