Increasing Physical Activity

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

2019 Progress Report

Year Committed: 2014

Length of Commitment: 5 years

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Encourage 3,400 Boys and Girls Clubs to join a national effort to create healthier environments for children in out-of-school time programs. This includes encouraging Boys and Girls Club sites nationwide to adopt established guidelines based on The National Afterschool Association Standards for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity that address healthy eating, physical activity, and youth and parent education.

Verified Results

Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Encouraged all of the approximately 3,400 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide join in the national effort to create healthier environments for children in out-of-school time programs.
Progress To Date

582 sites completed the inventory.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve a fruit or vegetable at every snack and meal.
Progress To Date

74% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing a fruit or vegetable at every meal. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve only foods with no artificial trans fats.
Progress To Date

61% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating prohibiting trans fats in their snacks and meals. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve only whole grain-rich products.
Progress To Date

65% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing only whole grain-rich products at snacks and meals. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve only non-fat or reduced fat yogurt and cheese.
Progress To Date

77% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing only non-fat or reduced fat dairy products at snacks and meals. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve only lean meat, skinless poultry, seafood, beans or legumes or eggs.
Progress To Date

63% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing only lean protein, beans/legumes, and eggs at snacks and meals. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve only packaged snacks or frozen desserts that meet the USDA Smart Snacks in School Standards.
Progress To Date

71% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing only packaged snacks that meet Smart Snacks. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports. 58% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing only frozen desserts that meet Smart Snacks. Based on the document audit, we are not confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Provide plain potable water at all times at no cost to youth and staff.
Progress To Date

97% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing drinking water at no cost. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Serve only water; plain low-fat milk, plain or flavored nonfat milk or milk alternative; 100% fruit or vegetable juice with no added sweeteners or 100% juice diluted with water with no added sweeteners.
Progress To Date

90% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing low-fat plain, or plain or flavored non-fat milk at snacks and meals. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports. 80% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing only 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports. 66% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating prohibiting full-calorie sodas, sports drinks, or juice drinks. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports. 70% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating prohibiting diet/low-calorie beverages for elementary students. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports. 80% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating serving only non-caffeinated beverages. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Dedicate at least 20% or at least 30 minutes of morning or afterschool program time to physical activity and 60 minutes for a full day program.
Progress To Date

95% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing 30 minutes of morning/afterschool or 60 minutes total of physical activity a day. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Provide physical activities in which youth are moderately to vigorously active for at least 50% of the physical activity time.
Progress To Date

93% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing activities that are moderate to vigorous. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Ensure physical activity takes place outdoors whenever possible.
Progress To Date

91% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating ensuring physical activity takes place outdoors. Based on the document audit, we are moderately confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Offer evidence-based nutrition education to youth.
Progress To Date

75% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating providing evidence-based Nutrition Education. Based on the document audit, we are somewhat confident in the accuracy of these reports.
Implementation Date
June 2019
Reporting Date
June 2019

Commitment Element
Offer education materials about nutrition and physical activity to families through pamphlets, newsletters, email blasts or other means.
Progress To Date

45% of clubs said they were fully demonstrating sharing educational materials on physical activity with families. Based on the document audit, we are not confident in the accuracy of these reports.

Partner Statement

From the 2018 National Youth Outcomes Initiative Report, BGCA found that more than twice as many Club members consume the daily recommended amount of vegetables and fruits as their peers nationally. Club members are more likely to consume recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables, with 38% of Club members eating 3+ vegetables daily and 76% of Club members eating 2+ fruits daily. Additionally, more Club members participate in daily physical activity than youth nationally. BGCA also remains dedicated to helping more Clubs enroll in federal food assistance programs so that they can serve more healthy meals and snacks to youth. In 2017, 91 percent of Club sites provided 88 million snacks and meals at no cost to members, a 10 percent increase in the number of snacks and meals served over the previous year.