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Individuals, agencies, businesses and organizations committed to enhancing and increasing kids physical activity.


Founding members:

 
Missoula Parks and Recreation, Missoula Family YMCA, The University of Montana, Missoula Forum for Children & Youth, Missoula City-County Health Department

Missoula Active Kids Newsletter
January 2011
In This Issue
Joint Use of Facilities
Kids' Team Sports
Active Kids Meetings & Minutes

 
Welcome to the Active Kids Newsletter. This bi-monthly newsletter will include both local updates and national information regarding the importance of physical activity for the health and well- being of children

MEMBERS' CORNER

 
 

Missoula Parks &  Recreation is offering a fun-packed winter schedule of activities including the Frost Fever 5K Run/Walk on January 29th. 

Click here for the complete schedule and registration.  Remember

that Parks & Rec offers some program fees on a sliding scale.  Please make scholarship requests when registering for a program.  Call 721-PARK for more into. 

Quick Links...
MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula
  • Community Medical Center
  • Lolo School   
  • Missoula Children and Nature
  • Missoula City-County Health Department
  • Missoula City-County Office of Public Grants
  • Missoula County Parks  
  • Missoula County Public Schools
  • Missoula County Superintendent of Schools
  • Missoula Forum for Children & Youth
  •  Missoula Parks and Recreation
  • Montana State University College of Nursing
  • Playground Enhancement Project
  • REI
  • Run Wild Missoula
  • Safe Routes to Schools
  • Summit Independent Living Center
  • St. Patrick Hospital and Health Services
  • Target Range School
  • The Flagship Program
  • The Missoula YMCA     
  • The University of Montana
     
Join the Active Kids Mailing List 

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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Kids' Team Sports Often Lacking in Exercise


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? 


 

    
bobsledding 
 

 
 

Please send agenda items for March meeting to Mary McCourt at:  mmccourt@co.missoula.mt.us  or call her at 258-3895.

For further information about Missoula Active Kids please contact:
Mary McCourt
258-3895
mmccourt@co.missoula.mt.us
 

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