The Birth of the Suffolk Zone FIT CLUB

One of my most treasured moments in high school was when I competed in the Presidential Fitness Competition as a Bayside High School senior in Queens, NY. At the time, the top two female and male students in each school in the borough were invited to attend a fitness competition held at Flushing High School.  There we would compete against the representatives of the other public schools, in events such as the 1- minute sit-up test, the 1 min. push-up test, shuttle runs, 400-meter runs, and the flexed arm hang.

I will always look back on the event with fondness because it was more of a celebration of fitness than a competition. It was an opportunity to come together with students from different socio-economic backgrounds who were all equally as passionate about fitness as I was. I even remember meeting a girl from a neighboring school and bonding with her over our ability and passion for pull-ups.  (As you can imagine, that is not something many could bond over at that age). There are many things from that event that I enjoyed, from being able to share it with my twin sister Loretta (who competed for Martin Van Buren High School), to missing a day of school to attend the competition and spending the whole day with one of my favorite coaches, Steve Piorkowski. I look back on those memories now with great fondness and clarity.

Shortly after hearing about the passing of coach Piorkowski, (or Mr. P., as he was known to us), I attended a monthly Suffolk Zone Executive Board meeting. It was December 2016, and as we discussed different incentives, workshops, and programs we hoped to offer our community, one of our members proposed an idea to have a fitness competition among our schools. Jim Wright, Supervisor of Health, PE, Athletics, and Recreation at South Huntington UFSD, Past-President of Suffolk Zone, a member of the NYS AHPERD Board of Directors (not to mention my mentor and friend), suggested that the competition be offered at no cost to all our members. When I heard Jim’s idea, I knew this project was meant for me. It felt like a sign from above. It would be a fantastic opportunity to honor Mr. P., and a way to share some of my most cherished memories and passions with my own students. It would be now as it was then, a great way to continue to celebrate fitness.

I eagerly declared that I would love to bring the program to life. I had prior experience in running athletic events and this was something I wanted to take on. It was from that moment that Suffolk Zone Fit Clubwas born. I loved the idea of a fitness competition and wanted to make it current and modern. I knew that in order to continue to motivate students, we would need to make connections between their interests and ours. So, I looked at their world and culture, where Cross Fit games, Ninja warrior contests, and obstacle races are the most popular. I wanted to create an event that would be fun, playful, and exciting for them while challenging them physically and mentally. So, I designed events to test the students’ fitness on all 5 Health-Related Physical Fitness components and all 6 Skills-Related Fitness Components, while still being fresh, exciting, and current to kids. This, I hoped, would help lay the groundwork for a lifetime of fitness and health for our youth. I believe that if we can make fitness fun, exciting, challenging and modern, then students will continue to stay fit which will lead to improved self-esteem, prevent obesity, and decrease the risk of serious illnesses later in life. A win-win! The goal was to inspire students to WANT to work-out and be EXCITED about exercise!

In addition, I wanted to focus on teamwork, cooperation, and perseverance. The mission was to empower our students with the tools, skills, training, and confidence they need to live a lifetime of fitness, all while challenging themselves through difficult physical challenges. I wanted our students to push themselves and see just how much they can truly accomplish when driven by their hearts.

Last year was the pilot program. I had 12 schools participate. Since then, I have expanded it to 24 teams. The program is currently for grades 4^th& 5^th, as I decided to start it at the elementary level when students are most impressionable and where they really start to develop their fitness habits. Being an elementary school teacher myself, I also wanted my students to be part of the event.

The participating schools are told to create a team of 24 of their top performers. Each team consists of 6 boys and 6 girls in the 4th grade, and 6 boys and 6 girls in the 5th grade. They compete only against other students from their own grade level and of their same gender. Each grade/gender has their own competition and receives points according to how many tasks/rounds they complete. The points for each competition then go towards their overall team total.

All teams take part in two team events, which earn points for their team total. The first event is a team relay consisting of sit-ups, plank-to-push-ups, ski jumps, bear crawls, and agility runs.  Each team member competes in the relay and when the last member crosses the line, the team time stops. Scoring depends on which place each team finishes. In this event, you are truly only as good as your weakest player.

In the second team event, each team is given a chance to compete in a timed team AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible). The AMRAP includes activities such as box jumps, tire flips, jump ropes, and crab walks. The team with the most points in the 15 minutes wins. AMRAP points are added together with team relay points to find an overall winning team. This event really tests each student’s ability to dig deep and persevere.

One of my favorite things about our fit club is that it is run for kids by kids. In my Lincoln Ave. team, I have two student coaches. During the times I am training the athletes, I am also training my two student coaches. I teach them what it means to be a coach and all the responsibilities that come with it. The student coaches are the ones who will coach the team on the actual competition day and they delight in the responsibility. In addition to coaches, I also train students to be the referees, scorekeepers, greeters, etc. This teaches students responsibility in a meaningful way. It builds a sense of excitement, community, and interdependence. I believe that the only way for students to learn responsibility is to have responsibility. It gives them ownership into the program and also instills a sense of pride among them. This allows all students to be included in the fit club. It is also a wonderful way to show them that they are trusted and believed in.

I have found that the Suffolk Zone Fit Club gives students an opportunity to develop strength both physically and mentally and helps them reach their fullest potential. All students feel part of the team by offering support, encouragement and inspiration to their teammates while helping them achieve their highest fitness level. It inspires the non-athlete, the casual athlete, the athlete, and the fitness fanatic. There is something in it to motivate them all. The bottom line is that students have to have FUN being active and exercising. This is the onlyway to empower our students with the tools and resources that will inspire them to live an active lifestyle.

My goal is to expand the program so we have a Fit Club Competition in every zone. One day we may even expand it to the state level. What a wonderful way to share our love of fitness and also a great service we can provide for our NYS AHPERD members! I look forward too many years organizing the Fit Club and making lasting memories for our students!