Nearly 150 leaders from organizations in the sports and fitness industries
joined together on March 2 to meet with Congress to request support for
policies to “Get America Moving.”  The event was SGMA's 12th
annual National Health Through Fitness Day.  In all, there were more than
120 Congressional meetings 'on the Hill'.

The targets of the industry lobby effort were two pieces of legislation:

1.)    The Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) Bill
funds a competitive grant program to give school districts and community based
organizations resources to provide students with quality, innovative physical
education;

2.)    The Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act would
promote improved health through increased physical activity by making it more
affordable to engage in sports, fitness and recreation activities — through
the use of tax incentives.

“The budget-cutting environment on Capitol Hill was a huge challenge
today, but I feel that the industry delivered a strong and convincing message
to Congress,” said SGMA President/CEO Tom Cove.  “SGMA will
continue meeting with individual congressmen to generate continued support for
these two key bills.  The need for PEP and PHIT has never been greater and
the legislative challenge to get them passed has never been more difficult.”

“We fundamentally believe in this cause,” said Elizabeth Avery, vice
president of global public policy & government affairs for Pepsico.  “It's
important to balance the calories you consume with the calories you burn.”

“I challenge the U.S. Congress to do right thing and support this
legislation,” said football legend Herschel Walker, the honorary chairman
of National Health Through Fitness Day.  “As a nation, we can't
afford not to pass legislation of this kind.”

“Our industry needs to support events like this which encourage physical
activity,” said SGMA Chairman Larry Franklin (President; Franklin
Sports).  “It's necessary to support major initiatives for young
people that help educate them about the importance of a healthy mind and
healthy body.”

“PE is an important class for school children,” said two-time Olympic
softball gold medal winning pitcher Michele Smith, one of the 21 celebrity
athletes in the group.  “Americans must get young people
moving.  Active children are more successful in the classroom and in life.”

“Winston Churchill once said, 'The youth of the nation are the trustees of
posterity,'” said Hall of Fame golfer Gary Player, 75, who is adamant in
his support of PEP and PHIT.  “When I went to school, the first class
each day was physical training.  And, I still do 1,000 push-ups a day.”

While the industry was busy meeting with U.S. Senators, U.S. Representatives,
and their staffs, a simulated physical education class was held inside the U.S.
Capitol to showcase how diverse and dynamic today's PE classes have
become.  The goal was to explain and demonstrate why federal funding of PE
programs is vital and must continue.  Executives from HOPSports and the
Chicago Bulls worked with children from Washington, D.C. Public Schools on the
simulated PE class.  The mascot of the Bulls (Benny the Bull) and the
local school children worked together to demonstrate new types of fitness
routines that are geared at putting the 'fun' back into fitness and taking the 'work' out of the workout.  This demonstration was coordinated by Cindy
Sisson Hensley (President; HOPSports).

“It helps our lobby day effort to have a group of children actually
demonstrating how a modern PE class is conducted,” said Bill Sells, SGMA's
vice president of government relations.  “For a congressman or a U.S.
Senator to have the chance to get a first-hand look at what the federal funds
are being used to support, it helps our lobby-day effort.  It's one thing
to describe how a program will work and it's entirely different to get a
first-hand look at it.”

A number of sports celebrities participated in the lobby day experience. 
They were former NFL running back and 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel
Walker, 1972 U.S. Open and Wimbledon tennis champion Stan Smith; Baseball Hall
of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith; LPGA Hall of Fame member Annika Sörenstam; World
Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player; U.S. Olympic softball gold Medalists Michele
Smith and Natasha Watley; Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Art Monk; 2008
Olympic gymnastics silver medalist/World Champion Alicia Sacramone; current WBA
super middleweight world champion Andre Ward; PGA Tour professional Brad Faxon;
former Cy Young Award runner-up John Tudor; sportscaster Bonnie Bernstein; 2010
Olympic speedskating bronze medalist Allison Baver; 7-time Pro Bowl wide
receiver Torry Holt; New Orleans Saints place kicker Garrett Hartley; U.S.
Olympic middle distance runner Jenny Simpson; and former NFL stars Jay Fiedler,
Ken Harvey, James Thrash and John Booty.    

For the PEP Bill, this consortium asked Congress to continue funding the
program in FY 2012.  PEP is the only Federal funding dedicated to physical
education.  In FY 2001, the PEP Bill was approved for $5 million. 
The success of PEP has led to a steady increase in funding.  In FY 2002,
Congress allotted $50 million; $60 million in FY 2003; $70 million in FY 2004;
$73 million in FY 2005; $73 million in FY 2006; $73 million in FY 2007; $75.7
million in FY 2008; $78 million in FY 2009; $79 million in FY 2010; and $80
million in FY 2011.  To date, more than $600 million in PEP grants have
been distributed across the country by the U.S. Department of Education.

The PHIT Act would change current federal tax law to allow for the deduction or
use of pre-tax dollars to cover expenses related to sports, fitness and other
physical activities. Americans could invest up to $2,000 annually to reimburse
physical activity costs using PHIT-designated contributions to existing pre-tax
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Medical Savings Accounts (MSA), and other
medical reimbursement arrangements.  PHIT would only expand the eligible
expenses.  It would not increase contribution limits to these
accounts.  Once an individual or family reaches the 7.5% threshold on
income spent for qualified medical expenses, they could deduct physical
activity expenses directly.

On the evening of Tuesday, March 1st, SGMA hosted the National Health Through
Fitness Day Award Reception in the U.S Capitol Visitors Center. At the event,
SGMA recognized four individuals for their support of physical activity
policies in America.  Former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion Stan Smith
was presented with SGMA's Lifetime Achievement Award “in recognition of
his lifelong commitment to promoting physical education and active lifestyles
in America.”  SGMA also recognized three Members of Congress with its
Congressional Health & Fitness Award for their “promotion of healthy
and active lifestyles in America.”  Those three legislators were
Senator Mark Warner (VA), Representative Mary Bono-Mack (CA), and
Representative Joseph Crowley (NY).

There were more than 40 companies and organizations which sponsored National
Health Through Fitness Day.  PepsiCo was the presenting sponsor.  The
United States Tennis Association, The Active Network, and SGMA's Legal Task
Force were special event sponsors.  Supporting sponsors included
Accusplit, Active Network, Century Martial Arts, Cramer Products, Easton,
Entertainment Software Association, Everlast, Flaghouse, Franklin Sports,
Gatorade, General Mills, GeoFitness, Head Penn, HOPSports, Human Kinetics, Good
Sports, Gopher Sport, Mizuno, Motion Fitness, Musco Sports Lighting, NFL
Players, National Sporting Goods Association, New Balance, Nike, PE4life, Play
Core/Everlast Climbing, Polar, Pop Warner Football, Precor, Prince, Rawlings
Sporting Goods, Reebok, Rollerblade, Speed Stacks, Sportime, SGMA's Legal Task
Force, Suunto, Tennis Industry Association, Under Armour, Wilson Sporting
Goods, Women's Sports Foundation, and XaviX.