Childhood obesity in the United States (and, indeed, in other industrialized countries) is on a scary upward path. Each year, more and more young people are increasing their risk of becoming affected by health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) compared results from surveys completed in 1976-1980 to those completed in 2003-2006. Obesity in children as young as 2-5 years old increased from 5% to 12.4% in that time period. In older children and teens the percentages are worse.

Many children live a sedentary lifestyle. They typically sit all day in classrooms, during the school year, and then in the evenings, weekends and break periods, they may be prone to spending most of their time seated at computers, watching television or playing video game consoles. If their food intake includes inappropriately large portions, sweetened beverages ranging from sodas to fruit “punches” and the like, fast food and other snack foods, these children are at serious risk for obesity.

Adults have a responsibility to model healthy habits for young people and to support them in learning how to adopt health-conscious practices that will propel them away from the obesity statistics. This responsibility should not be limited to parents and other immediate family members since many young people spend more hours of each day outside the home than in it. Schools, day care centers and communities at large can contribute to children’s overall health by encouraging proper diet and offering plenty of opportunity for physical activity.

One way to encourage children to adopt a healthier lifestyle is to have them be active in sports. Not all children possess the same skills and abilities, of course, so it is important to pursue a variety of sports – both individual and team – to find an area where the child is comfortable and looks forward to participating. This will offer the best odds that they will stick with the program for its duration.

One sport that can be considered for people of all ages is volleyball. Volleyball requires little investment in equipment and can, in fact, be played either “officially” (as part of an organized team) or “unofficially” (such as in the backyard, the pool or a local park). It can also be played indoors or outdoors and, generally speaking, can be a great deal of fun!

There is a multitude of benefits to starting a child in volleyball. Among others, the sport itself builds muscle and increases agility and hand-eye coordination. Equally important, it can teach good communication, teamwork and sportsmanship. Volleyball is a sport where all participants are active throughout the game – much less standing around waiting for a ball or waiting to be called into play. This makes it a good introductory sport for children as there may be less chance of boredom and more chance of feeling involved.

Children need support and encouragement to stick with a sport and further their healthy lifestyle. Adults should recognize and address this need. One of the easiest ways is to develop a Volleyball Awards program. The beauty of awards is that they can be in recognition of anything. Rookie of the Year awards, Player of the Year awards and MVP honors are common. However, coaches and team administrators can create any number of plaques and trophies in order to encourage all team members. Support children with Good Sportsmanship, Most Improved and even Perfect Attendance awards and they feel gratified. It gives them a sense of purpose and a true sense of belonging. This will go far to ensuring that they remain fit and active through their ongoing participation in volleyball and this should always be the underlying goal.