Getting America’s children and families healthy is a top priority of Let’s Move - first lady Michelle Obama’s nationwide initiative to promote making healthy choices, improving food quality in schools, increasing access to healthy, affordable food, and increasing physical activity. The website has a ton of great information and we thought we would share some of their helpful tips to build healthy habits for a healthy home:

1. Healthy Snacks
   Your family, like most, is probably always on-the-go. Be prepared with nutritious and easy to eat on-the-go food like fresh fruits and vegetables. Think color - try eating fruits and vegetables of different colors to give your family a wide range of nutrients like fiber, folate, potassium and vitamins.
2. Make Physical Activity Fun
   Activities should be fun and something that the whole family can do together. There is a push for kids to get 60 minutes of physical activity each day, but it doesn’t all have to be at one time. Short walks, active chores, walking the dog - it all adds up!
3. Plan a Healthy Menu
   Preparing healthy meals doesn’t have to be hard or expensive, it just takes planning. Plan healthy meals for the week, then make a shopping list and stick to it! Cut back on sugar - especially sodas and juice with added sugar. Watch portion sizes - use smaller plates and bowls and buy smaller packages of snack foods.
4. Stay Active
   Some screen and computer time is healthy, but it’s important to explain to children to sit less and move more. Sometimes they can enjoy both at once - the Nintendo Wii and New Xbox 360 Kinect integrate fun games with physical activity. Follow i9 Sports on Facebook for a chance to win an Xbox 360 Kinect in time for the holidays!
5. Organize a School Health Team
   The school environment strongly impacts the behavior, health and well-being of children. Parents can help schools create an environment that will encourage a child’s overall academic success. Call your child’s principal or PTA president to find out if your school has an active health team.

Learn more at www.letsmove.gov

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Stay Fit Alongside Your Sporting Kids

Don’t Let the Flu Get Your Team Down

Playing sports as a child can be one of the more enjoyable memories of childhood. If you ask your son or daughter what they love the most about playing sports, they will likely tell you that playing sports is fun. If you ask adults, while you may hear that it was fun, odds are you will also get a list of the things that they learned through their participation in youth sports. Some benefits can be seen, others felt, while many occur without even being noticed. The list is long, but just to name a few:

Confidence: When players experience some degree of success and personal improvement, they can feel good about their performance. They can see that their skills and abilities improved significantly and they performed well. This success leaves players with a feeling of strong self-confidence that can carry over in life and in all they do.

Improved Socialization: Sports provide an opportunity for children to learn to interact and function within a society. Players meet a variety of kids from different backgrounds. Kids play on the same team, wear the same uniform, and share the same objectives and experiences. Sports provide kids with an opportunity to meet, and develop close relationships with their peers.

School Improvement: Students who participate in organized sports tend to work harder in school and have greater educational and occupational aspirations. Sports help kids learn to distinguish between effort and ability. Sports increase self-discipline and the awareness of the value of preparation because kids can see the difference in their performance.

Teamwork: One of the most valuable aspects of playing a team sport is learning and understanding the value of teamwork. On a team, kids learn about cooperation, camaraderie and give-and-take. They learn to work together to achieve a common goal. Teamwork also strengthens the idea of good sportsmanship as kids learn to support teammates who do well or struggle.

Improved Self Esteem: Childhood can be a difficult time, with many kids experiencing low self-esteem at one time or another. Giving and receiving encouragement and respect from teammates can help children feel good about themselves.

Character Development: You may think that a sport is just a game. But soccer, for example involves more than just kicking a ball up and down the field. When your young child plays, he or she begins to develop their character in new ways. Work ethic, time management skills and conflict management abilities can all be developed and strengthened while on the field.

Competitive Experience: Children can gain experience with a competitive environment through involvement in sports, which will help them navigate the challenges and rewards of competition in other areas of life. Kids learn how to win, and perhaps more importantly, how to lose. This experience will benefit children during their education, as well as in their careers as adults.

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Did you know that over 22 million school days are lost every year due to the common cold and on average children have between 6 - 10 colds each year?*

That’s a lot of sniffles and sneezes that may be avoided by following these tips for keeping kids healthy:

· Ensure your kids are physically active for at least 60 minutes every day through a combination of age-appropriate exercise and active free play.

