Mike Roelofs, physical education teacher and Track and Field Club sponsor, cheers on fourth-graders Stella Vargas and Katelyn Zito.
Students at Patterson Elementary are participating in a new track and field club. Children from third through sixth grade get together after school twice a week for sprints, long jumps and even long distance runs.
“I love it. It’s fun, and it’s good exercise,” said fourth-grader Katelyn Zito. Her friend Stella Vargas agrees, adding, “It’s okay that it’s hard, because you get better at running, and you learn how to pace yourself.”
The club usually draws more than 90 kids. With such a good turnout, Mike Roelofs, physical education teacher and club sponsor has help from parent volunteers and Skyline High School track and field athletes.
Roelofs notes, “In recent years, the phrase ‘obesity epidemic’ emphasizes the need for programs like the Patterson Track Club. It gives kids an alternative to less healthy lifestyle choices.”
Fifth-grader Dylan Krug puts this best when he says, “You get a lot of exercise out of it. You’re not just sitting at home playing video games.”
