Spencerport schools promote healthy lifestyles with grant

Spencerport schools promote healthy lifestyles with grant

While they are in school, students participate in team sports but the chances of them remaining on a soccer, lacrosse, basketball or football team after graduation is not likely. As a way to promote an active, healthy lifestyle following graduation and into adulthood, Ty Zinkiewich, principal at the Spencerport High School, sought and received a grant to upgrade the schools' fitness equipment to incorporate physical fitness activities that can be done solo.

"Many youth outgrow team sports - other than the occasional pick-up basketball or football game - once they graduate, and the grant we received will allow us to buy equipment that may induce them to keep active once they are out of school," Zinkiewich said. "We live in a society where students aren't as physically active as they should be and we need to teach them lifelong, healthy activities."

The school received a $465,400 grant through the Carol M. White Physical Education Program. The money will be used toward the purchase of in-line skates, mountain bikes, and more fitness equipment including treadmills for the fitness room. "Most people think of the fitness room as being used by the football team to bulk up. We want to shift that image to let people know it offers more than that and the inclusion of different types of equipment will help," he said. "We are also working toward opening the fitness center to the community."

Congressman Tom Reynolds visited the school and presented the funding. In a press release following the presentation he wrote, "Physical fitness and learning about healthy lifestyles is an important part of education. This funding will help Spencerport students learn about nutrition, good eating habits, the benefit of exercise and the fun of being physically fit and active."

Part of the grant money will be used to train staff in the techniques and skills needed to instruct students in the use of new equipment and to teaching lifelong healthy habits. "We are also hoping to purchase a ropes course with the grant money," Zinkiewich said. While some of the money will go toward training of staff, Zinkiewich said the bulk will go toward the purchase of new equipment.