· Help your kids get a good night’s sleep, which means about 10 to 11 hours for school age children and 11 to 12 hours for preschoolers.

· Make sure your child’s vaccines are up-to-date.

· Stay on schedule with well child visits to your pediatrician.

· Encourage your kids to wash their hands often, especially before they eat, after they use the bathroom, after handling animals and whenever they seem dirty.

· Teach your kids not to share glasses, water bottles, hats, towels, or other items with friends.

· Be sure your kids cover cuts and scratches.

· Teach your kids to keep their fingers and other items, like pencils or pens, out of their mouths, so that they don’t help germs get into their body.

· Teach kids to wash fruits and vegetables before they eat them and follow other food safety practices.

· Encourage kids to eat healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, and whole grains, etc., and to not skip any meals.

· Consider giving your child a multivitamin if you think that your child doesn’t eat well and is missing out on important nutrients, such as iron, vitamin D, and calcium, etc.

· Help your kids learn to manage stress.

* US Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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‘Tis the Season

With a limited time left to savor summer before easing into back to school mode you may be dreaming of one last summer vacation. If this sounds like you and you just don’t have the time or money to head out of town, then a “staycation” is just what you need!

A staycation packs all of the fun of a vacation into the convenience of not leaving town! Sounds pretty great, right! Whether you decide to select local lodgings or stay home, you can enjoy a stress-free family vacation. No matter where you live, there will be tons of options for family fun:

· Set up a city-wide scavenger hunt

· Make it educational with zoos, aquariums, museums, observatories or planetariums

· Become a tourist in your hometown by taking behind-the-scenes tours at local landmarks

· Enjoy the outdoors with hiking, biking, state parks or camping (even in your own back yard)

· Have a family fun day with bowling, miniature golf, go karts, laser tag, amusement parks or that sort of thing

· Keep it simple with a day of board games, crafts, swimming, reading or watching movies

· Create a “Family Olympics” with simple backyard games or challenges that are age appropriate (let the kids pick the events!)

· Let the kids plan the day, you may be building forts in the living room but it is sure to be fun!

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Road Trip

Show your kids how cool you are as a parent, and how much spending time with them means. Here are some fun and inexpensive ways that you and your child can have fun, together, this summer.

Read out loud: Visit the library or book store, and pick out a book together. Your kid will love the chance to have their book read to them, and it will give you a chance to spend time with them while doing so.

Have a water war: Especially fun in the dog days of July and August. Turn the sprinklers on, break out the squirt guns, and start filling water balloons. Run around and have a blast while staying cool!

Go bowling: Although bowling can be an expensive activity you can all the lanes ahead of time and ask if they have any summer specials (certain days may be cheaper). Additionally, many lanes are offering a “Kids Bowl Free” promotion. Click here for local info.

Volunteer together: Teach your child the importance of giving back to your community and to those less fortunate. There are always local charities that are happy let kids help out with adult supervision.

Start a garden: Have your kids help you till the soil, plant the seeds, water it, and weed it! Let them choose what to plant, flowers or vegetables or plants. Reap what you sow!

Go for a bike ride: Bicycle riding is a fun activity for the whole family. Experts suggest children ride on sidewalks and paths until they are at least 10 years old, show good riding skills and are able to follow the rules of the road. Helmets, of course, are a necessity for both children and adults.

Movie time: Many theaters offer weekday matinee specials. Some even offer summer “Dollar Days” during the summer.

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School’s Out For Summer

Summer Fun with a Family “Staycation”

Before you know it, kids will be out of school, which means they will need to find ways to constructively occupy their time! There are the summer sports programs, camps, the pool and playing outside with neighborhood friends; inevitably kids need to come inside. Studies show that today’s children are actively surfing the web by age four! Here is a list of ten fun, educational sites that are all “mom-approved.”

1. National Geographic for Kids –This site has games, videos, interactive activities, printable suggestions and crafts.

2. PBS Kids – This site has tons of resources for parents! Watch different clips from shows and also create an account and save scores as your child plays.

3. Starfall – This is a great resource if your young child is in the process of learning how to read and write. Fun, interactive games will keep your child engaged and make learning fun!

