Elk Grove Students More Physically Fit Than Peers Statewide

The California Department of Education today released its annual report on the physical fitness of the state's youngsters, and there was good news and bad news for Elk Grove.

The good news: Students in the Elk Grove Unified School District outperformed their peers statewide on fitness tests, with close to half of ninth-graders scoring a passing grade on all six physical fitness measures, compared with 39 percent of ninth-graders in California.

The bad news: A majority of kids both in Elk Grove and statewide are failing the test. Only a third of all students tested in California performed in the state's 'healthy fitness zone' on all six measures. And just 31 percent of EGUSD fifth-graders and 40 percent of EGUSD seventh-graders did. That leaves a lot of children who are overweight, lack flexibility, or are simply inactive.

"Nothing is more important than the health of our children, and today's results show that many of them need a helping hand to get fit and stay in shape," state Superintendent Tom Torlakson said in announcing the test results.

The test measured students' aerobic capacity, body composition, flexibility, and trunk, abdominal and upper body strength.

Aerobic capacity, considered by the state the most important indicator of physical fitness, was measured at least in part by how fast a child could run a mile. About three-quarters of EGUSD ninth-graders and seventh-graders, and just over two-thirds of EGUSD fifth-graders, earned healthy scores in that category. That's compared with less than two-thirds of students at each of those grade levels statewide.

Youth sports form an important part of Elk Grove culture, with many local teams winning regional and state championships. About one in five high school students in EGUSD participates in organized sports, according to the district. That availability of athletic opportunities could account for the district's edge, said Elk Grove Mayor Steven Detrick.

"Across the entire city and school district the amount of sports that are available for both boys and girls is pretty phenomenal," Detrick said. "The bar is pretty high athletically in Elk Grove."

Still, if the test results are any indication, Elk Grove—like the rest of the state—may need to set that bar a little higher...or at least make sure our kids can reach it.