Nike Athletes Join Students in Celebrating Physical Activity

In honor of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and National Physical Education and Sport Week, which kicks off today, Nike (NYSE: NKE) will host a series of NikeGO PE events in five communities nationwide: Portland; New York; Chicago; Los Angeles; and Memphis. Coordinated in conjunction with local school districts, the events will feature students, Nike athletes and local dignitaries who will participate together in a series of "new PE" activities to draw attention to the important need for keeping kids active and ensuring physical education classes remain in schools.

NikeGO PE, which is present in more than 400 elementary schools across the U.S., seeks to instill a lifelong love of physical activity in young people and is designed to address rising inactivity rates in youth, a major national health problem.

Basketball stars Damon Stoudamire (Rookie of the Year) and Candice Dupree (All Star), Serena Williams (winner of eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles), and former Olympic marathoner Alberto Salazar are just a few of the Nike athletes scheduled to participate in NikeGO PE classes this month.

"Nike understands that there is a critical need to get young people active during their school day," said Chad Boettcher, director of US Community Affairs for Nike. "We want to give them as many chances as possible to be physically active because we believe that activity helps young people become fit and healthy adults."

Boettcher said, "We hope that these NikeGO PE events will educate whole communities about the importance of keeping PE in schools. Together, we will celebrate dance, sports and play to make a point about the importance of ensuring that kids participate in 30 minutes of vigorous activity every day."

Working together to create a new, innovative approach to physical education, Nike and SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) teamed up to create the NikeGO PE curriculum, as well as "hands-on" teacher training and matched equipment sets. These tools help PE specialists and classroom teachers work together to provide "new PE," an approach to physical education that is more inclusive, active and fun than traditional PE classes. Activities in the NikeGO PE "Playbook" are designed to develop students' fitness, motor, and social skills, while providing strategies that integrate literacy, math science, art, and nutrition into PE lessons.

NikeGO PE modifies games, dances and sport skill to create a movement environment in which every child, regardless of ability, is provided with many opportunities to participate and feel successful in PE class. -www.prnewswire.com