DOH Leon Celebrates National Youth Sports Week 

July 19, 2022

DOH Leon Celebrates National Youth Sports Week

Tallahassee, Fla --- The Florida Department of Health in Leon County (DOH Leon) joins The National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS), The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other key partners celebrating National Youth Sports Week this year from July 20 to 26. It's a time to raise awareness around the importance of youth sports in our communities.

The benefits of sports for youth are numerous. Youth sports help get young people active and teach various important life skills, such as compassion, patience, work ethic, teamwork, and healthy exercise habits. The CDC recommends that children and teens engage in one or more hours of physical activity every day. In addition to this, it is recommended that the exercise should include cardio and muscle and bone strengthening.

The American Council on Exercise lists the following top 10 reasons youth should get plenty of exercise:

1. Youth who exercise are more likely to keep exercising as an adult.
2. Exercise helps children achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
3. Regular physical activity helps build and maintain strong, healthy muscles, bones, and joints.
4. Exercise aids in the development of important interpersonal skills—this is especially true for participation in team sports.
5. Exercise improves the quantity and quality of sleep.
6. Research shows exercise promotes improved school attendance and enhances academic performance.
7. Youth who exercise have greater self-esteem and better self-images.
8. Participating in regular physical activity prevents or delays the development of many chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension) and promotes health.
9. Children who are active report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and a better overall mood.
10. Exercise helps improve motor coordination and enhances the development of various motor performance skills.

“For some of us, youth sports may be more and more about competition and winning, but children are, in a word, still children: the number one reason kids play sports is still to have fun, said Sandon S. Speedling, MHS, CPM, CPH, DOH Leon Interim Health Officer.

For information on youth sports in the greater Tallahassee area visit:  https://www.i9sports.com/tallahassee-youth-sports-leagues

or https://www.talgov.com/parks/sports.

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