South Lake Hospital - Youth Programming, Camps, and Clinics

What is it?

South Lake Hospital and its wellness center, the LiveWell Fitness Center, have developed ongoing youth programming including a competitive swim team, track and field training club, soccer club, softball league, home school physical education program, and Girls Club – a program for teenage girls to focus on healthy lifestyle habits and positive self-images.

The LiveWell Fitness Center is a 37,000-square-foot wellness and athletic facility with a full fitness center and outdoor aquatic center and is also home to the National Training Center (NTC), which includes a track and field complex, multipurpose fields, softball complex, and cross-country course. The facility is a wellness center for the community, and the NTC is a popular warm-weather training site for college athletics and national and international elite athletes.

In addition, the LiveWell Fitness Center has developed youth camps during the summer to keep kids active outside of the school year. The Sports Mania Camps feature a variety of sports including soccer, track and field, and swimming.

Who is it for?

All youth in the community.

Why do they do it?

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in our state and our county. In Florida, more than 26 percent of the population is considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Lake Hospital has grown its campus – named the LiveWell Campus – to focus on health, education, and wellness, with the belief that prevention is a key to combatting obesity and other diseases such as diabetes in children, adults, and families. Getting a child involved in sports and healthy activities early in life can lead to a lifetime of healthy habits.

Impact

Since the youth camps’ inception in 2004, more than 760 children in the community have attended the camps. There are also more intense youth camps for track and field, swimming, soccer, and much more. To ensure that every child has the opportunity to participate in a sport or activity, the hospital offers scholarships based on need for every youth program that the LiveWell Fitness Center facilitates. In addition, parents are able to get discounted memberships to the fitness facility so that they can work out while their children are practicing, or at any other time that is convenient for them.

Contact: Kimberly Couch
Manager, Community Relations
Telephone: 352-241-7122
E-mail: kim.couch@orlandohealth.com