Obama ended the Presidential Fitness Test to spare kids from failure and embarrassment.
RFK Jr. says that’s a mistake—those experiences are essential for growth.
“Competition is part of life.”
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RFK Jr. says that’s a mistake—those experiences are essential for growth.
“Competition is part of life.”
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RFK Jr. joined Martha MacCallum to discuss bringing back the Presidential Fitness Test.
His uncle JFK originally championed the program to promote youth fitness nationwide.
“About a month before my uncle took the oath of office he was signaling to the country that physical fitness of Americans was going to be one of the primary priorities of his administration.”
“He watched what was happening, there was all kinds of studies that had come out at the time that showed that we were falling behind Europeans in terms of our physical fitness.”
“My uncle and my father believed strongly that American democracy and the taming of the American wilderness and the achievements of our country were related both to the physical strength and the moral strength of Americans.”
“We had this kind of beef jerky toughness.”
“So he launched the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness.”
“I was 10 years old at the time they launched it and I grew up with it in school.”
“We had to do push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs, one-mile run, and a bunch of other activities.”
His uncle JFK originally championed the program to promote youth fitness nationwide.
“About a month before my uncle took the oath of office he was signaling to the country that physical fitness of Americans was going to be one of the primary priorities of his administration.”
“He watched what was happening, there was all kinds of studies that had come out at the time that showed that we were falling behind Europeans in terms of our physical fitness.”
“My uncle and my father believed strongly that American democracy and the taming of the American wilderness and the achievements of our country were related both to the physical strength and the moral strength of Americans.”
“We had this kind of beef jerky toughness.”
“So he launched the Presidential Council on Physical Fitness.”
“I was 10 years old at the time they launched it and I grew up with it in school.”
“We had to do push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs, one-mile run, and a bunch of other activities.”
President Obama scaled back the Presidential Fitness Test to protect kids from failure and embarrassment.
RFK Jr. sees it differently—he believes moments of failure, and even occasional embarrassment, can help kids grow stronger and more resilient.
“Competition is part of life.”
“Parents have to be sensitive about how their children process experience, but they can't tell them that life is not going to be hard and that life is not a competition.”
“If we want a country that is strong in the world, we need kids who are willing to compete.”
“A lot of times that involves failure and it may sometimes involve embarrassment.”
“That's part of life.”
RFK Jr. sees it differently—he believes moments of failure, and even occasional embarrassment, can help kids grow stronger and more resilient.
“Competition is part of life.”
“Parents have to be sensitive about how their children process experience, but they can't tell them that life is not going to be hard and that life is not a competition.”
“If we want a country that is strong in the world, we need kids who are willing to compete.”
“A lot of times that involves failure and it may sometimes involve embarrassment.”
“That's part of life.”
RFK Jr. says programs like the Presidential Fitness Test can give kids an outlet to get moving and feel motivated.
He believes it can play a role in addressing the growing crisis of depression among youth.
“The average American kid is spending seven hours in front of their screen a day.”
“The purpose of this is to make sure that kids get outdoors and make sure that kids have physical activity.”
“It's absolutely critical.”
“This sedentary lifestyle is contributing to the spiritual malaise that we have in this country and the emotional and depressive state that so many of our kids are in.”
“You need to get out and do competitive sports, work with teams, and work with other kids.”
“If you want to get out of a bad mood, go out and do something physical.”
He believes it can play a role in addressing the growing crisis of depression among youth.
“The average American kid is spending seven hours in front of their screen a day.”
“The purpose of this is to make sure that kids get outdoors and make sure that kids have physical activity.”
“It's absolutely critical.”
“This sedentary lifestyle is contributing to the spiritual malaise that we have in this country and the emotional and depressive state that so many of our kids are in.”
“You need to get out and do competitive sports, work with teams, and work with other kids.”
“If you want to get out of a bad mood, go out and do something physical.”
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