Quest Fitness and Sports Award

In the years since Venturing started, the program has been defined by the activities Venturers do. Sports have become a very important activity within crew programs. The resounding popularity of the Ranger Award for the outdoor emphasis caused the need to create a similar, challenging award program for Venturing's sports emphasis.

Statistics throughout the United States are showing that Americans as a nation are overweight and out of shape. Heart disease and diabetes, diseases which are the results of being overweight, are rampant. These diseases, historically found in older people, are now being found more and more in the youth. Young Americans are not being encouraged to watch their diets and start an exercise program.

While working on QUEST, Venturers will be required to learn more about what makes up a nutritional diet as well as design your own personal exercise plan based upon your lifestyle, fitness levels, and desires for a healthy and long life. Hopefully this program will introduce Venturers to a sport or sports that they will enjoy the rest of their life. As with many other requirements throughout the Venturing Program, Venturers will be required to share what they learn with others. This sharing may be done through various sports clinics and presentations with other groups. In the electives section, Venturers will be required to choose at least one sport in which to become proficient.

Purpose

• Provide a wide variety of sports-related activities that encourage the development of the "whole" person.
• Give Venturers the opportunity to pursue a specific sports interest in a new way that may not be available in a traditional scouting, educational, or recreational setting.
• Provide Venturers a variety of practical, hands-on sports experiences while having FUN.
• Promote fitness and sportsmanship
• Learn new sports correctly that Venturers will enjoy the rest of their life.
• Recognize Venturers for achievement in the sports area.
• Develop highly trained Venturers who may become a training and leadership sports resource to dens, packs, and troops, religious organizations, the community, schools, sports teams, and families.

Requirements

Five Core Requirements: (Do all)

1. Earn the Sports Bronze Award.
2. Complete an American Red Cross Sport Safety Training Course or equivalent.
3. Complete the Fitness for Life program.
4. Learn and do fitness assessments.
5. Sports Disciplines (Choose a sport from a list provide in the Quest Handbook or another sport approved by your advisor.)

Electives are: (Do one)

1. History and Heritage of Sports
2. Sports Nutrition
3. Drug Free Sports
4. Communications
5. History & Heritage of Disabled Sports Movement

The Quest Award

An illustration of the Quest medal is pictured on the top right of the front side of this sheet. It features the Vitruvian Man (c. 1492) by Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo da Vinci actually drew the figure as he was influenced by Vitruvius, a Roman engineer of the first century B.C. It is based on a model of ideal proportions which Vitruvius established. Like that balanced man that both Vitruvian and da Vinci modeled, the modern Venturer must be balanced physically, mentally, nutritionally, and even socially. The Vitruvian man stands before a red, white, and blue background. That background reminds us of national pride as our athletes compete against the world. The medal is suspended from a ribbon with a solid field of green. The green represents the sports field as well as the completion of journey started with the bronze medal with its half green and half white ribbon.

Supply Information

Available by September 1, 2003

• Quest Award Medal, No. 04266
• Quest Award Certificate, No. 33651
• Quest Award Pocket Card, No. 33650
• Quest Award Handbook, No. 33151