4. Nick – The main Nickelodeon site, not only does it link you to the other sites it provides games, videos, events, deals, and tons of other activities! Nick, Jr. is great fun for younger kids.

5. Sports Illustrated for Kids – Kids’ take on the latest sports news as well as games, contests, and interactive polls.

6. Yahoo! Kids - Sections include games, movies, music, and it even has an educational section called “study zone.” Cool stuff!

7. Kids.gov – Two different age groups (K-5 and 6-8), the website includes links to games and activities as well as links to many educational resources having to do with school subjects for the respective age groups, i.e. social studies.

8. Disney – Tons of different activities, printables, games, videos, and clips from preschool through tween shows. Find out information about visiting Disney, upcoming local events, and more.

9. Discovery Kids – Fun and games, videos to watch, upcoming TV shows, and regularly syndicated shows.

10. Scholastic Kids – Offers spotlights on different authors for school aged kids.

What other sites do you recommend for kids? Post your suggestions in the comments section!

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As busy parents, it is not realistic for us to go out and save the rainforests, or reverse the damage our coral reefs have sustained. Changing some of our everyday activities can make a difference in the well-being of our planet and ensure that our children inherit a healthier Earth. We can all help out with these tips that will actually save money as well!

• Carpool to Games. This is a great way to bond with your fellow i9 Sports parents, save gas and help cut down on harmful emissions at the same time!
• Use less bottled water. Most bottled water is actually just tap water that is, well, bottled for consumer use. Most people can’t tell a difference between tap water and bottled water! Get a home filtration system and a couple of good non-plastic reusable water bottles and fill the bottles at home. As a bonus, you’ll save money, too!
• Wash your laundry in cold water. Since heating water is the biggest energy requirement in most houses, switching that dial or setting to cold will immediately make a big difference! For a bonus, use a clothesline or indoor drying rack to dry your laundry.
• Bring your own bags when you go grocery shopping. Who needs all of those plastic bags piling up in your home anyway? Plastic bags stay in the landfill forever. And paper bags, while they are a better choice if you are truly stuck, still kill trees. Throw a bunch of reusable bags into the back of your car so they will always be available!
• Install power strips. There are so many electronics that unnecessarily use electricity in standby mode. Some examples of this include flat screen televisions, DVD players, game systems, stereo receivers, cable boxes and more. Basically anything that can go on with a remote or has a light on it! Switch the power off using the power strip when you aren’t actively using these items.
• Cut down on new paper. Replace your paper towels with dishcloths, wash cloths and rags. It takes less energy to wash these items than it does to produce the paper versions. Again, you will save money. For items that you can’t live without when it comes to paper, such as bathroom tissue, look for products that are made from recycled paper. You can save thousands of trees this way!

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April is National Youth Sports Safety Month. 3.5 million youth sports injuries occur each year, yet the majority of these incidents can be easily prevented by taking precautionary steps. Here are six tips on how to help children avoid injuries while participating in any youth sports program:

• Monitor daily/weekly activity to avoid overuse - Each year, as many as half of all youth sports injuries are the result of overuse. Overuse injury, which happens over time from repeated motion (such as throwing a baseball too many times), is completely preventable by implementing variety, moderation and rest during practices and games. Bones and muscles are still under development in children, and overuse leads to 1.25 million injuries that require medical treatment annually.

• Stretch Properly - Warm-up exercises, such as stretching and light jogging, can help minimize the hazard of strain and soft tissue injury. Stretching prepares the muscles for physical activity and allows blood to flow through them. Once a game or practice is complete, cooling down exercises loosen the body’s muscles that may have tightened during the exercise. Encourage both “warm-ups” and “cool-downs.”

• Don’t play through pain or injuries - Respecting the healing process and your body’s wishes is absolutely essential. When there are aches and pains, it’s your body’s way of telling you to slow down. Playing through pain greatly increases the risk of further injury and extends the recovery time.

• Use proper footwear - Approximately 1 million ankle injuries occur each year, and 85 percent of them are sprains. In addition to stretching properly, the shoes an athlete wears can make a world of difference in preventing sprains or other ankle and foot injuries. Most studies suggest that wearing tightly-laced, high-topped shoes is most beneficial.

