The Winning Combination: Mind, Body, Soul...1 Expanding our Reach: The Game Plan...2 Getting Started: Program Components...4 Understanding the Basics: Frequently Asked Questions...6 Taking Action: Program at a Glance...8
Mind, Body, Soul Boys & Girls Clubs give boys and girls a place to belong and a chance to learn and grow, but unhealthy lifestyles put them at risk for obesity and other health problems. Although many youth participate to some degree in sports and fitness activities, they are not always physically fit and they often lack the basic knowledge they need to make positive food choices. A dynamic new program, Triple Play, demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships add up to a healthy lifestyle for Club members. Staff members are crucial to this program s success, because they teach youth how to integrate this winning combination into their lives every day. Club professionals help boys and girls learn about good nutrition and how to make smart meal and snack choices. Members receive coaching in sports leagues and fun activities, developing their coordination and leadership skills. And organized social recreation activities strengthen character, increase confidence and enhance the ability to relate well to others. Boys & Girls Clubs of America s sponsors and partners, The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, Inc., have committed a combined $12 million to launch Triple Play: A Game Plan for Mind, Body and Soul. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has taken a strong interest in this program because it is in line with its Steps to a HealthierUS initiative. Working together, this team can help Boys & Girls Club youth achieve this winning combination. 1
Expanding our Reach: The Game Plan Obesity has become a major public health challenge, with children and teens at special risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2002), daily participation in high school physical education classes dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 32 percent in 2001. More than a third of high school youth do not engage in regular, vigorous physical activity. To teach youth how to make healthier choices, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) has teamed up with The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, Inc. to present Triple Play: A Game Plan for Mind, Body and Soul. This national program takes a holistic approach to educating boys and girls about good nutrition, making physical fitness a daily practice and developing individual strengths and good character. In addition to components for the mind and body, the Triple Play program gets at the soul of the Club experience the gamesroom. Each mind, body and soul program component can stand alone, yet integrating them allows Club members to reap more powerful, lifelong benefits. 2
Getting Started: Program Components The goals of the Triple Play program are simple: increase Club members knowledge of healthy habits, good nutrition and physical fitness; increase the number of hours per day members are participating in physical activities; increase Club members ability to interact positively with all youth and engage in healthy relationships; and increase the number of youth joining Boys & Girls Clubs and the frequency of attendance of existing members. mind Empowering youth to eat right is a generationchanging, life-enhancing program goal. Triple Play s nutrition component teaches young people about the importance of eating a wide variety of healthy foods in appropriate portions and being physically active a recipe for lifelong good health. Building on this knowledge, boys and girls develop important skills, from how to read nutrition labels to putting a wellbalanced meal together. By encouraging older members to set personal goals and creating special events that emphasize good nutrition and overall well-being, Club staff will empower young people between the ages of 6 and 18 to get and stay healthy. body Taking a systematic approach, this component boosts Clubs traditional physical activities to a higher level by providing sports and fitness activities for all youth boys and girls, athletically gifted and those talented in other areas, children and teens alike. Daily fitness challenges give youth at every age the chance to play longer and harder at different games from jumping rope to basketball and creating games of their own. Sports clubs, sports leadership camps, and inter-club competitions in multiple team sports can help keep interest high among 13- to 18-year-olds. Club staff measure the results on three levels: the amount of time day to day that youth participate in these activities, the knowledge that physical fitness is an essential part of life and changes in behavior that will last a lifetime. soul As boys and girls learn to value and respect Club professionals and fellow members, they also learn to feel good about themselves and their surroundings. This aspect of the program expands Clubs traditional strengths with a resource guide, intensive training and additional tools. Club professionals learn how to design a diversified program that fosters individual growth as well as interpersonal communication. From the gamesroom to field trips and other informal social recreation activities, Club staff can develop creative options that meet the interests and needs of their members.
