I continue to get inspiration from reading other blogs.  I was reading a posting right here on tblog by surrogate titled “To me, if it had the potential to break windows, it was a great toy” (link: http://surrogate.tblog.com/post/1969971989" title="http://surrogate.tblog.com/post/1969971989" target="_blank"http://surrogate.tblog.com/po...) which discussed the fact that one of the founders of Wham-O had died.  Wham-O was the company responsible for the hula hoop, Frisbee and super ball among other plastic toys for children.  This brought back memories of when kids actually played together physically outside.  There are so many positive contributions due to technology, but there seem to be some negatives as well.  Kids just don’t play together outside anymore.  As I commented on surrogate’s posting, I can’t imagine my childhood days without memories of playing catch, touch football (or later tackle), 2 on 2 basketball, strikeout, kickball, ghost in the graveyard, tag, swimming, riding bikes, etc.  If no one else was around, I would shoot baskets by myself or throw a tennis ball against the garage.  I can’t remember the last time I saw two kids out just playing catch with a baseball.  That makes me sad when I think about it.

With this subject in mind, I did want to take this opportunity to call your attention to something very positive the NFL is doing to address the situation.  Back in October of last year, they launched a new youth health and fitness campaign called NFL Play 60.  Focusing on the health and wellness of young fans, the program encourages kids to be active for at least 60 minutes per day (that’s where the #60 comes in the name).  It is just a start, but many studies have shown that just one hour of activity can make a major difference in battling childhood obesity.  You may have seen the commercials already because the program includes national PSAs, online programs as well as local involvement.  Online there is a site where kids can go to set personal goals, track their progress and receive tips & encouragement from players.  Some very high profile NFL players are involved with NFL Play 60 including Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Reggie Bush and many others.  To launch the campaign back in October, more than 25 teams helped build Youth Fitness Zones in their communities, providing new places for local kids to be active.  “We are taking a leadership role in the movement to get youngsters fit.  Our players know the importance of staying healthy and it’s important that young fans also understand the value of exercise,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (from NFL.com).  “Play 60 is an important tool in ensuring children get their necessary daily physical activity as recommended by health and fitness experts.”

The way so many kids idolize the professional athletes, this message coming from the players holds a lot of credibility.  With all of the attention paid to the bad things pro athletes are involved with, I felt it was very appropriate to praise such a worthy effort.  All too often the positive efforts and positive role models are overlooked.  If you are interested in finding out more about NFL Play 60, I would suggest going to the website:  www.nflrush.com/health.  I am sure there are other similar programs available, but just wanted to at least call attention to this particular one.

That will wrap up Kickin’ it for today.  Thanks for reading and please come back often.  As I said yesterday, I found this really amazing music website and I hope to write about it tomorrow.  You won’t want to miss that one.  ‘Til then, take care.

Check this out:  Based on the subject above, I felt this cartoon was appropriate for kids and adults alike who spend too much time in front of the computer...

Quote of the day:  "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there."  -The Cheshire Cat in Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland

Download this:  "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - A beautiful song by the late Hawaiian with melodic vocals over a soft ukulele.  You have probably heard this song at one point or another, but it is really worthy of being added to any music collection.