Pomperaug Regional School District #15 Athletic Director Joe Velardi is troubled by the national obesity reports that show that children are unhealthier than ever before. In the face of these reports, Mr. Velardi and the physical education staff spent the last 12 months discussing and writing a revised physical education curriculum that will now focus on wellness skills and strategies to aid a child throughout his or her lifetime.

“I’m very excited about the physical education program’s new direction,” said Mr. Velardi. “We know that children with sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating habits often grow up to be overweight adults. To prevent this from happening, our students will be learning about nutrition, injury prevention, weight training and other lifelong activities for a healthy lifestyle now and into adulthood.”

Studies have shown that because children are engaging in sedentary behaviors (e.g. high frequency of television viewing and computer usage) coupled with the over-consumption of high calorie foods, children are becoming obese and are at a greater risk for such life-threatening illnesses as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. The goal of the revised physical education curriculum is to help students develop a pattern for healthy lifestyle choices.

The staff will still introduce a variety of sports and activities to the students, but the focus is now on sports that can be realistically played well into adulthood, such as golf and tennis. Students are also encouraged to share their knowledge of a healthy lifestyle with those at home in order to get parents and siblings involved in a regular exercise and dietary regimen.

“A physical education program concentrating solely upon developing athletic skills is outdated,” said Mr. Velardi. “No longer will we concentrate our efforts on teaching sport after sport. Students come to P.E. classes every other day for 40 minutes and we need to use that time wisely. As a result, by teaching health and wellness programs, as well as lifetime activities, children can use this information long after graduation. We are eliminating a class that lasts for a class and instituting a class that lasts for a lifetime.”

The Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors recently named Mr. Velardi as Connecticut Athletic Director of the Year and he will be honored at a dinner in March 2004.