HEALTH & FITNESS

For M³ health has physical, mental and emotional dimensions and all have to be trained to enable our students to perform well in school and in life. Sadly, there are too few resources devoted to developing black boys with balanced physical, mental and emotional components.

Boys often have difficulty sitting quietly in the classroom for 8 hours every day. In addition, diet and general eating habits are crucial in being able to engender a good learning environment. The boys are educated in what foods and habits will enable them to achieve better learning and sports achievements.

Obesity, high sodium intake and a sedentary lifestyle have created significant problems among black youth. M³ utilizes the sports and physical fitness portion of the program to give a basic dietary understanding and the importance of regular exercise.

The 2006 California Physical Fitness Test evaluated about 1.4 million students in fifth, seventh and ninth grade for endurance, flexibility and strength. Less than 27 percent, or slightly more than one quarter (1/4), of those students met all the minimum fitness standards.

M³ has developed a strong sports component where the boys are trained in physical fitness, learn teamwork and leadership skills and get a chance to run off their excessive energy - making it easier to be focused during the academic study portions.

In addition, some boys struggle with emotional issues stemming from family and other issues. Our instructors are trained to work with "at risk" boys and communicate with the boys about salient issues.

Support our efforts to create change among black boys.