Identifying and overcoming barriers to better health and fitness is part of the KAHPERD mission. Across the state, our members are working to find ways around lifestyle, cultural, personal and financial challenges that make achieving health and fitness goals possible. Here are some of the challenges and barriers we face, and ways KAHPERD helps to overcome them.

Entertainment and Technology — Children today have many forms of entertainment, and many of them involve digital technology, rather than outside recreation. Digital technology is not bad, of course, but at KAHPERD we are finding ways to encourage students to be more physically active. We're helping kids understand that physical activity makes them feel better and that they can just as much fun, or more, being active.

Funding Challenges — As state school budgets are squeezed, physical education and health funding can be in danger. KAHPERD provides educational material about the positive impact of physical activity on academic success. Leaders and members of our organization are available to make presentations to school boards, and to elected officials, about the connection between physical activity and academic performance.

Geographic Realities — KAHPERD recognizes that not all areas of our state are equally represented in our organization, and we want to do better. We want to reach out to western Kansas, for instance, and recruit more teachers and coaches who we can help in their professional roles.

Time Constraints — KAHPERD also recognizes the reality of limited time and resources for health and fitness educators, particularly at the middle school and high school levels, when coaching responsibilities require significant amount of time and energy. We want to know how we can support educators who are also coaches, and who play such a vital role in the positive associations so many students develop with sports.