Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

There are many growing problems in America these days. One problem that has become very big in the recent years is child obesity. Hartselle Junior High teacher Shane Alexander wasn’t at a loss for words to describe the problem. “ I was looking at the stats of obesity in America and it was just amazing” Alexander said, “So I knew that we had to do something.”

Alexander decided to create a program using the idea he had gotten from a former classmate and Hartselle graduate Nevada Spurlock. The idea was to get kids active by having a class two times a week that focuses on aerobic training. This new program called Impact focuses on getting kids active and trying to improve physical fitness scores by having a class that does just training and giving the kids a chance to set goals for themselves.

The program is also working with the home economics class to help work on nutrition and keeping a healthy diet. The class uses technology to have a very high tech way of training, which is ironic because technology is a big reason kids aren’t staying active. “Technology is great” Alexander “it’s how they’re using the technology that is the problem.” Alexander and his students are also partaking in many 5k runs together. “The 5k runs are a great thing” Alexander said “we load up on Saturdays witty whoever wants to go and we go run them together and have fun, and anybody who runs one gets their name on the wall and it will be there until they tear it down.”

The impact program is making a big splash as they just received a grant that will help it out. With this new grant, which is a k through six grade, they can begin to start working the program into the Intermediate school and hopefully down into the elementary school. So far, HJHS is the only junior high school that does a program like this and just one have only two schools (the other being Homewood high school) that does it.

“I would love for this program to make it not just in all the schools in Hartselle, but to begin to trickle from the kids to their families.” The results from this program are already beginning to take affect. “We have only been doing this about a year and a half” Alexander said “but already our fitness scores were already twice what they were last year.” It also helps the students in the classroom as it gets their brains moving and helps them calm down enough to pay attention more in class.

This kind of program is not easy because it takes a lot of time and money but it is definitely worth it. “It takes a lot of time” Alexander said “but if someone is willing to do it then I am willing to help.”