How to get that fitness hero a pat on the back

Celia Storey

LITTLE ROCK — Wanted: fitness leaders. Those role models, facilitators, teachers and bosses who, by word and by deed, encourage their fellow Arkansans to be more active.

The Arkansas Governor’s Council on Fitness wants to line up these people and heap praise on them. The council will accept nominations for its 2008 Leadership in Fitness Awards until Aug. 5.

Award winners in eight categories will be hailed Sept. 5 in a ceremony at the Peabody Little Rock hotel.

New this year will be Trails honorees - people who promote physical activity using a trail or trail system. Awards chairman Linda Kyzer, an internal consultant for Enterprise Development Services with Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, explained that the category is for the organizations or communities “who make good use of trails to promote physical activity.

“Simply having a trail would not make for much of a nomination,” she said. “However, let’s say a small town has organized weekly walks, uses their trail for after-school activities and facilitates use by seniors by organizing transportation - that would make a much stronger nomination. And, if the community or group also collected data, even if casually gathered, like how many people use the trail, how often, group types, etc., it would be an even better candidate.”

But before fitness leaders canbe praised and handed a plaque, someone has to nominate them.

Can you nominate yourself? Yes.

The nomination form is online at the council’s site, www.arkansasfitness.com, and you can begin there by simply clicking a few buttons. The council will send a confirmation, and then your work begins.

You can only complete the nomination by submitting, electronically or by mail, a one-page summary of why the nominee should be considered and at least two letters of recommendation written by someone who is not you. Other supporting documents may also be submitted to describe the nominee’s activities and qualities.

Awards will honor leaders in each of these categories:

Corporate: Nominees must have an office in the state with at least 10 employees and provide and advocate community physical activity or work-site wellness programs that meet the needs of employees.

Government agency: Nominees may include county, city or state agencies with an office in the state with at least 10 employees. They must provide and advocate community physical activity or work-site wellness programs that meet the needs of Arkansans.

Senior citizen: Nominees must be 55 or older and a full-time Arkansas resident. They must advocate for community physical activity programs that meet the needs of youths, adults, senior citizens, special populations orbusinesses. Or they help educate those folks on leading a physically active life.

Health and fitness club: Nominees can be private clubs, hospital wellness centers, corporate wellness centers or recreation centers, but they need five or more fulltime employees. The staff should have national fitness certification and professional membership in a national or state organization. Nominees should advocate for community or individual physical activity programs. They should sponsor activities to educate any or all of those populations in leading a physically active life.

School or school district: Nominees may be private or public entities, but they must have a licensed physical education specialist on staff who spends at least 60 percent of the time teaching P.E. They should provide documentation of planned and sequential P.E. curricula that is consistent with national standards for physical education from kindergarten through grade 12 and that promotes enjoyable, lifelong activity for all students regardless of needs and ability.

They should measure and demonstrate an increase in students’ attainment of physical activity knowledge, achievement of motor and behavior skills, and adoption of good-health behavior. They should give the students an annual physical fitness test with results that are reported, published and presented to school officials and made available to the community.

Physical educator: Nomineesshould be licensed physical education teachers in Arkansas public or private schools with at least five years’ experience teaching P.E. They should spend at least 60 percent of their work time teaching P.E.

They should have current professional membership in a national or state physical education organization and advocate for school and community physical activity instruction and programs for young people.

Outstanding individual or group: Nominees should make exceptional contributions to the fields of physical activity and health, and advocate for community physical activity or work-site wellness programs. They should actively work to create activities for youths, adults, senior citizens, special populations or work-sites to get them involved in physical activity.

Trails: Nominees should be urban or rural trails in Arkansas that are used for physical activity programs, city and community events and by individuals.

People who have won an award in the past three years are not eligible.

The nomination materials should be mailed to “Garrett Morgan BS CHES, Arkansas Department of Health, Lifestage Health Branch, Arkansas Governor’s Council on Fitness Coordinator, 4815 W. Markham St. Slot H-41, Little Rock, Ark. 72205.” Or they can be e-mailed to garrett. morgan@arkansas.gov.

Morgan’s phone number is (501) 280-4168.

ActiveStyle, Pages 27 on 07/14/2008

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