Kansas Kids Fitness Day returns to Benedictine College after a year away

Kansas Kids Fitness Day is back at Benedictine College after a year away, giving Atchison families a local place to see physical activity as more than a school requirement. The event returns as a community-facing reminder that movement, health and fun can fit together in one place students and parents already know well.

The observance is part of a statewide effort led through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which encourages communities, schools and families to promote physical activity and healthy living. KDHE says regular activity is tied to lower depression risk, better mood and memory, stronger bones and improved heart health, making the day about more than exercise scores or sports performance.

Laura Kelly’s May 5 proclamation for Kansas Kids Fitness Day underscored the same message, calling attention to opportunities for children to be physically active and to have high-quality physical education, health and recreation programs. That matters in Atchison County, where access to consistent youth wellness programming can depend on schools, churches, colleges and civic groups working together.

At Benedictine, Michael Kostick is part of that connection. The college lists him as an assistant professor in the Health, Wellness and Exercise Science department, and says he joined the department in fall 2024. Benedictine also identifies him as the program director of Health and Physical Education Teacher Education, and says he advises students in the Exercise Science-Teaching Physical Education and Health, Exercise Science-Coaching and Strength and Conditioning degree programs.

The Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education & Dance describes Kansas Kids Fitness Day as a day of physical activity for students and possibly neighboring schools, with games, relays and fitness stations centered on health, teamwork, safety and movement. That approach gives the day practical value for parents looking for positive, low-barrier ways to get children active and help them connect exercise with everyday wellness.

The observance also fits Benedictine’s wider mission. The college’s Health, Wellness and Exercise Science department says it is dedicated to developing the whole student physically, intellectually and spiritually, and the campus regularly serves as a gathering place for family-centered and community events in Atchison. For local families, the return of Kansas Kids Fitness Day means another visible, accessible chance to put healthy habits into practice close to home.