Kids' fitness scores garner reward
When students improve test scores in subjects such as math, science or English, their hard work can bring honors and accolades.
When they improve performance in gym class, students at Indian Trail Junior High School in Addison learned it can bring praise from a pro football team.
Indian Trail students recently met with Chicago Rush arena football players Jeremy Unertl and Jonathan Ordway during a special assembly. The players' visit was a reward earned by about 50 eighth-graders who completed the team's Rush to Be Fit program.
The program, offered in partnership with Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare, encourages students to improve fitness test scores over a two-month period and to learn more about living a healthy lifestyle.
At the beginning of the program, Indian Trail students demonstrated their flexibility, strength and speed skills in four tests: the sit-and-reach, pull-ups, standing long jump and the shuttle run.
Due to the students' overall improvement of their initial scores, Unertl and Ordway visited the school to talk with students about healthy lifestyles and to test their skills in person.
The players went head-to-head with several students in activities such as a pull-up contest. Dr. Vineet Singla, a local family practice physician, also taught the students how to prevent sports injuries.
It wasn't all adrenaline-filled contests or thoughtful lectures, though. Students scored the players' autographs and a few even earned prizes -- those who improved scores in a majority of the fitness tests received tickets to a 2008 Chicago Rush home game.