The Sports Authority, Inc. and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Team Up for National Youth Fitness Program

Boys & Girls Club of America
Friday, 31 March 2000

Expected to be Largest Undertaking Since President's Council on Physical Fitness Program Under John F. Kennedy

Atlanta, Ga. (March 31, 2000) - The Sports Authority, Inc. (NYSE-TSA) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (B&GCA) have formed a partnership to establish a national youth fitness program that will benefit more than 3.3 million Boys & Girls Club members nationwide. The program has the potential to become the nation's largest physical fitness program since President John F. Kennedy energized the President's Council on Physical Fitness (now called the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports) in the early 1960s.

The three-year, $3.3 million partnership will fund and support a fitness program currently in development. This program will be designed to create opportunities for Boys & Girls Club members to learn the importance of fitness and encourage them to participate in training, fitness evaluations and events. The goal of this partnership is to help children incorporate fitness into their everyday lives beginning at an early age.

"Our relationship with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a natural, because we are concerned about the health of our nation's youth," noted Marty Hanaka, chairman and chief executive officer of The Sports Authority, Inc. "It is important for The Sports Authority to give back to the community and there is no better way than to give the gift of fitness to the children of America." The fitness program will be developed in collaboration with fitness experts, trainers, The Sports Authority and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The program will be age and gender appropriate and include year-round fitness activities culminating in regional and national competitions. The fitness program will be implemented in four pilot cities - Philadelphia, Miami, Detroit, and Atlanta, in the coming months. After the program has been tested and evaluated, plans call for it to be made available to all Boys & Girls Clubs by the end of this year.

Present for the announcement today were two superstar third basemen and fitness advocates, the Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones, the National League's 1999 Most Valuable Player, and the Baltimore Orioles "Iron Man" legend, Cal Ripken, Jr. "Kids will love the competition behind this and will get into the habit of keeping fit. Everyone wins with a program like this," said Jones. "If we are going to take on adult obesity in America, it has to start with physically fit kids," added Ripken.

According to a new study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one in five adult Americans - 17.9% - is considered obese, a 50% increase over the past decade. "The director of the CDC calls it an epidemic," added Hanaka, who cited additional goals of the program as the education of members on the importance of nutrition and healthy eating as part of a well-rounded total fitness plan.

In a study conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, a large decrease in activity among teens has produced a 70% increase in teen obesity. Fewer than one in four children get 20 minutes of rigorous activity every day of the week.

"The Surgeon General of the United States recently stated that 'we must learn how to develop and implement measures to prevent obesity and promote healthy lifestyles," said Jim Tener, chief operating officer, The Sports Authority. "The Sports Authority along with Boys & Girls Clubs of America is taking the responsibility to implement just such a preventative measure."

"Sports, fitness and recreation is one of our five core program areas because of the many important positive qualities and skills it helps children to develop," said Roxanne Spillett, president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "The generosity of The Sports Authority will further enhance our commitment to the overall physical well-being of the children we serve."

The Sports Authority, Inc., the world's largest full-line sporting goods retailer, directly operates 196 full-line sporting goods superstores in 32 states across the United States. Mega Sports Co., Ltd. operates another 19 stores in Japan under a license agreement with The Sports Authority. TheSportsAuthority.com, Inc., which operates www.thesportsauthority.com, is a joint venture between Global Sports, Inc. and The Sports Authority.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America comprises a national network of 2,600 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving more than 3.3 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," Clubs provide guidance-oriented programs on a daily basis for children 6 - 18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key programs emphasize character and leadership development, educational enhancement, career preparation, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

For more information, or to contact Boys & Girls Club of America, see their website at: www.bgca.org