Varsity Joins Partnership For A Healthier America

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Varsity, the leader in cheerleading and dance team education, events and apparel, has joined the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) with a new initiative that encourages cheerleaders and dancers to cheer for a healthier America.

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The new program will be implemented at more than 1,000 camps across America, taught by 4,000 instructors. The program, designed to get kids involved in aerobic activities, will be taught to the 400,000 enrolled campers that attend Varsity camps. After participating in the program during camp, these campers will be instructed on how to use the program in their schools and communities to get other kids moving.

The program will be highlighted in all camp brochures and DVD training manuals, which are distributed to more than 26,000 coaches and administrators, and will be part of the official curriculum of each camp.

"We know that cheerleaders can use their prominent positions as school leaders to help us spread the word about the importance of physical fitness at every stage of life, especially the crucial elementary school years," says Bill Seely, Senior Vice President, Training and Education for Universal Cheerleaders Association, the largest of the Varsity brands. "We look forward to teaming up with the Partnership for a Healthier America and working together towards a healthier future for our youth."

"Some of the most powerful communications and programmatic efforts in which we can engage are the ones where kids speak directly to kids," said Lawrence A. Soler, CEO of PHA. "Varsity brands is doing just that, by engaging high school and college-aged leaders and enabling them to work in their communities – specifically elementary schools – to get kids moving more. We're pleased to have them on board."

The program will be working on physical activity and nutrition lessons that will be performed at camp and then re-taught at elementary schools by those camp attendees. Participants will be asked to make a pledge to take the activities back to their schools and communities before they leave camp on the final day. They will be provided with physical activity challenges and school challenges to implement when they are back at school and in their communities.

For more information, please contact Sheila Noone, [email protected], 901-251-5959.

About Varsity
Varsity is the source for all things related to cheerleading and dance team.  With a rich heritage and traditions dating back to 1974, Varsity is an innovative global leader comprised of the leading spirit brands and organizations including its educational camps, clinics, competitions and uniforms to teams around the world. Varsity's National Championships, many of which are held at the Walt Disney World® Resorts, have been televised on ESPN Networks for more than 25 years.  Sponsors for Varsity events include Gatorade, Playtex Sport, Softlips, Oxy, PBTeen, and Herff Jones. Web-based Varsity TV features thousands of cheerleading and dance team videos and has become a favorite cheer destination for cheerleaders and coaches alike.  Varsity has led the way in cheerleading safety as a supporter of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators since 1987 and as a camp leader training more than 400,000 cheerleaders per year in cheerleading fundamentals with an emphasis on safety. In 2012, Varsity purchased American Cheerleader Magazine, which has showcased the cheerleading community since 1995. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Varsity employs 5,000 employees nationwide.  For more information about Varsity, please visit http://www.varsity.com.

SOURCE Varsity