FITNESS HELPS KIDS JUST SAY 'NO'

Pass Road Elementary program catches on

GULFPORT - Students from Pass Road Elementary twisted, jumped and ran Friday
in an effort to get others to choose health and fitness over alcohol and
drugs.

The students are part of Coach Dodson's All-American Fitness Team and have
performed their musical routine for more than 2,500 people in the past two
years at schools, health fairs and sporting events.

Friday, they took their message to St. James Elementary and students there
clapped and sang along as the fitness team performed to different songs.

Fifth-grader Amber McMillan has been part of the team for two years and she
said being active will keep kids away from drugs.

"It's fun to go to the different schools," she said. "If you exercise and
get healthy, your bones will be strong. If you get involved in fun stuff
like this, you won't think about doing drugs."

The 70-member fitness team was started by Adrian Dodson, a physical
education teacher at Pass Road Elementary.

"We began putting our own exercise routines together, and I would let the
kids perform when we had a visitor or special guest during P.E.," he said.
"We incorporate a lot of speed, power and agility moves into the P.E.
program. The kids love it and it's fun for them."

The team made a video for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and it
was selected to be a model for youth and teen fitness. About the same time,
Dodson was selected to be the state coordinator for the council.

In his role, he oversees sports and physical fitness programs at other
schools, as well passes on ideas from the fitness team to other schools.

"The program combines exercises, dancing, aerobics, jumping rope and
singing," Dodson said. "And we add the importance of staying in school and
making good grades, rejecting tobacco, saying no to drugs, eating healthy
and being fit all rolled together for a 45-minute, high-energy stage show."

Fifth-grader Sean Lenes joined the team this year and he demonstrated
sprints for the students at St. James.

"It's fun," he said. "We're too busy doing this to worry about (drugs)."

Stacey Waldrop, the school nurse at Pass Road Elementary, said the program
has helped improve the kids' self-esteem.

"It's built their confidence and their skills," she said. "It teaches them
that all you need is music and moves to be fit. They've improved so much
from last year."

The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, which includes the Partnership
for a Healthy Harrison County, sponsors the fitness team.