WITH digital distractions proving to be a hinder to developing a healthy lifestyle, particularly among children, beverage brand Milo has decided to step up its different sports programs to underscore further the value of sports in a child’s life.
Under the “Get Your Child Into Sports” campaign, Milo Philippines reaffirms its commitment to grassroots sports development while also angling to bring to the fore the benefits of taking the habit of being active, which it believes would go a long way.
“What has inspired us more than ever are the challenges that kids face right now, such as digital distractions like various devices, television and YouTube. We’re not saying that they should not get into those but these days more and more kids are spending time on them, which leads to physical inactivity which is not really good as it can cause childhood obesity and poor eyesight, among others,” said Robbie De Vera, Milo Philippines Consumer Marketing Brand Manager, in an interview with BusinessWorld as he spoke of the decision to come up with their latest campaign.
“On top of that there is a diminishing number of safe places to play. Here and there parks disappear or playgrounds being turned into houses and high-rise establishments. More and more opportunities for kids to get into sports have been declining. But we want to change the mind-set of Filipinos by getting them active and getting them into sports because we know as a matter of fact that sports is another classroom. It’s a concrete way of teaching values from sports like confidence, teamwork and discipline. This is apart from the physical benefits they can get from it,” he added.
This more “proactive” approach in its sports program will be first seen in its annual summer sports clinics, which will start next month.
Now on its 35th year of staging, the nationwide Milo Summer Sports Clinics aim to teach children a wealth of character-developing values and physical benefits which make them better in sports, and at the same time, prepare them for the challenges of life.
Done in partnership with different sports organizations, the Milo Sports Clinics this year will involve 18 sports, namely, badminton, basketball, bowling, chess, crossfit for kids, fencing, football, futsal, golf, gymnastics, ice skating, karatedo, lawn tennis, parkour, swimming, table tennis, touch rugby and volleyball.
Crossfit, parkour and touch rugby are new additions to Milo’s roster of sports offered as it saw a growing trend and pickup for them, officials said.
Each sports clinic, which carries a corresponding fee, will be handled by expert coaches and instructors who use modern and scientific approaches that will help participants gain appreciation for the different sports, live a healthy and active lifestyle, and embody different good values to become well-rounded individuals.
“Good character and a healthy and active lifestyle are essential for children who want to become champions on and off the court, and this can be achieved through sports. We highly encourage parents to get their child into sports, and enroll their kids in the different Milo Summer Sports Clinics,” said MILO sports marketing executive Luigi Pumaren, himself a product of the clinics.
For more information on the Milo Summer Sports Clinics and Milo Philippines, log on to www.milo.com.ph or the Milo Philippines Facebook page at www.facebook.com/milo.ph. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