• Stay hydrated - Children produce more heat during exercise than adults, yet they actually sweat less - which increases the risk of dehydration. Dehydration can lead to heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke, cramps, etc. Young athletes need to drink plenty of water before games and practices as well as during them. Make sure your child takes frequent water breaks.

• No matter what the sport, wear a mouth guard – Mouth guards are effective in the prevention of minor injuries to the teeth, lips, tongue, face and jaw. Furthermore, mouth guards can help prevent serious injuries to the brain (concussions) and roots and bone that hold the teeth in place. If you need convincing, consider this - in 1962, mouth guards became a requirement for high school and college football. Consequently, the percentage of mouth injuries dropped by over 50 percent annually.

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With recent national news and tabloid gossip swirling around the scandals of Tiger Woods to Gilbert Arenas and Mark McGwire, young sports fans have become over-exposed to the misconduct of once idolized professional athletes.

Unlike many youth sports leagues in the U.S., i9 Sports places a strong focus on sportsmanship, fair-play and self-esteem building among young athletes ages 4 to 14 year-old. In each i9 Sports league across the country, Program Directors and coaches aim to help children succeed in life through sports.

It is important for parents to have an open dialogue with their children about the great accomplishments, as well as the bad decisions that are made by the athletes they look up to. It allows the child to understand the consequences of their admired athlete’s actions, but it also gives parents the opportunity to discuss ways to deal with tough life decisions and better alternatives to certain situations.

Here are some tips when discussing an athlete’s controversial actions with their children:

Tip 1: Separate on-the-field accomplishments from off-the-field behavior

Help your child separate an athlete’s physical abilities from their character. This will help the child understand how their favorite sports star can be so gifted athletically, but also make bad personal decisions.

Tip 2: Consequences

Be sure to highlight the punishment and consequences that come from an athlete’s poor decision. Whether that means suspension from their league, going to jail or even going through a very public divorce, explain that athletes are subjected to consequences for their actions, just like everyone else.

Tip 3: Don’t Try to Hide it

Don’t try to shelter your children from the news that their favorite athlete has not lived up to the “hero” status they have been given. With television, the internet and radio, there are plenty of ways for children to hear about these types of incidents. It is important for parents to bring up the issue so they can explain the situation and separate fact from fiction.

Tip 4: Keep an open mind

Since the child looks up to the athlete, allow them to make judgment themselves. Do not force your child to agree with your judgments. It is important for them to see the right and wrong in a situation on their own. This will allow you to discuss the issue on another level with your child.

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Odds on Playing College Sports

It is a well known fact that sports participation provides many social benefits to children. However, according to a recent study, children aren’t the only ones who are benefiting from their time on the field. In a study conducted by the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Purdue University (Ind.), researchers found that adults can receive several advantageous social benefits through their child’s youth sports experience as well.

The results, which were published in a recent issue of theJournal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, are based on interviews conducted with 26 parents of children, ages 6-15, who participate in organized team sports such as basketball, baseball, softball or soccer.

Participants indicated that involvement in their child’s youth sports experience improved social skills such as working well with others and making new friends. Many participants also reported significant improvement in spousal communication and time management as well.

“People often think about how youth sport benefits children because of physical activity, self-confidence and friendships, but we found that parents also are affected when their children play organized team sports,” said Travis Dorsch, a doctoral student at Purdue University who assisted in the study.

Several participants noted how their child’s youth sports experience enabled them to cultivate lasting friendships with other adults that are often maintained well after the children are finished with the sport. A number of participants in the study also claimed they had begun participating in a sport themselves simply due to their child’s interest in the game.

“I don’t think it’s terribly surprising that parents connect with one another, but what was surprising is the intensity of that connection,” said Alan Smith, associate professor of health and kinesiology. “Many view themselves differently, as well as their children differently, after exposure to youth sports. This experience was very eye-opening for them whether or not they themselves were previously involved in sports.”

The study looked at how parents perceive their own change following their children’s participation in sports. Although the results were generally positive, several parents did admit to feeling frustration when a child failed to be selected for a competitive travel team. Some also admitted feeling guilty for wishing for their child’s team to lose so that the season would end.

Reprinted from National Alliance for Youth Sports (www.nays.org)

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