The National Fitness Foundation, the official nonprofit of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, which formed in 2010, has announced the International Health, Racquet & Sportclub Association (IHRSA) as a sponsor of the National Endowment for Youth Sports Launch Reception.
IHRSA joined reception co-hosts, NBC Sports Engine and the NHL in supporting the NEYS goal of raising $100M to provide annual and ongoing grants to youth sports programs, making them more accessible to all youth, particularly girls, children with disabilities and in economically distressed regions of the country. The Endowment is being developed to support the new National Youth Sports Strategy (NYSS) public health policy, which aims to expand youth sports participation in America.
In addition to supporting the NEYS launch reception, IHRSA intends to engage health clubs across the nation to support the health and fitness recommendations outlined in the NYSS. For decades, IHRSA and its member clubs been leading advocates for improving America’s health & wellness through regular exercise, so supporting the new public health policy aligns with IHRSA’s mission.
“We’re thrilled to work with IHRSA, not just for our launch event, but also on strategic initiatives that increase physical fitness and health in America,” said Clay Walker, Executive Director of the National Fitness Foundation. Walker added, “Health clubs play a vital role in the health, happiness and prosperity of the country, so we’re looking forward to building a long-term partnership with IHRSA and its member clubs.”
Jim Worthington, former IHRSA board chair, and current Member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition, said, “I’m glad I was able to connect IHRSA with NEYS. I’m proud to work with both organizations because they are focused on the same long-term goal – to increase health & fitness in America.”