Understanding the Basics: Frequently Asked Questions How does Triple Play work? This program is designed to help improve the health of our nation s youth. The program integrates mind, body and soul a holistic approach where youth learn how eating right, keeping fit and engaging in positive relationships is the winning combination. Triple Play will be launched in 2005. Who is eligible to participate? Boys & Girls Clubs in good membership standing in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, plus domestic and international military facilities, are eligible to participate. Training is open to all Club professionals. What inspired this program at this time? BGCA recognized a growing concern about the declining state of physical fitness among our nation s youth and saw an opportunity to bring about positive change in their lives. By encouraging youth to develop healthy habits mentally, physically and socially Clubs can make a tremendous difference. Why is BGCA partnering with two major food and beverage corporations, makers of the kinds of foods and drinks that some say are part of the obesity problem among our youth? The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, Inc. each have long-standing commitments to support youth development and education in schools and communities. For more than 50 years, both The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, Inc. have supported BGCA, and they felt that Clubs could be a very effective way to communicate messages about healthy lifestyles to young people. Through Triple Play, BGCA can work with these partners to nurture healthy habits among young people. By making this program available to the 4 million youth they serve, Clubs can have a positive impact right away and make a significant change for generations to come. How will the impact of Triple Play be measured? During our evaluation, we will look at how the program has influenced the attitudes and behaviors of youth. This process will measure the: increase in Club members knowledge of healthy habits, good nutrition and physical fitness; increase in the number of hours per day members are participating in physical activities; increase in Club members ability to interact positively with all youth and engage in healthy relationships; and increase in the number of youth joining Boys & Girls Clubs and the frequency of attendance of existing members. Information about what motivates and excites participating youth will provide a foundation for future improvements to the program. Who is developing the program content? A team comprised of BGCA national staff and experts in the fields of physical education, nutrition, program development and evaluation are collaborating on the development of the program. What role does the Department of Health and Human Services play in the development, management and monitoring of Triple Play? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has taken a strong interest in the Triple Play program because it is in line with the DHHS Steps to a HealthierUS initiative. We need to work together to find ways to reduce the growing issue of childhood obesity in this nation, Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona states. We need to get kids off the couch and onto the playground. I want to congratulate The Coca-Cola Company, Kraft Foods and Boys & Girls Clubs of America for taking this step toward a healthier U.S. BGCA looks to DHHS for guidance and resources for the development of Triple Play. 6 7
Taking Action: Program at a Glance Mind Elements The Healthy Habits program features age-appropriate modules to teach Club members ages 6 to 18 about nutrition and healthy living. understanding food as fuel making smart meal and snack choices learning to read nutrition labels limiting portion size putting a meal together drinking plenty of fluids every day combining healthy eating with regular physical activity assessing the influence of mass media setting personal goals valuing overall wellness Body Elements These elements promote fun with a purpose and physical fitness year-round in a non-competitive yet challenging environment. Daily Challenges Jump Rope Challenge Walk/Run Challenge Basketball Challenge Invent-a-Sport Challenge Get Fit Challenge Home Run Challenge Triple Play University Staff members will develop these specific skills through one-day training workshops: organizing a comprehensive, daily physical education program involving more girls in sports programs organizing youth sports leagues Triple Play Sports Clubs Targeted to members 13 to 18, these year-round clubs: develop members leadership skills focus on community service and volunteerism offer Club sports, fitness, recreation and nutrition programs Sports Leadership Camps These three-day events on college campuses: foster leadership skills while learning on and off the field of play; expose members to college life and financial aid opportunities; and introduce members to non-traditional sports and other teen leaders globally. Triple Play Games Inter-Club competitions involve multiple team sports. Clubs can use these tournaments as an outreach tool to involve new youth in Club programs. 8 9
Soul Elements This social recreation program includes a resource guide, training and additional tools to run a top-notch gamesroom and social recreation program in the Club. Features include: The Smart Guide to Social Recreation: Effective Gamesroom Management and Leadership This resource provides strategies and tools for running a gamesroom program. Back Pocket Program Hints A revised and updated version of this pocket-sized booklet from BGCA, available in 2006, will offer ideas and suggestions for a variety of social recreation activities, including low organized games and easy-to-implement special events. 10
Triple Play, Boys & Girls Clubs of America s first comprehensive health and wellness program developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is made possible through generous support from The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft Foods, Inc. National Headquarters 1275 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 (404) 487-5700 www.bgca.org 2005 Boys & Girls Clubs of America 690-04 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services support of the Triple Play program does not imply an endorsement of other activites of Boys & Girls Clubs of America or of any products of corporate co-sponsors of the Triple Play initiative.