Sport Supply Group, Inc. signed a multi-year agreement to become the exclusive equipment supplier to Focused Fitness, one of the Nation's suppliers of coordinated school health curricula for the in-school and after-school markets.
Under terms of the agreement, Sport Supply Group will supply physical education products to school districts and after-school programs who adopt or have already adopted the Focused Fitness curriculum. Sport Supply will also exclusively promote the Focused Fitness curriculum through its U.S. Games catalog and web site located at http://www.usgames.com.
Kurt Hagen, executive vice-president sales and marketing for Sport Supply Group stated: “This new relationship with Focused Fitness is an important step in aligning SSG with a best of breed national curriculum provider for physical education departments nationwide. It gives SSG an entre into the curriculum – based P.E. market while providing Focused Fitness a conduit to further market its programs and services through the significant direct marketing reach that SSG provides.
“Physical Education in schools has changed dramatically over the last decade largely in response to the alarming trend of childhood obesity in the United States. To combat this epidemic, physical education instruction has migrated from 'free play' to curriculum-based. A curriculum-based physical education program helps students develop the knowledge, motor skills, social skills, attitudes and confidence needed to adopt and maintain physical activity throughout their lives and uses regular assessment tools to monitor, measure and reinforce student learning. Curriculum-based physical education programs use instructional strategies that provide meaningful inclusion of all students regardless of skill or fitness level, gender, race or ethnic group. The Federal Government actively funds, through physical education grants, school district P.E. programs that are supported by results-based curricula. The Focused Fitness curriculum offers a comprehensive blueprint for P.E. teachers and after-school program directors to blend health and fitness concepts with activity time, where students perform pre-fitness measurements in the fall, and set goals for personal improvement and perform post-fitness measurements in the spring. With this new alliance, Sport Supply Group's broad and innovative line of physical education equipment will be the product used by physical educators as part of the Focused Fitness curriculum.”
Karen Cowan, Director of Focused Fitness commented: “We are excited to have Sport Supply Group as our exclusive equipment supplier in achieving our goal of teaching fitness and health concepts without sacrificing movement or activity. By changing the focus of instruction to improve fitness levels and understand health and fitness concepts, teachers can motivate their students to learn traditional skills faster. Our Five for Life program – which starts in the first grade – is the cornerstone of our in-school curriculum and introducing students to the five basic components of fitness. Sport Supply's product line, marketing breadth and dedication to joining us in the fight to better arm America's physical educators in the battle for the health of our children is a welcome addition to our program. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with SSG.”
