2008-09 News and Features

Sixers Tip-Off New Community Program: Fit For Fun!

by Courtney Stern and Kristen Smith

Drop the junk food and lace up your sneakers; it’s time to tip-off the 76ers Fit For Fun Program! The Sixers newest community program aims to encourage kids to live a healthier lifestyle by maintaining a balanced diet and staying active.

Sixers Ambassador of Basketball World B. Free will lead the program which tips-off at the Paley PAL Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday, May 27. Six additional locations are scheduled within the Philadelphia region.

"Leading a healthy lifestyle starts at a young age,” said Ambassador of Sixers Basketball World B. Free. “By participating in this program, we will show kids that maintaining a healthy diet and staying active is not only important, but can be fun at the same time."

Fit for Fun is a fast paced 60-minute program designed to combat obesity while being fun and educational. The program starts with advice on the importance of staying in shape from World B. Free, who also happens to be one of the 55 top scorers in NBA history. The kids will then be led through a series of stretches. The core of the program is a three-station rotation between basketball drills, gym games and conditioning. The program will conclude with an obstacle course challenge and Sixers prizes. Every participant will receive a certificate and a Sixers give-a-way item.

The Sixers Fit For Fun program strives to be about more than just basketball.

"Basketball is a big part of recreation and fitness, but we wanted to incorporate traditional games that kids used to play in gym class and at summer camp,” said Sixers Community Relations Coordinator Mike Goings. “We wanted to bring these fun games back to schools to show kids how easy it is to have fun while staying active."

Fit for Fun is the Sixers contribution to the NBA Fit program that’s goal is to engage one million kids, adults and families during the 2009-10 season. NBA Fit is the league’s comprehensive health and wellness platform promoting healthy, active lifestyles for children and adults. The NBA encouraged each team to take an active role in raising awareness about childhood obesity while also encourages kids to stay active in order to prevent it.

Within the hour-long program, kids will learn the fundamentals of a healthy diet and exercise techniques that will last a lifetime.