The 26th anniversary of the "First in Fitness" competition will get underway on March 10th at Southeast Raleigh High School. Former elementary physical education teacher, Ben Tench, established "First in Fitness" 26 years ago. The event is one of the oldest on-going physical fitness events in the country. Over 50 elementary schools and 22 middle schools will be sending teams of students to compete in a variety of fitness events including the mile run, pull-ups, one-minute jump rope, shuttle run, broad jump, 100-yard dash, a modified triathlon, and other track and field events for middle schoolers. Ben's idea has grown from a single event involving a handful of schools and about 100 students, to a massive county-wide spectacle involving over 70 schools with thousands of participants, spectators, event coordinators, high school PEPI students, and judges. Over 6,000 parents, students, teachers, and other guests will attend and/or participate in this year's events. With our nation's growing obesity and type II diabetes trend among school-aged youth (especially minority students), Wake County Public School System's "First in Fitness" events provide an interesting contrast to this national and state concern. We are excited about fielding the 1st FIF team from Sycamore Creek. Students are selected based on their fitness assessment scores done during Physical Education classes. Mr. Miller also considered their conduct, attitude, and work ethic. He has selected students that he feels will represent our school to the best of their ability. Our students worked very hard during Fitness Testing and all of the assessments were very competitive. Even if you are not selected, Mr. Miller wants to encourage you to work hard to not only prepare yourself for next year, but to be the healthiest person you can be. |