The idea of applying leadership skills to fitness training is a popular notion across many realms, such as fitness centers, military training and physical education. Many fitness programs require certification so that leaders are trained properly to keep students safely focused on specific fitness goals. Though the phrase "leadership in fitness training" might seem broad and applicable to many realms, it is a coined term found most applicable to the L.I.F.T. Program.
L.I.F.T
L.I.F.T. was a health and wellness curriculum devised by the National School fitness Foundation. It was promoted nationwide to school districts to allow an opportunity to lease exercise equipment in conjunction with a curriculum. It was designed in response to the rise in obesity among children in the U.S. By embracing a curriculum that focused on lifestyle change, educators hoped to foster healthier patterns for children and young adults through their public education.
L.I.F.T. Program
The Leadership in Fitness Training curriculum included several components. It provided complete training for physical education teachers as well as a certification for the school. Teachers were also given a full curriculum to follow which included aerobic lesson plans, goals and ways to measure outcomes. The program also came with strength training equipment leased from School Fitness Systems. Also leased are computerized assessment kiosks which help students and teachers assess progress.
L.I.F.T. Curriculum
Public schools embraced the curriculum as a way to incorporate physical fitness at what seemed an affordable way. Schools targeted students looking to make healthy lifestyle changes. The curriculum required students to meet two to three times a week. Students had their body composition and blood pressure assessed as well as a variety of tests to measure strength and flexibility. Students then worked within an individual program suited to address their health and wellness goals.
National School Fitness Foundation AndLIFT
The NSFF was co-founded by a father-son pair in 2000. By 2003, LIFT had been adopted into more than 450 schools across 18 states. The foundation was a non-profit organization working with a for-profit equipment leasing company. According to the Philanthropy News Digest, however, it was also a pyramid scheme devised to attract schools into buying and leasing this equipment with the message of reimbursement for student success. This never happened.
Fitness Scheme?
By 2004, co-founders were removed from the board due to allegations of receiving excessive benefits and were later found guilty on 40 felony charges. NSFF filed for bankruptcy. Despite this devastation, the 2004 president, Jeffrey Peters, stated that the foundation holds to still promote the goal of fighting childhood obesity. Shortly after this statement NSFF had been indicted by the grand jury in U.S. District court in Minneapolis. The NSFF website no longer exists.
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