Members of the Baltimore Orioles participate in a physical education class at Booker Middle School. Photo by Dylan Campbell.

As this story is being written, the Baltimore Orioles are exercising. Some players are in the weight room, others on the ball fields taking batting practice or fielding ground balls. Pitchers are throwing bullpens, catchers are working on their receiving and coaches are checking off rosters, all for Major League Spring Training. In short, exercise is a critical part of being a professional athlete—but it is also crucial to developing the minds and bodies of the area’s youth. Since 2016, the Orioles have hosted the Orioles Health and Fitness Challenge, a five-week program that teaches Sarasota County middle school students to “eat, train and live like the pros.”

Led by Sarasota County physical education teachers, over 4,500 students from sixth to eighth grade participate in a variety of health and fitness activities every Friday. This past Friday, February 27, members of the Orioles came to Booker Middle School to participate in a physical education class—a rigorous circuit of exercises that included flutter kicks, push ups, sit ups and lunges—as the culmination of the Fitness Challenge.

“It is an awesome experience,” says Tony Miller, Director of Athletics for Sarasota County Schools. “They’ve given t-shirts to all of our middle schoolers and camme here on a Friday afternoon to spend time with them and promote exercise. It’s exciting to see the Orioles give back to the community the way that they are.”

For middle schoolers, it’s essential to develop the habit of exercising early on in adolescence. While some students are involved in organized sports, others are not—programs such as the Fitness Challenge and physical education classes keep those students’ bodies and minds in shape. “Exercise does a lot for our mental health,” says Miller, who is a certified CrossFit kids coach. “When you go to study after exercising, your brain is like a sponge. Exercise is like a meal for the brain, it helps you absorb a lot more knowledge. It also helps physically, aiding with bone density, joint health and everything else.”

Members of the Baltimore Orioles participate in a physical education class at Booker Middle School. Photo by Dylan Campbell.

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