WILMINGTON, MA — Shawsheen Field’s concession stand is now offering healthier options for Wilmington Youth Soccer Association (WYSA) athletes and patrons.
“We’re thrilled to be able to offer healthier alternatives for our athletes,” said Eric Redder, Director of Coaching for WYSA. “Healthy snacks provide the fuel kids need to play their best.”
The new offerings, rolled out on October 10th, include carrots and hummus, cheese sticks, yogurt, and pretzels, in addition to oranges, bananas, apples, trail mix, and water, which were already on the menu. The new healthy items will be offered at the concession stand every day for the remainder of the fall soccer season.
WYSA, which currently serves over 1,000 players ages 4-18 and is comprised of over 600 families, partnered with Healthy Kids Out of School, an initiative of ChildObesity180 at Tufts University, to bring the healthier snacks to the Shawsheen Field stand. Healthy Kids Out of School works with out-of-school-time organizations nationwide to promote healthy snacking and physical activity.
Response to the new items has been positive. “We’re seeing kids snacking on foods like cheese sticks and pretzels,” said Richard Pereira, WYSA Board Member and concession stand manager. “Kids seem open to the new products, and parents like having healthier options available.”
Wilmington Youth Soccer Association (WYSA) has been providing opportunities for children ages 4-18 and their families since 1978. WYSA’s goal is to encourage and engage in athletic recreational soccer games that foster and promote the qualities of physical fitness, competitive and spirited team play, and good sportsmanship by providing soccer instruction to its member families, and by making available to them opportunities to participate in team competition both on an intramural and competitive basis against teams from other communities. To learn more about WYSA, visit http://wilmingtonyouthsoccer.org/.
Healthy Kids Out of School works with leading out-of-school-time organizations to promote three simple principles: Drink Right, Move More, and Snack Smart. By implementing these principles, out-of-school-time organizations provide millions of children across the country with access to healthy snacks and increased physical activity in their programs, helping build healthy habits now and for a lifetime. To learn more about Healthy Kids Out of School, visit http://www.childobesity180.org/healthykids.
(NOTE: The above press release was submitted by the Wilmington Youth Soccer Association.)
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