Over 70 Detroit children, ages 5 through 14, spent a day of summer vacation at Michigan State University to learn how movement can keep them healthy and even turn into a career. They also toured MSU athletic facilities and had a surprise visit from Basketball Head Coach Tom Izzo and Football Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald.
“These children learned how their body responds to physical activity and why that’s important,” said Jaqueline Goodway, professor and associate chair of the Department of Kinesiology at the College of Education, who led the planning of the event. “They also used sports science equipment to measure their performance, which helped them understand the real benefits of movement and how to be healthy.”
The Kinesiology Day of Action was sponsored by Henry Ford Health, Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons, and Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences — the partners behind the Future of Health: Detroit, a $3 billion dollar hospital, research and housing development in Detroit’s New Center neighborhood. The partners are also committed to expanding opportunities that strengthen connections to education and health and help remove barriers to wellness and success in the community.
Led by team members from the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Education and supported by colleagues from the College of Human Medicine, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and MSU Athletics, the event was very well received. Transportation was provided by NW Goldberg Cares, a foundation that serves inner city children and youth by promoting sport and community recreation.
“We wanted to give these kids a look at how their body works and what a career in kinesiology might look like for them,” Goodway said. “We hope to recruit them of course, but we also want to expose them to the many career paths this industry can provide.”
The youngest guests, those aged 5 to 7, participated in various movement activities led by MSU faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and they learned how their bodies would respond to the specific physical activity. These activities were informed by Goodway’s research and included the Successful Kinesthetic Instruction for Preschoolers, or SKIP program, which originated at MSU and has been implemented globally.
More recently, Goodway worked with Nalda Wainwright at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David to inform the design of the Mini Movers application, which enables parents and teachers to select games that enhance kids’ motor competence and a love of moving. Many children participated in games from the app and learned about skills that are foundational for sports and healthy lifelong activities. Read more about how Goodway’s research is making an impact on MSUToday.
For those a bit older, ages 7 to 9, there was a ninja warriors obstacle course to test and improve their agility, strength, balance and endurance. These children learned about careers in sports science and measurement approaches in kinesiology. They also tested various types of measurement equipment.
The oldest group of children, up to age 14, experienced sports science in action, with rotating visits to the Spartan Motorsport Performance Lab led by David Ferguson; the Virtual Anatomy Lab co-led by Amy Boettcher and Riley Patz; and the Athletic Injury and Rehabilitation Labs led by Matt Harkey.
The day culminated with the guests getting their own private tour of Spartan Stadium — and for some of these students, the chance to imagine one day bringing these movement skills to a collegiate sports stadium of their own.
