National Girls and Women in Sports Day Gets Local Support

Students and their parents across Austin will be learning a lot more about both girls and womens overall fitness in celebration of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 9th. Girls and Women Sports Day originally began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements. Youth InterACTIVE (YI), an Austin, Texas, non-profit organization that is the states only provider of comprehensive, health-and-fitness-based after school programs, will provide the information as part of their lesson plans for participating students.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) January 30, 2005 -- Students and their parents across Austin will be learning a lot more about both girls and womens overall fitness in celebration of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 9th. Youth InterACTIVE (YI), an Austin non-profit organization that is the states only provider of comprehensive, health-and-fitness-based after school programs, will provide the information as part of their lesson plans for participating students in the Austin Independent School District. Hundreds of both male and female students along with their parents, will be given female-specific fitness and nutritional information. The students will also be provided with the opportunity to learn about Florence Hyman, the Olympic athlete for whom the day was founded.

YI is implementing the February 9th Appreciation Day as a way to further our mission, to promote healthy and active youth culture by raising awareness of the need for health and fitness opportunities that will engage our youth here in Texas and will support the national health movement in this arena," said Baker Harrell, YI Founder and Executive Director.

Parents will be invited to participate with their children in the activities of the day and the concluding discussion, which will focus on women in sports and womens special nutritional and fitness needs. Parents and children will be given an informative, take-home packet that provides further information about the topics discussed during the interactive learning session.

Girls and Women Sports Day originally began in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements. Since that time, Girls and Women Sports Day has evolved into a day to acknowledge the positive influence of sports participation and excellence in athletics. The AISD schools that have partnered with YI to support its one-of-a-kind, health-and fitness-based after school programs, include: Bryker Woods Elementary, Bedichek Middle School, Menchaca Elementary, Patton Elementary and Webb Middle School.

About YI
Volunteers and sponsors interested in the Rockin Family Fitness Festival, an event benefiting the Round Rock Independent School Districts physical education department, on April 23rd or the May 15th Companies4Kids event can contact Youth InterACTIVE (YI) Development Director Kim Straub at kim@youthinteractive.org. YI, an Austin 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, was founded in June of 2004 by Baker Harrell, a University of Texas Ph.D. candidate in the fields of Childrens Health, Youth Culture and Interactive Technology. Harrell currently serves on Mayor Will Wynns Austin Fitness Council and Mayor Maxwells Round Rock Fitness Council. This past year, YI was honored with the Best of Austin Award in the non-profit category by the Austin Chronicle and also received the Spirit Award from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Key YI supporters have included RunTex, the USA Managed Care Organization, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Youth InterACTIVE's after school programs have also been adopted by the Texas Education Agency, the Austin Independent School District, and the Round Rock Independent School District.

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