S.T.E.P.S. (Skills to Encourage Participation in Sports)

With overwhelming statics surfacing that indicate we could outlive our children due to the obesity epidemic in the United States, it was very evident not only as a professional, but as a mother, that it was time to take vital STEPS to interrupt this epidemic among our children. S.T.E.P.S was orchestrated for children who are borderline Type II diabetics or who have a weight management problem that is stemming from poor eating habits combined with a sedentary lifestyle.
Most of us are very aware of the impact that video games, computers, and television have had on our lives, but are we aware of what it is doing to the generation behind us? It became more apparent to me after talking with pediatricians and pediatric endocrinologists that children do not have the basic skills to play anymore. Children do not know how to hop, skip, jump, catch a ball, kick a ball or even run in some cases. This has been evident in the gym at school, when teachers struggle to teach kids how to play organized sports like basketball, soccer, tennis, or baseball between the ages of 6 to 12. Culturally, it would seem that sports have taken on a higher level of importance as children are competing at very young ages in several sports, but this is not the case for everyone.
Due to the fast-paced lives we lead and the conveniences of fast food when we are busy running from here to there, many of our children do not have appropriate food choices being made for them. The end result is a fat-saturated and carb-loaded child with limited activities to burn the food they are eating; thus, the beginning to a long road of struggling with their weight and potential decline in physical health.
S.T.E.P.S allows the child to come into a friendly, safe environment to learn how to be active and possibly even develop a skill that the child likes and can excel at in a recreational sports league. Most importantly, we train the child and one parent on healthy food choices, eating schedules, and options for exercise in and out of the home. S.T.E.P.S proudly has seen several children get motivated to play, exercise and even compete in sports after completing the program.
This program is generally physician-referred, but can be paid for privately by concerned parents with an overweight child. We are very serious about this program and require that families participate with the child to provide a unified environment allowing for the greatest success of the child. Our hope is that one child will touch the life of another and the well being of our children will again be restored.