Boys and Girls Club Celebrates Olympics

by Johnathan Perkins

This summer, to celebrate the 2012 Olympics and promote all-around fitness for its members, the Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta welcomed four legendary U.S. Olympians to lead a day of fitness activities as a part of the Club's Triple Play program.

At training stations led by Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gail Devers, Dominique Dawes, and Evander Holyfield, Boys and Girls Club members learned how to execute a long jump, participate in running relays, complete basic gymnastics moves, and box with proper form.

The Triple Play program focuses on improving the bodies, minds, and souls of the Club’s members; this athletic event contributed to the “bodies” component. Cumulatively, the Triple Play program encourages participants to eat healthfully, participate in exercise, and build healthy relationships with peers and mentors.

The Olympian-attended Triple Play event helped achieve the Boys and Girls Club’s stated goals of providing life-enhancing programs, hope, and opportunity.

About the author: A 2011 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Johnathan Perkins currently works as a legal intern with Robinson & Geraldo, P.C., in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Perkins supports the efforts of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys and Girls Clubs. He hopes to volunteer with both organizations in the near future.

[sources: http://www.bgca.org/newsevents/TheScoop/Pages/FourOlympians071812.aspxhttp://www.bgca.org/whoweare/Pages/Mission.aspx]