Basketball pro Hersey Hawkins failed physical education when he was a freshman at Westinghouse High School on the west side of Chicago.
He earned a place on the basketball team but quit after a single week because waking up for early morning practices wasn't for him.
"I really wasn't that committed to play basketball, so I quit," he said Aug. 13 during a Goodyear in ACTION meeting.
GIA was created about a year ago to promote, educate and motivate Goodyear residents and businesses to be healthier, active people, said Jeff Stokes, GIA co-chairman.
Hawkins, a Goodyear resident and current Estrella Foothills High School coach, was invited to speak at the meeting because his story mirrors the inactivity of millions of youths today, said Stokes, who is also the director for West Coast Operations for Life Time Fitness.
After a year of hanging on the couch and street corners with his friends, Hawkins' mother convinced him to return to the sport.
"After that year, my mom came to me and pretty much said, 'You're going back.' She made me go back and play my sophomore year. That was the turning point in my life," he said.
Upon graduating from high school, Hawkins received a full scholarship to play at Bradley University in Illinois.
In 1988 he was the Division One College Player of the Year and was selected to play on the 1988 Olympic basketball team.
He then was drafted by the NBA to play first for the L.A. Clippers and then the Philadelphia 76ers. During his career, he's played ball with greats such as Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan.
"I look back on it and I think it was all because my mom made me get off the couch, get out of the house and go play basketball," he said.
Targeting childhood obesity
GIA is specifically targeting obesity in children.
"We know there's a trend. All the statistics show there is a trend," Stokes said. "With the lifestyles and types of activities kids have these days, it's not about riding your bike in the neighborhoods or crossing the street to see your neighbors. It's about texting and playing video games."
The government is doing its part to try to curb childhood obesity, said Tina Herzog, acting deputy associate superintendent for health and nutrition services. She is also a Goodyear resident and attended the meeting to speak on behalf of Education Department Superintendent Tom Horne, who could not attend.
The State Department of Education is in the process of changing school health and physical education requirements, which haven't been updated since 1997, she said. More information is available at www.ade.az.gov.
GIA has organized a citywide Goodyear in Action Day scheduled for Sept. 26. Several events are planned throughout the community to help residents become healthier and lead active lives, Stokes said. More information is available at www.goodyearinaction.com.
