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'Be Well' program is follow-up to work/life initiatives

Jan 8, 2010 9:31:00 AM

By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News

 

NCAA Convention attendees will be reminded to take care of themselves even as they focus on handling the business of the Association as a new initiative called "Be Well" debuts at the NCAA's annual gathering in Atlanta next week.

The Be Well outreach is designed to promote the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle among athletics administrators, staff and coaches at NCAA member institutions and conferences. The initiative includes a 5K run Thursday and NCAA Be Well Morning Fitness sessions from 6-7 a.m. Wednesday and Friday.

In addition, Convention attendees will be able to drop their business cards at designated sites to enter prize drawings and show their interest in the effort. Card drops will be placed at workout facilities in both the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and Hyatt Regency Atlanta hotels as well as at the 5K, the morning workouts and the Educational Affairs booth in the Marriott's Imperial Foyer. There also will be promotional signage at both hotels. 

Karen Morrison, NCAA director for gender initiatives, said the Be Well outreach is rooted in the late NCAA President Myles Brand's efforts related to work/life balance. While several campus and conference initiatives and resources have been successfully implemented and developed over recent years, the Be Well initiative is focused on ways the national office can support the well-being of not just student-athletes but also athletics personnel.

"Obviously our campuses have terrific resources for work/life balance, fitness and health of their staffs," said Morrison, who compared Be Well to the national office's ongoing green initiative. "We're not trying to design a program that would supersede those things, but we hope to create a supportive environment and encourage dialogue on the topic.

"We also hope participants share their feedback that could lead to the development of resources that would be helpful to people."

In the same way the green initiative has helped the membership consider more environmentally friendly ways of conducting business, Morrison said Be Well's goal is to encourage athletics departments to develop ways to help administrators, staffs, coaches and officials take better care of themselves.

The Convention-related activities are just the first step in an effort that organizers hope will eventually include online resources that include shared practices.

After Convention, a team of national office staff members will contact individuals who dropped their business cards to collect feedback, ideas and suggestions on potential next steps.

"When you get in these committee meetings or at Convention, it's just nonstop, sedentary situations," said Morrison. "We'd like to see if we can do something for the membership to help carve out some time for them to take care of themselves."

 

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