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Boys & Girls Clubs Promote Healthy Lifestyle

DENVER, Colo (CBS4) - More than 1,700 children participate in the sports teams at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. Part of the mission of the clubs is to promote healthy lifestyles.

Right now the basketball season is just getting underway. At the J. Churchill Owen Branch, the girls team, ages 9-11, gets the gym for practice a couple of times a week. The girls are working on the fundaments, like pivot and pass, dribbling, and shooting the ball.

"I've learned how to shoot because I usually just shoot like this. But we do BEEF, where you bend your elbow, eye the basketball, and your fingers have to be like that…and then shoot," said Victoria Langfield, 11, as she showed off her new shooting style.

The girls run drills and play scrimmage games getting ready for their weekly games against other Boys & Girls Club branches. It's part of the Sports, Fitness and Recreation programming at each of the clubs. The sports teams gives the children confidence both physically and socially as they interact with each other and they're getting introduced to regular exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle.

"With hard work, commitment, teamwork and follow through and by working with coaches and teammates to reach a goal. It's a real practice for success later on in life," said Zach Vigil, Athletic Director at the Owen branch.

You can support the members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver by making a donation to the CBS4 Care 4 Colorado Toy Drive. Collection bins are at all metro-area King Soopers stores until December 31st.

- Written for the Web by CBS4 Special Projects Producer Libby Smith

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