Local Parks and Programs Still Waiting for Children to Exercise

A brother and sister race through the green grass in the summer sun at South Gate Park chasing a soccer ball. Their father, Miguel Pulido, 40, stands back and watches them play.

 This is a typical afternoon for the Pulido family.

 “As a father, I understand what kids need today, ” said Pulido, who wants his children to grow healthy through exercise. “I spend time with them everyday, making sure they exercise.”

 To Pulido, his children are doing something that he feels was left in past –playing outside. A sentiment that , South Gate director of parks and recreation, agrees with.

 “We used to go to the park and ride bikes,” said Adams, who expressed concern over the sedentary lives that the majority of kids lead today. “We were just more active than kids today.”

South Gate recently ranked as the fifth city with the highest percentage of obese and over weight children in a statewide study done by the University of California-Los Angeles Center for Health Policy Research and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.

Despite the prevalence of overweight and obese children in South Gate there isn’t a lack of affordable and free sports programs.

According to Adams, the city offers many affordable athletic and fitness programs for children in conjunction with other local non-profit organizations, such as those with the American Youth Soccer Organization and the Junior Athletics Association. There are also many other programs that are partly funded by the city and outside grants. For example, one such grant allows for free swim lessons at the swim stadium.

However, programs and facilities are not enough, parents are a crucial part of getting their children involved in physical activities, warned Adams.

“We understand parents work hard, but they must make sure their kids can participate,” said Adams. “Not every kid needs to be in the programs, but they do need to be active.”

Pulido, who also tries to teach his kids by example, has already seen some success with his children. His son, Miguel Jr. is already following in his father’s footsteps.

“I grew up running as a kid,” said Pulido. “[My son] never stops running.”

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