Boys and Girls Clubs in Indian Country

The National Diabetes Prevention Pilot Program for Boys & Girls Clubs in Indian Country was launched at a special training, hosted by Nike, Inc. and held on June 9-10, 2003 at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. The Nike training, NikeGO, kicked off the first training for six Native American Boys & Girls Clubs selected to serve as grantees for the proposed Prevention Program that is a partnership among Indian Health Service, the National Congress of American Indians, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Nike, Inc.

Program coordinators representing the following select Club sites attended the training: B&GC of the Navajo Nation - Fort Defiance, Arizona; SuAnne Big Crow B&GC, Pine Ridge, South Dakota; B&GC of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Lame Deer, Montana; B&GC of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Choctaw, Mississippi; B&GC of the Navajo Nation - Kayenta, Arizona; and B&GC of Green Country, Pryor, Oklahoma.

NIKE Starts With SPARK
Club leaders experienced a full day of training at the Bo Jackson Physical Fitness Center on the SPARK Active Recreation program that will serve as the foundation for the physical activity component of the Diabetes Prevention Program. They received a multitude of useful and creative ideas as well as a very helpful SPARK curriculum guide that will provide a foundation for implementing physical activities at the Clubs. The second day included meetings with key Nike leaders who described the NikeGO grant process and their expectations for the implementation, promotion, and evaluation of NikeGO programs. Each Club site will receive $25,000 in Nike product grants that will be used to purchase items for their physical activity programs.

Developing a Healthy Choices Curriculum
The group also reviewed a draft outline for the Healthy Choices education and prevention curriculum that will be developed. Healthy Choices is a six-month incentive-based educational, nutritional, and physical activity program aimed at reducing the onset of diabetes among Native American youth. They took advantage of their gathering that day to converse about possible curriculum ideas and format suggestions. The curriculum will emphasize personal choices, commitment to lifestyle changes, nutrition education, and physical activity commitment. They also discussed strategies for developing key partnerships with their local IHS agencies.

Out on the Town
In addition to the training, Nike organized some other fun experiences for the participants. Nike hosted a terrific dinner at a downtown Portland restaurant; a tour of the Nike campus where they visited incredible buildings like the Tiger Woods Physical Fitness Center and the Lance Armstrong Center that boasts a gymnasium-size climbing wall; an exclusive visit to the Nike Employee Store where everyone left with great purchases; and a grand finale lunch at the Nike restaurant overlooking their magnificent campus. To add to the group's experience, the City of Portland's Recreation Department arranged an evening drive to the scenic and breathtaking Multnomah Falls.

The group spent an amazing couple of days in Beaverton. They enjoyed meeting Nike leaders like Molly White, Brian Rogers, Judith Umipie, Sarah Zuber, Denise Bazzel-Shired, and others who made them feel right at home and who made it clear that they appreciate the work that Club leaders do to help Native youth and their families. So the group returned home reenergized, ready to get back to work, and in keeping with Nike fashion - "just do it!" Stay tuned for regular updates on the progress of this important new Diabetes Prevention Initiative.