LACK OF PLAYGROUNDS AND EQUIPMENT RESULT IN FITNESS DECLINE

Teen co-chair of P.L.A.Y. credits sports at her Boys & Girls Club for keeping her out of gangs.

Kelly Zimmerman doesn't know where she would be if there hadn't been a Boys & Girls Club in her neighborhood. Now 19, she says she avoided gangs and other types of trouble by escaping to the club to play sports.

Now a decade later, Boys & Girls Clubs of America selected the sophomore at Marietta College in Ohio to be their Youth of the Year and co-chair of the P.L.A.Y. Kids Advisory Board. In a recent phone interview with Children's Express, she explained how she travels throughout the country and urges youth to get off the streets and become physically active.

"At the Boys & Girls Club, I started out playing softball. Since that time I have held different leadership positions there. I taught gymnastics and aerobics. I worked at the front desk in the games room running tournaments for the kids.

In high school, I was a cheerleader and I was involved in gymnastics for several years. . . . I think that is how I remained physically healthy, and I also cheered in college. That is something I enjoy doing and staying physically fit, I guess, is a side benefit from that.

My father was an alcoholic, and I went to the club lots of times to get out of my house. When I went there, they always had something fun for me to do. It would take my mind off the situation, and they were always willing to talk to me.

If it wasn't for the Boys & Girls Clubs, I would not be where I am today. I could have taken the wrong route, joined a gang or something like that.

I think the reason that I was chosen youth of the year is because the Boys & Girls Club did so much for me, and they taught me the importance of paying people back for what they did or feeling an obligation to repay your community for what they provide you.

Since I've been a member for almost 10 years, it just gave me a little bit of an edge. I've always enjoyed working with children and I really wanted an opportunity to pay back the Boys & Girls Club for what they had done for me.

I officially hold the position from September to September. My main duty is to represent the 2 million youth involved in Boys & Girls Clubs and to show Boys & Girls Club professionals that the work that they are doing is paying off. I am only one example of all these kids, but I am not an exception.

I speak with lots of youth across the country when I visit different Boys & Girls Clubs, and lots of times in my speeches I try to use stories that they have told me, or stories that I've heard from other Boys & Girls Club professionals. I need to personalize what I say from my experience, but I try to put it on a national level as well.

I think just through my example of stories that I try to use, I can prove that these things are paying off, as well as statistical evidence as far as keeping kids off the street. Boys & Girls Clubs numbers are increasing rapidly, and I think that alone says that the programs are paying off.

Another responsibility that I hold is with the P.L.A.Y. Program. P.L.A.Y. is a joint venture with Nike and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to compensate for the loss of funds that schools are receiving for athletic programs. I serve as youth chairman, along with Mario Lopez from Saved by the Bell. Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Michael Jordan are the adult chairpersons as well.

The Youth Advisory Board is helping Nike and Boys & Girls Clubs understand what youth are looking for and what they think would be fun physical activity.

I think we are trying to tell youth that physical activity doesn't mean going out and running five miles or having a hard workout riding your bike 10 miles or something like that. You could Rollerblade, you can dance, you can jump rope, pogo ball, whatever you like doing as long as you are moving.

Physical activity obviously will affect the rest of your life, as would playing in a band or reading. . . . They are just trying to encourage kids to become more well-rounded and think about their physical health as well.

It's Nintendo and television programs that are taking the kids from the physical activities. Also lack of facilities. They don't have playgrounds, they don't have the equipment. If it's provided for them, hopefully, we will be able to get people away from the video games and things like that.

I think that it is important that schools provide not only the competitive athletics but intramurals as well. Just to be open for the kids if the kids wanted to come in and play basketball after school.

But first, somebody has to take the initiative to get the message out to them that this is what they need to be doing and the benefits they can receive from becoming physically fit.

EDITED BY: Robin Potasnik, 18