May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Led by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCSFN), it encourages all Americans to be and stay active, and emphasizes the many benefits that we get by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
In the following excerpt from an April 30 proclamation on this May national health observance, the President recognized the I Can Do It! (ICDI) program model. ICDI was recently transferred from the PCSFN to ACL.The program helps schools offer an integrated program of physical education, physical activity, and training in good nutritional behaviors to students with disabilities in grades K-12. Although some children may participate in the program on an individual basis, ICDI prioritizes an inclusive, integrated approach in which children with and without disabilities play and participate in physical education together.
"Unfortunately, despite the numerous benefits, youth sports participation has been decreasing. In 2016, only 37 percent of youth played team sports on a regular basis, down from 45 percent 11 years ago. This decline is even more apparent among students from low-income families.
To address this issue, I have directed the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (the Council) to work with the White House and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a national strategy to increase youth sports participation. Through this strategy, we are increasing awareness of the benefits of participation in sports and regular physical activity and of the importance of good nutrition. We are also working to recruit people devoted to encouraging and supporting youth participation in sports and regular physical activity through coaching, mentoring, teaching, and offering athletic and nutritional programs.
The strategy includes a focus on accessible, inclusive physical activity for Americans of all abilities. Girls, youth with disabilities, and those from economically distressed areas have lower rates of regular physical activity and face significant barriers in their pursuit of sports participation compared to their peers. Both the Council’s Presidential Active Lifestyle Award and the HHS I Can Do It! (ICDI) program model will support the need for increased access to inclusive program models for American youth of all backgrounds and abilities. When children of all abilities play, practice, and compete together, we can build a more inclusive Nation."
Read the full proclamation on the White House website.