Notah Begay & Inter-Tribal Sports Join Forces for American Indian Youth

Native News Network Staff in Native Health. Discussion »

SANTA ANA PUEBLO – The Notah Begay III Foundation has joined forces with the Inter-Tribal Sports of Temecula, California. The organizations have come together to use the sport of soccer as a vehicle to combat childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately, one out of two American Indian youth will develop type 2 diabetes, according to recent projections. As a result, both organizations decided a strategic partnership between the two was needed based on these alarming trends.

Inter-Tribal Sports is a nonprofit consortium of 19 American Indian tribes and tribal organizations based in southern California.

“The Notah Begay III Foundation is excited about this important partnership with ITS to grow the sport of soccer in Indian Country as a means to fight childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes among Native American children,”

stated Crystal Echo Hawk, NB3 Foundation Executive Director.

"Inter-Tribal Sports has a highly successful track record of serving children in the 19 tribal communities it serves in Southern California. We are confident about the potential of this partnership as we work to expand access to our evidence-based NB3 soccer programming that has a proven track record of impacting the health and wellbeing of the children the Notah Begay III Foundation has served,"

added Echo Hawk.

Through the partnership, Notah Begay III Foundation will provide Inter-Tribal Sports with technical assistance, training and program support to promote the development of soccer programming for American Indian youth with the tribal communities Inter-Tribal Sports serves. The Notah Begay III Foundation will award Inter-Tribal Sports with a $15,000 grant to promote the first phase of the partnership development.

“We firmly believe that the impacts made by both organizations can and will be exponentially greater as result of our sharing of ideas, implementation strategies, and resources.”

stated Ben Foster, Executive Director of Inter-Tribal Sports.

"Inter-Tribal Sports has an incredible opportunity to promote positive behaviors and healthy lifestyles and to help fight the obesity and diabetes epidemics. Working with organizations like the Notah Begay III Foundation and local Indian health centers will allow us to infuse our programs with health and nutrition outreach and education to help build stronger, healthier, and more vibrant communities."

Slated to begin this summer, plans include training and education for volunteer coaches, provision for Notah Begay III Foundation soccer curriculum that includes nutrition and youth leadership components, and player clinics within several of the Inter-Tribal Sports communities.

"Our partnership with Inter-Tribal Sports to launch programming outside of New Mexico is a vitally important step in our work. The Nike N7 Fund, a major supporter of both the Notah Begay III Foundation and Inter-Tribal Sports, has also been a huge catalyst in our ability to expand our soccer programming outside of New Mexico. We hope the support to expand our brand of evidence-based soccer programming and strategic partnerships in Indian Country will grow among tribes, communities and other types of organizations and investors,"

explained Echo Hawk.

The partnership further seeks to promote leadership development among American Indian youth.

posted March 26, 2012 10:50 am edt