A'nowara ko:wa Arena Summer Sport & Fitness Program

Submitted by Kahnastatsi Geraldine Jacobs

The A’nowara ko:wa Arena is hosting the first annual Summer sport and fitness program for thirty male and female athletes ages 5-11 to participate in a fitness – sport program that develops the athletes strength, speed, coordination, confidence, and to lay the ground work for a healthy lifestyle. They also learn how to take control over how active they are, how well they eat and how to properly hydrate themselves. This program is designed to influence a healthy active lifestyle, to be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared, competitive, to display positive social interaction and individual development through fitness, sport and play.

Sport and Fitness playground leaders will keep their athletes physically active, mentally stimulated and emotionally hyped to get physically fit all summer long Monday to Thursday 12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. from July 8th – August 15th, while keeping fun at the forefront of the program activities. A daily schedule includes from arrival a healthy snack, then off for a 30 minute Sunshine walk around the outside of the arena, then back in to the arena on the turf to stretch and do circuit training – initiated by the MCA “Get Fit” program. After their water break they participate in a variety of sports and then hoop dancing. After all the activities they go to the Turtle room to prepare their nutritious snack and then it’s home time.

Lorrie Caldwell of the MCA “Get Fit” program has instructed circuit training to the college student staff for three weeks. The staff have been training themselves with that specific circuit training and they are prepared to demonstrate to our young athletes. Also training our student staff was MCA Community health nutritionist Kim McElwain; she assisted in creating a nutritious snack menu and gave many tips on what to feed our young athletes. Our athletes are only given water and taught how to appreciate the importance of water. They are also involved in the preparation of their fresh healthy snacks that are recommended by the MCA Community Health.

Also instructing our student staff was Kahnastatsi Geraldine Jacobs, arena manager and former physical education instructor, to develop strategies to build the athlete’s passion for fitness and sports by using high energy, timed high intensity activities that assist our young athletes to be competitive, confident to challenge, to finesse their technique and learn new playing strategies through warm-ups, drills, rallies, relays and point play games.

The sport and fitness program also have beach trips, a trip to Calypso, and they will be hosting a Jr. Olympics Tuesday August 6th with a variety of sports and individual activities to compete in. On Wednesday, August 14th they will have a hoop dance contest open to the community dancers who will have the opportunity to compete in specific age categories. This program is organized and conducted by AAMBE SEED & Start and the MCA summer student employment programs. The following students that are directly involved in the Sport & Fitness program are Program Managers Maegan Thomas, Kannakehneh Green, Kuylin Chaussi, Tommi Lee Thomas and Cheyenne Jocko. Playground leaders are Janisa Benedict, Jaden Barnes, Korbyn Chaussi, Rohahes Smoke, Kyla Thompson, Donovan Thompson, Tory Jock and David Thomas. And our summer arena maintenance is T.J Slyvester, Montana Jacobs, Dakota Thompson, Noah King and Blake Buckshot.